[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 548 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 25, 2007.
Whereas on February 14, 2005, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, along 
        with 22 other people, was assassinated by a massive bomb;
Whereas Lebanon's Cedar Revolution led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from 
        Lebanon in April 2005, following 30 years of Syrian military occupation;
Whereas parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon in May and June of 2005 
        leading to the formation of a government under Prime Minister Fuad 
        Siniora, with a majority of the parliament and cabinet committed to 
        strengthening Lebanon's independence and the sovereignty of its 
        democratic institutions of government;
Whereas Lebanese independence and sovereignty are still threatened by an ongoing 
        campaign of assassination and attempted assassinations of Lebanese 
        political and public figures opposed to Syrian interference in Lebanon's 
        internal affairs, and terrorist bombings intended to incite ethnic and 
        religious hatred, the continuing presence of state-sponsored militias 
        and foreign terrorist groups, and the ongoing and illegal trans-shipment 
        of weapons and munitions from Iran and Syria into Lebanon;
Whereas the democratically-elected and legitimate government of Lebanon, in 
        accordance with the mandate of United Nations Security Council 
        resolutions and the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, has made 
        efforts, through the internal deployments of the Lebanese Armed Forces, 
        to exercise its full sovereignty, so that there will be no weapon or 
        authority within Lebanon other than that of the Government of Lebanon;
Whereas the Lebanese Council of Ministers, on November 25, 2006, approved a 
        statute for the establishment of a tribunal of an international 
        character according to the terms negotiated between the Government of 
        Lebanon and the United Nations in order to bring to justice all those 
        responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005;
Whereas a majority of Lebanese members of parliament sought a vote in favor of 
        ratifying the statute establishing a tribunal of an international 
        character, and 70 of Lebanon's then 127 parliamentarians sent a 
        memorandum to the United Nations Secretary-General endorsing the 
        establishment under the United Nations Charter of a Special Tribunal to 
        bring to justice all those responsible for the terrorist bombing of 
        February 14, 2005;
Whereas the Lebanese parliament is scheduled to convene on September 25, 2007, 
        to begin the process of electing the next President of Lebanon;
Whereas Hezbollah, a United States Department of State-designated Foreign 
        Terrorist Organization, and their pro-Syrian allies have declared the 
        democratically-elected and legitimate Government of Lebanon 
        ``unconstitutional'', and are seeking to topple the government through 
        extra-legal means, including rioting, continuous street demonstrations 
        outside of the Council of Ministers, and obstructing traffic in Beirut;
Whereas the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and fighters into Lebanon in 
        contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), 
        has twice prompted the Security Council to issue statements, on April 
        17, 2007, (S/PRST/2007/12) and on June 11, 2007, (S/PRST/2007/17) 
        wherein it expressed deep and serious concern at mounting information by 
        Israel and other states of illegal movements of arms into Lebanon, and 
        in particular across the Lebanese-Syrian border, in violation of 
        Security Council Resolution 1701;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full support of the United 
        States, has repeatedly adopted resolutions, notably, Resolutions 425 
        (1978), 520 (1982), 1559 (2004), 1655 (2006), 1664 (2006), 1680 (2006), 
        1701 (2006), and 1757 (2007) that, among other things, express the 
        support of the international community for the sovereignty, territorial 
        integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole 
        and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon, and demand the 
        disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolutions, notably, 1595 (2005), 1636 
        (2005), 1644, (2005), 1664 (2006), 1748 (2007), and 1757 (2007), 
        underscore the importance of the pursuit of justice in response to the 
        terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and if appropriate, other 
        assassinations and assassination attempts since October 2004;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full support of the United 
        States, has sought to assist the Government of Lebanon in extending its 
        authority over all Lebanese territory, including its sea, land, and air 
        borders, through the presence of the United Nations Interim Force in 
        Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon and through technical and personnel 
        assistance;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full support of the United 
        States, has strongly supported the demand of the Lebanese people that 
        justice be done to those responsible for the terrorist attack of 
        February 14, 2005, and other terrorist attacks and attempted 
        assassinations since October 2004, establishing and extending the 
        mandate of the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) 
        to investigate terrorist bombings of February 14, 2005, and moving 
        toward the creation of a Special Tribunal of an international character, 
        according to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1595 (2005), 
        1636 (2005), 1644 (2005), 1664 (2006), 1686 (2006) and 1748 (2007);
Whereas Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in a letter of May 14, 2007, 
        informed the Secretary General of the United Nations that, ``the 
        Lebanese Government believes that the time has come for the Security 
        Council to help make the Special Tribunal for Lebanon a reality. We 
        therefore ask you, as a matter of urgency, to put before the Security 
        Council our request that the Special Tribunal be put into effect. A 
        binding decision regarding the Tribunal on the part of the Security 
        Council will be fully consistent with the importance the United Nations 
