[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 428 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 428

Condemning the Government of Syria for crimes against humanity, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2012

 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Graham, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kirk, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Coats, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning the Government of Syria for crimes against humanity, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas, on December 22, 2010, the Senate passed S. Con. Res. 71 (111th 
        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, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 2011, the Government of 
        Syria has manifestly failed in its responsibility to protect its people;
Whereas, on August 4, 2011, President Barack Obama issued Presidential Study 
        Directive/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 November 23, 2011, the United Nations-appointed Independent 
        International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic 
        expressed grave concern 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 3, 2012, Syria security forces began using indiscriminate 
        sniper fire and shelling of the densely populated neighborhoods of Homs 
        with heavy weaponry;
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Obama stated that President Assad ``has 
        no right to lead Syria and has lost all legitimacy with his people and 
        the international community'';
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the United States co-sponsored a draft United 
        Nations Security Council resolution condemning ``the continued 
        widespread and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms 
        by the Syrian authorities such as the use of force against civilians, 
        arbitrary executions, killing and persecution of protestors and members 
        of the media, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference 
        with access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-
        treatment, including against children'';
Whereas, on February 17, 2012, the Senate passed S. Res. 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 22, 2012, the Independent International Commission of 
        Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic found in a subsequent report that 
        ``[a] reliable body of evidence exists that, consistent with other 
        verified circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe that 
        particular individuals, including commanding officers and officials at 
        the highest levels of Government, bear responsibility for crimes against 
        humanity and other gross human rights violations'' and that ``children 
        continue to be arbitrarily arrested and tortured while in detention'';
Whereas, on February 28, 2012, the United Nations Security Council was informed 
        that over 7,500 people in Syria have been killed, an estimated 100 more 
        are killed each day in attacks directed against the civilian population, 
        and there are between 100,000 and 200,000 internally displaced persons 
        in Syria;
Whereas, on February 28, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified 
        before the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, 
        and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
        concerning President Assad, stating 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, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs 
        Jeffrey Feltman testified before the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
        the Senate that ``large numbers of Syrians are living every day under 
        siege, deprived of basic necessities including food, clean water and 
        medical supplies, and women and children are wounded and dying for lack 
        of treatment'';
Whereas, on March 8, 2012, Ambassador Susan Rice, the United States Permanent 
        Representative to the United Nations, stated that the United States 
        ``remain[s] determined to hasten the day when the brave people of Syria 
        can shake off the yoke of bondage and tyranny'';
Whereas, on March 27, 2012, United States Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, in 
        testimony before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, cited massive 
        human rights violations that, ``may amount to crimes against humanity''; 
        and
Whereas, with the intent and knowledge of the highest level of the Government of 
        Syria, including commanding officers of the Syria security forces and 
        the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashir Assad, members of the 
        Syria security forces have reportedly committed a widespread and 
        systematic pattern of gross human rights violations, including use of 
        force against civilians, torture, extra judicial killings, arbitrary 
        executions, sexual violence, the execution of defectors, and 
        interference with medical treatment and other humanitarian assistance: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the Government of Syria, Syria security 
        forces, and the President of the Syrian Arab Republic for 
        widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian 
        population of Syria;
            (2) commends the President for the vote of the United 
        States at the United Nations Security Council to condemn the 
        continued widespread and gross violations of human rights and 
        fundamental freedoms by the authorities in Syria;
            (3) urges the President to use his authority to collect 
        information on incidents in Syria that may constitute crimes 
        against humanity under section 2113 of the ADVANCE Democracy 
        Act of 2007 (title XXI of Public Law 110-53; 22 U.S.C. 8213) 
        and take action to ensure that the Government of Syria, its 
        leaders, and senior officials who are responsible for crimes 
        against humanity are brought to account for such crimes in an 
        appropriately constituted tribunal;
            (4) urges the President to formally establish the 
        Atrocities Prevention Board established by Presidential Study 
        Directive-10 in August 2011, and for the Board to provide 
        recommendations to the President concerning the prevention of 
        mass atrocities in Syria;
            (5) urges the international community, working with the 
        people of Syria to review legal processes available to hold 
        officials of the Government of Syria, Syria security forces, 
        and the President of the Syrian Arab Republic accountable for 
        crimes against humanity and gross violations of human rights; 
        and
            (6) expresses solidarity and support for the people of 
        Syria as they seek to exercise universal rights and pursue 
        peaceful democratic change.
                                 <all>