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
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.