        has attached to this matter from the outset, when the investigation 
        commission was established. Further delays in setting up the Tribunal 
        would be most detrimental to Lebanon's stability, to the cause of 
        justice, to the credibility of the United Nations itself and to peace 
        and security in the region.'';
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full support of the United 
        States, adopted Resolution 1757, establishing on June 10, 2007, a 
        Special Tribunal to try all those found responsible for the terrorist 
        bombing of February 14, 2005, and if appropriate, both prior and 
        subsequent attacks in Lebanon, unless the Government of Lebanon has 
        provided notice that such a tribunal has been established under its own 
        laws;
Whereas the United States Congress has appropriated emergency economic and 
        military assistance to Lebanon at levels far greater than the amounts of 
        bilateral assistance provided in recent fiscal years; and
Whereas it is manifestly in the interests of the United States and the 
        international community to support the full sovereignty and political 
        independence of Lebanon, its democratically-elected and legitimate 
        government, and to insist that justice be done concerning the terrorist 
        bombing of February 14, 2005, and both prior and subsequent politically-
        inspired assassinations and assassination attempts: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the attempts by Hezbollah and other pro-Syrian groups 
        to undermine and intimidate the democratically-elected and legitimate 
        Government of Lebanon by extra-legal means;
            (2) condemns the campaign of attempted and successful assassinations 
        targeting members of parliament and public figures in favor of Lebanese 
        independence and sovereignty and opposed to Syrian interference in 
        Lebanon, and bombings in civilian areas intended to intimidate the 
        Lebanese people;
            (3) calls on the Lebanese parliament to elect a new President in 
        accordance with the processes and timetable established by Lebanon's 
        constitution;
            (4) declares that the association of political parties with 
        terrorist organizations, militias, and other elements retaining armed 
        operational capabilities outside of the official military and security 
        institutions of the Government of Lebanon hinders the emergence of a 
        fully-democratic Lebanon;
            (5) confirms the strong support of the United States for United 
        Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Lebanon, and the clear 
        and binding mandate of the international community for the arms embargo 
        and disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, and particularly, 
        Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon;
            (6) condemns Syria and Iran for their ongoing roles in providing 
        arms to terrorist organizations, Lebanese militias, and other militias 
        operating in Lebanon, in blatant contravention of United Nations 
        Security Council Resolution 1701;
            (7) declares that the United States should consider Syria's 
        obstructive role in Lebanon when assessing the status and nature of 
        United States bilateral relations with Syria;
            (8) expresses its strong appreciation to Belgium, China, Cyprus, 
        Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, 
        India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Luxemburg, 
        Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Slovakia, 
        Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, and Turkey for their contributions of 
        military personnel to serve in the United Nations Interim Force in 
        Lebanon (UNIFIL), now manned with 13,251 troops of the 15,000 troops 
        authorized in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701;
            (9) urges the Government of Lebanon to request UNIFIL's assistance 
        to secure the Lebanese-Syrian border against the entry of illicit arms 
        or related material under paragraphs 11(f) and 14 of United Nations 
        Security Council Resolution 1701, and pledges earnest American support 
        for this action, should the Government of Lebanon choose to do so;
            (10) calls on the international community to further support the 
        mission of UNIFIL and efforts by the United Nations Secretary-General to 
        improve the monitoring of the Lebanese border in order to effectively 
        implement the arms embargo on armed groups in Lebanon required by United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 1701;
            (11) affirms strongly United States support for efforts to bring to 
        justice those responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 14, 
        2005, and both prior and subsequent politically inspired assassinations, 
        and for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon established by the United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 1757;
            (12) endorses prompt action by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for 
        the terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and both prior and 
        subsequent politically-inspired assassinations, under Chapter VII of the 
        United Nations Charter;
            (13) pledges continued support for the democratically-elected and 
        legitimate Government of Lebanon and the Lebanese people against the 
        campaign of intimidation, terror, and murder directed at the Lebanese 
        people and at political and public figures opposing Syrian interference 
        in Lebanon;
            (14) commends the many Lebanese who continue to adhere steadfastly 
        to the principles of the Cedar Revolution and support the 
        democratically-elected and legitimate Government of Lebanon;
            (15) applauds the Government of Lebanon's efforts to fully extend 
        Lebanon's sovereignty over the entire country through the internal 
        deployments of the Lebanese Armed Forces, including direct action 
        against the Fatah al Islam group, and encourages the Government of 
        Lebanon to intensify these efforts; and
            (16) re-affirms its intention to continue to provide financial and 
        material assistance to support the sovereignty, territorial integrity, 
        unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and 
        exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.