[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 618 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 618

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning Syria 
                              and Lebanon.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2005

 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself and Mr. Engel) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning Syria 
                              and Lebanon.

Whereas the Syrian Human Rights Committee writes that ``In Lebanon, where the 
        Syrian [military] presence lasted around 29 years, thousands of Lebanese 
        disappeared, died of torture, faced massacres, and were victims of raids 
        and arrests.'';
Whereas it is widely reported that Syria has utilized the practices of 
        kidnapping and arresting Lebanese citizens, using torture against them, 
        and causing their virtual disappearance;
Whereas two mass graves were recently discovered in the Lebanese village of 
        Anjar, 2 miles from the Syrian border;
Whereas Syria reportedly operated detention facilities in Anjar and other 
        Lebanese cities including Tripoli, Beirut, and Shtaura in the Bekka 
        Valley;
Whereas Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has sought the aid of the 
        international community in investigating the Anjar tragedy;
Whereas reports received at Amnesty International indicate that ``exhumations 
        are not being carried out with the appropriate level of care and there 
        are fears that bodies may be damaged and potential evidence lost'';
Whereas Amnesty International urged Lebanon to ``take immediate actions to 
        ensure that the evidence at the sites is properly preserved that the 
        victims are identified and that the evidence is used to bring suspected 
        perpetrators to justice in fair trials'';
Whereas a 1991 Amnesty Law gives immunity to those individuals responsible for 
        crimes committed before March 18, 1991; and
Whereas though its military occupation of Lebanon has ended, Syria's efforts to 
        intimidate, harass, and silence Lebanese critics have persisted: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports efforts by the Lebanese government to respect 
        the remains of the victims in the mass graves and protect the 
        viability of the evidence;
            (2) calls on the President to direct the United States 
        Permanent Representative to the United Nations to seek adoption 
        of a resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling 
        for an investigation into the Lebanese disappeared and all mass 
        graves and calling on all Members States of the United Nations 
        to cooperate fully with the investigation toward finding the 
        perpetrators and bringing them to justice;
            (3) urges revisions be made to the 1991 Amnesty Law to 
        allow for the prosecution of those responsible for the murder 
        and disappearance of Lebanese citizens prior to 1991;
            (4) insists that the government of Syria cease and desist 
        its continued efforts to intimidate, silence, and harass 
        Lebanese critics, and to otherwise hold Lebanon captive; and
            (5) demands that the Government of Syria be further 
        sanctioned under United States law for its continuing 
        infringement of Lebanese sovereignty and be otherwise held 
        accountable for its continuing violations of United Nations 
        Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1595, and 1636.
                                 <all>