[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 101 (Thursday, July 10, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S9235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SYRIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I wish to discuss S. 982, the Syria 
Accountability Act. Senator Santorum and I introduced this legislation 
on May 1. In just over 2 months, this bill has received 63 cosponsors.
  After discussing this issue with Senator Lugar, the chairman of the 
Senator Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Santorum and I have 
decided against offering this legislation as an amendment to the State 
Department authorization bill.
  Senator Lugar has agreed to hold a hearing in his committee on the 
issue of Syria in the near future. I am very grateful for his 
cooperation. The Syria Accountability Act would expand U.S. diplomatic 
and economic sanctions against Syria unless a certification can be made 
that Syria no longer supports terrorism, has withdrawn from Lebanon, 
and has ended its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.
  The legislation does not in any way advocate the use of force against 
Syria. The goal is to give the President and the Secretary of State the 
ability to exert economic and political leverage on Syria because of 
the serious policy concerns we have with the Syrian government.
  It is well known that terrorist organizations like Hizballah, Hamas, 
and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine maintain offices, 
training camps, and other facilities on Syrian territory and in areas 
of Lebanon occupied by the Syrian armed forces. This bill addresses 
this issue by confronting the Government of Syria in a diplomatic way 
that shows the seriousness of our concerns.
  The Syria Accountability Act of 2003 would impose various sanctions 
on Syria, including a prohibition on the export of defense and dual-use 
items. In addition, the act requires the President to impose two or 
more of the following sanctions: 1, prohibiting the export of products 
of the U.S. other than food and medicine to Syria, 2, prohibiting U.S. 
businesses from investing or operating in Syria, 3, restricting Syrian 
diplomats in Washington, DC and at the United Nations to travel only 
within a 25-mile radius of Washington, DC or the United Nations, 
respectively, 4, reducing U.S. diplomatic contacts with Syria, and 5, 
blocking transactions in any property in which the Government of Syria 
has any interest.
  The President is authorized to waive any or all of these five 
sanctions if it is in the national security interest of the United 
States. It is imperative that we hold all nations that are responsible 
for the proliferation of international terrorism and regional 
instability in the Middle East fully accountable for their actions. If 
we do not, the credibility of our antiterrorism efforts diminishes, 
along with our chances for victory over terrorism and for truly 
positive change in the Middle East. I thank the Chairman of the Foreign 
Relations Committee for his assistance.

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