[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 424 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 424

Condemning the mass atrocities committed by the Government of Syria and 
 supporting the right of the people of Syria to be safe and to defend 
                              themselves.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 18, 2012

   Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Graham, Mr. Kyl, Ms. 
 Ayotte, and Mr. Hoeven) submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning the mass atrocities committed by the Government of Syria and 
 supporting the right of the people of Syria to be safe and to defend 
                              themselves.

Whereas, in March 2011, large-scale peaceful demonstrations began to take place 
        in Syria against the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad;
Whereas the Bashar al-Assad regime responded to protests by launching a campaign 
        of escalating and indiscriminate violence, including gross human rights 
        violations, use of force against civilians, torture, extrajudicial 
        killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and interference with 
        access to medical treatment;
Whereas demonstrators initially demanded political reform, but under sustained 
        violent attack by the Government of Syria, now demand a change in the 
        Syrian regime;
Whereas forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad are increasingly and indiscriminately 
        employing heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, to attack 
        civilian population centers;
Whereas, on November 23, 2011, the United Nations-appointed Independent 
        International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic reported 
        that ``crimes against humanity of murder, torture, rape or other forms 
        of sexual violence of comparable gravity, imprisonment or other severe 
        deprivation of liberty, enforced disappearances of persons and other 
        inhumane acts of a similar character have occurred in different 
        locations in Syria since March 2011'' and that ``the Syrian Arab 
        Republic bears responsibility for these crimes and violations'';
Whereas, on February 22, 2012, the Independent International Commission of 
        Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic found in a subsequent report that 
        ``commanding officers and officials at the highest level of government 
        bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross human 
        rights violations'';
Whereas, on March 15, 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned 
        that ``well over 8,000 people'' have been killed because of the ``brutal 
        oppression'' by authorities in Syria and called the status quo in Syria 
        ``indefensible'';
Whereas, on March 27, 2012, the United Nations reported that the death toll in 
        Syria had climbed to ``more than 9,000'';
Whereas at least 3,000 people have been killed in Syria in 2012 alone;
Whereas, on October 2, 2011, a broad-based coalition of Syrian opposition 
        leaders announced the establishment of the Syrian National Council 
        (SNC), calling for the end of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the 
        formation of a civil, pluralistic, and democratic state in Syria;
Whereas, on February 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the 
        Syrian National Council (SNC) ``a leading legitimate representative of 
        Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change'' and an ``effective 
        representative for the Syrian people with governments and international 
        organizations'';
Whereas growing numbers of people in Syria, under continued and escalating 
        assault by the Assad regime, have taken up arms to defend themselves and 
        organized armed resistance under the banner of the Free Syrian Army 
        (FSA);
Whereas the leaders of the Free Syrian Army have rejected sectarianism;
Whereas, on December 6, 2011, the Syrian National Council issued a statement 
        affirming that the Free Syrian Army ``deserve[s] the backing of all 
        supporters of human rights in Syria'' and applauding the decision of FSA 
        officers to ``risk their lives and those of their families because they 
        believe in Syria and have lost faith in the Assad doctrine'';
Whereas, on March 12, 2012, the Syrian National Council, through its 
        spokesperson, called for ``military intervention by Arab and Western 
        countries to protect civilians'' in Syria, and endorsed the arming of 
        the Free Syrian Army;
Whereas, on March 16, 2012, opposition activists inside Syria staged protests 
        calling for ``immediate military intervention by the Arabs and Muslims, 
        followed by the rest of the world'';
Whereas, on February 24, 2012, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Saud bin 
        Feisal, called providing weapons to the Syrian opposition ``an excellent 
        idea . . . because they have to protect themselves'';
Whereas, on February 27, 2012, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin 
        Jassim al Thani, said of the Syrian opposition, ``I think we should do 
        whatever is necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to 
        defend themselves.'';
Whereas, on March 1, 2012, the parliament of Kuwait voted overwhelmingly on a 
        resolution calling on the Government of Kuwait to support the Syrian 
        opposition, including by providing weapons;
Whereas, on March 16, 2012, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said 
        that the Government of Turkey was considering setting up a ``security'' 
        or ``buffer zone'' along its border with Syria;
Whereas, on December 22, 2010, the Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 71 
        (112th Congress), a bipartisan resolution recognizing that it is in the 
        national interest of the United States to prevent and mitigate acts of 
        genocide and other mass atrocities against civilians;
Whereas, on August 4, 2011, President Barack Obama issued Presidential Study 
        Directive-10 (PSD-10), stating, ``Preventing mass atrocities and 
        genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral 
        responsibility of the United States.'';
Whereas, on May 18, 2011, President Obama signed Executive Order 13573, 
        targeting senior officials of the Government of Syria due to the 
        Government's continuing escalation of violence against the people of 
        Syria;
Whereas, on April 29, 2011, President Obama signed Executive Order 13572, 
        imposing sanctions on certain individuals and entities in the annex to 
        the order and providing the authority to designate persons responsible 
        for human rights abuses in Syria, including those related to repressing 
        the people of Syria;
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Obama stated that Bashar al-Assad ``has 
        no right to lead Syria and has lost all legitimacy with his people and 
        the international community'';
Whereas, on February 17, 2012, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 379 (112th 
        Congress), stating that 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'';
Whereas, on February 28, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton, in testimony before 
        the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and 
        Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
        concerning Bashar al-Assad, testified that, ``based on the definitions 
        of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument 
        to be made that he would fit into that category'';
Whereas, on March 1, 2012, Admiral James Stavridis, commander of United States 
        European Command and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, during testimony 
        before the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, agreed with the 
        statement that ``the provision of arms, communication equipment, and 
        tactical intelligence'' would ``help the Syrian opposition to better 
        organize itself and push Assad from power'';
Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General James Mattis, commander of United States 
        Central Command, testified before the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        Senate that Bashar al-Assad will ``continue to employ heavier and 
        heavier weapons on his people'';
Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General Mattis testified before the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate that there is ``a full throated effort by 
        Iran to keep Assad there and oppressing his own people'' in Syria, 
        including ``providing the kinds of weapons that are being used right now 
        to suppress the opposition,'' as well as ``listening capability, 
        eavesdropping capability . . . and experts who I could only say are 
        experts at oppressing'';
Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General Mattis testified before the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate that the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime 
        would represent ``the biggest strategic setback for Iran in 25 years''; 
        and
Whereas the continuing gross human rights violations against the people of Syria 
        represent a grave risk to regional peace and stability: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the mass atrocities and severe human rights 
        abuses being perpetrated against the people of Syria by Bashar 
        al-Assad and his followers;
            (2) recognizes that the people of Syria have an inherent 
        right to defend themselves against the campaign of violence 
        being conducted by the Assad regime;
            (3) supports calls by Arab leaders to provide the people of 
        Syria with the means to defend themselves against Bashar al-
        Assad and his forces, including through the provision of 
        weapons and other material support, and calls on the President 
        to work closely with regional partners to implement these 
        efforts effectively;
            (4) urges the President to take all necessary precautions 
        to ensure that any support for the Syrian opposition does not 
        benefit individuals in Syria who are aligned with al Qaeda or 
        associated movements, or who have committed human rights 
        abuses;
            (5) affirms that the establishment of safe havens for 
        people from Syria, as contemplated by governments in the Middle 
        East, would be an important step to save Syrian lives and to 
        help bring an end to Mr. Assad's killing of civilians in Syria, 
        and calls on the President to consult urgently and thoroughly 
        with regional allies on whether, how, and where to create such 
        safe havens;
            (6) urges the President, as part of an international effort 
        to hold senior officials in Syria accountable for mass 
        atrocities--
                    (A) to gather information about such mass 
                atrocities, including gross human rights violations, 
                use of force against civilians, torture, extrajudicial 
                killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and 
                interference with access to medical treatment; and
                    (B) to continue to take actions to ensure that 
                senior officials in the Government of Syria and other 
                individuals responsible for mass atrocities in Syria 
                are held accountable, including by using the authority 
                provided under Executive Order 13572 and Executive 
                Order 13573 to designate additional individuals;
            (7) urges the Atrocities Prevention Board, once it is 
        formally constituted by the President as called for in 
        Presidential Study Directive-10, to provide recommendations 
        concerning measures to prevent continued mass atrocities in 
        Syria; and
            (8) commends the establishment of the ``Friends of the 
        Syrian People'' Contact Group and other international 
        diplomatic efforts to end the violence and support a peaceful 
        transition to democracy in Syria, and reaffirms the necessity 
        of the departure from power of Bashar al-Assad.
                                 <all>