[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.
                                 <all>