[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 328 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 328

Condemning the assassination on September 19, 2007, of Antoine Ghanem, 
 a member of the Parliament of Lebanon who opposed Syrian interference 
                              in Lebanon.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2007

   Mr. Reid (for Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. Sununu)) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning the assassination on September 19, 2007, of Antoine Ghanem, 
 a member of the Parliament of Lebanon who opposed Syrian interference 
                              in Lebanon.

Whereas Antoine Ghanem and at least 6 others were killed in a car-bomb attack in 
        the Sin el-Fil suburb of Beirut on September 19, 2007;
Whereas Mr. Ghanem was a member of the Parliament of Lebanon from the Lebanese 
        Kataeb Party representing the Baabda and Aley districts of Mount 
        Lebanon;
Whereas Mr. Ghanem is the 6th member of the Parliament of Lebanon who had 
        opposed Syrian interference in Lebanon to be assassinated since February 
        2005, including former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri, former 
        Economy and Trade Minister Bassel Fleihan, Gebran Tueni, Industry 
        Minister Pierre Gemayel, and Walid Eido;
Whereas other prominent figures in Lebanon who have opposed Syrian interference 
        in that country have also been assassinated in the same time period, 
        including politician George Hawi and journalist Samir Kassir, while 
        others have escaped assassination attempts, including Defense Minister 
        Elias Murr, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh, and television 
        presenter May Chidiac;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1757 of May 30, 2007, created 
        a special international tribunal to try suspects in the assassinations 
        of former Prime Minister Hariri and others;
Whereas, by agreement between the United Nations and Lebanon, the special 
        international tribunal can receive jurisdiction for other attacks in 
        Lebanon that ``are of a nature and gravity similar to the attack of 14 
        February 2005''; and
Whereas these continuing assassinations are intended to undermine the 
        sovereignty of Lebanon and damage its fragile democratic institutions: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of 
        Antoine Ghanem and other victims of the attack of September 19, 
        2007, as well as to all the people of Lebanon;
            (2) condemns in the strongest terms this cowardly attack 
        and urges that its perpetrators, including any state sponsor or 
        official, be held accountable for their crimes;
            (3) underscores its full support for the special 
        international tribunal and urges the United Nations Security 
        Council to extend its jurisdiction to include the Ghanem 
        assassination;
            (4) urges the President to increase coordination with key 
        partners in Europe and the Middle East to more actively support 
        the sovereignty of Lebanon and strengthen its governing 
        institutions and security forces; and
            (5) reasserts its strong belief that the people of Lebanon 
        should be permitted to choose their next president, in a 
        process scheduled to begin in September 2007, free from all 
        foreign intimidation, interference, and violence.
                                 <all>