[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 549 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 549
Calling for democratic change in Syria.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2012
Mr. Ellison submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Calling for democratic change in Syria.
Whereas the Syrian Arab Republic is a signatory to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), adopted at New York December 16,
1966, the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, done at New York December
10, 1984, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted at
Paris, December 10, 1948.
Whereas, in March 2011, peaceful demonstrations in Syria began against the
authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad;
Whereas, in response to the demonstrations, the Government of Syria launched a
brutal crackdown, which has resulted in gross human rights violations,
use of force against civilians, torture, extrajudicial killings,
arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and interference with access to
medical treatment;
Whereas the United Nations estimated that, as of January 25, 2012, more than
5,400 people in Syria had been killed since the violence began in March
2011;
Whereas, on August 18, 2011, President Barack Obama called upon President Bashar
al-Assad to step down from power;
Whereas the Department of State has repeatedly condemned the Government of
Syria's crackdown on its people, including on January 30, 2012, when
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated ``The status quo is
unsustainable. . . . The longer the Assad regime continues its attacks
on the Syrian people and stands in the way of a peaceful transition, the
greater the concern that instability will escalate and spill over
throughout the region.'';
Whereas President Obama, on April 29, 2011, designated 3 individuals subject to
sanctions for humans rights abuses in Syria: Mahir al-Assad, the brother
of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and brigade commander in the Syrian
Army's 4th Armored Division; Atif Najib, the former head of the
Political Security Directorate for Daraa Province and a cousin of Bashar
al-Assad; and Ali Mamluk, director of Syria's General Intelligence
Directorate;
Whereas, on May 18, 2011, President Obama issued an executive order sanctioning
senior officials of the Syrian Arab Republic and their supporters,
specifically designating seven people: President Bashar al-Assad, Vice
President Farouk al-Shara, Prime Minister Adel Safar, Minister of the
Interior Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, Minister of Defense Ali Habib
Mahmoud, Head of Syrian Military Intelligence Abdul Fatah Qudsiya, and
Director of Political Security Directorate Mohammed Dib Zaitoun;
Whereas President Obama, on August 17, 2011, issued Executive Order 13582,
blocking property of the Government of Syria and prohibiting certain
transactions with respect to Syria;
Whereas, on December 1, 2011, the Department of the Treasury designated two
individuals, Aus Aslan and Muhammad Makhluf, under Executive Order 13573
and two entities, the Military Housing Establishment and the Real Estate
Bank of Syria, under Executive Order 13582;
Whereas, on May 6, 2011, the European Union's 27 countries imposed sanctions on
the Government of Syria for the human rights abuses, including asset
freezes and visa bans on members of the Government of Syria and an arms
embargo on the country;
Whereas, on November 12, 2011, the League of Arab States voted to suspend
Syria's membership in the organization;
Whereas, on December 2, 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed
Resolution S-18/1, which recalls General Assembly resolution A/RES/66/
176 of December 19, 2011, as well as Human Rights Council resolutions S-
16/1, S-17/1 and S-18/1, and further deplores the human rights situation
in Syria, commends the League of Arab States, and supports
implementation of its Plan of Action;
Whereas the League of Arab States approved and implemented a plan of action to
send a team of international monitors to Syria, which began December 26,
2011;
Whereas, on January 28, 2012, the League of Arab States decided to suspend its
international monitoring mission due to escalating violence within
Syria;
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the Russian Federation and People's Republic of
China vetoed a United Nations Security Council Resolution in support of
the League of Arab States' Plan of Action;
Whereas the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of
Iran remain major suppliers of military equipment to the Government of
Syria notwithstanding that government's violent repression of
demonstrators; and
Whereas the gross human rights violations perpetuated by the Government of Syria
against the people of Syria represent a grave risk to regional peace and
stability: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) strongly condemns the ongoing, widespread, and systemic
violations of human rights conducted by authorities in Syria,
including the use of force against civilians, torture,
extrajudicial killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence,
and interference with access to medical treatment;
(2) maintains that Bashar al-Assad has lost all claims to
legitimacy due to the perpetuation of mass atrocities against
the people of Syria and continued violations of human rights;
(3) calls upon Bashar al-Assad to step down from power;
(4) strongly condemns the Governments of the Russian
Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran for providing
military and security equipment to the Government of Syria,
which has been used to repress peaceful demonstrations and
commit mass atrocities against unarmed civilian populations in
Syria;
(5) commends the League of Arab States' efforts to bring
about a peaceful resolution in Syria;
(6) regrets that the League of Arab States observer mission
was not able to monitor the full implementation of the League
of Arab States' Action Plan of November 2, 2011, due to the
escalating violence in Syria;
(7) commends President Obama for authorizing targeted
sanctions on human rights abusers in Syria and for extending
these sanctions to 12 individuals;
(8) encourages the President to continue designating for
sanctions all individuals responsible for human rights
violations in Syria;
(9) urges the President to support an effective transition
to democracy in Syria by identifying and providing substantial
material and technical support, upon request, to Syrian
organizations that are representative of the people of Syria,
make demonstrable commitments to protect human rights and
religious freedom, reject terrorism, cooperate with
international counterterrorism and nonproliferation efforts,
and abstain from destabilizing neighboring countries;
(10) urges the President to develop a plan to identify
weapons stockpiles and prevent the proliferation of
conventional, biological, chemical, and other types of weapons
in Syria;
(11) urges the Department of State to establish a ``Friends
of the Syrian People'' Contact Group of countries committed to
democratic change in Syria, including Turkey, members of the
League of Arab States, and members of the European Union;
(12) urges the Department of State to develop a strategy to
encourage defections from the military of the Government of
Syria;
(13) urges the President to diplomatically engage with the
Republic of Turkey and members of the League of Arab States and
the European Union to discuss options to protect the people of
Syria, including the provision of robust humanitarian
assistance, the viability of establishing a safe haven along
the borders of Syria, and the use of all means available to
monitor and publicly report on abuses inside the country; and
(14) urges the international community to mobilize in
support of a post-Assad democratic and inclusive Government of
Syria that holds accountable those responsible for crimes
against humanity and gross violations of human rights.
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