[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 169 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H11759-H11762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SYRIAN ACCOUNTABILITY AND LEBANESE SOVEREIGNTY RESTORATION ACT OF 2003
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur
in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 1828) to halt Syrian support
for terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, and stop its development
of weapons of mass destruction, and by so doing hold Syria accountable
for the serious international security problems it has caused in the
Middle East.
The Clerk read as follows:
Senate amendments:
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(37)Page 15, line 1 strike out [will be held responsible] and
insert: should bear responsibility
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and including ``ity'' in line 7 and insert: will work to deny
Syria the ability
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(45)Page 16, line 17, after ``Iraq'' insert: if the
Government of Syria is found to be responsible
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(b) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of
subsection (a)(1), (a)(2), or both if the President
determines that it is in the national security interest of
the United States to do so and submits to the appropriate
congressional committees a report containing the reasons for
the determination.
(48)Page 20, line 6, strike out all after ``has'' down to and
including ``Lebanon'' in line 8 and insert: ended its
occupation of Lebanon described in section 2(7) of this Act
(49)Page 21, line 15, strike out all after ``and'' down to
and including ``other'' in line 17
(50)Page 21, line 20, strike out all after ``Hizballah'' down
to and including ``al Qaeda'' in line 21 and insert: and
other terrorist organizations supported by Syria
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
General Leave
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, just 2 weeks ago, the Senate amended and overwhelmingly
passed H.R. 1828, the Syria Accountability and the Lebanese Sovereignty
Restoration Act.
The overwhelming support that the House-passed Syria bill received in
the Senate and in the House clearly demonstrates a unity of purpose and
an approach to the terrorist regime in Damascus. Even antisanctions
advocates in the Senate recognize the serious threat that Syria poses
to U.S. national security and to our interests and allies in the
region.
This bill seeks to hold Syria accountable for its weapons program,
its continued illegal occupation of Lebanon, and its terrorist
activities, including its facilitation of attacks against Americans in
Iraq.
The Syrian Foreign Minister has been quoted as saying that the
requirements of this bill and of the U.S. in general for Syria to cease
and desist on these three fronts are ``unreasonable and unrealistic''
demands. In fact, the Syrian Foreign Minister believes that ``America
has too many demands.''
Meanwhile, just a few days ago, on Tuesday of this week, a French
news source published an interview with a former member of Saddam
Hussein's nefarious Secret Service. This former Saddam agent and
current leader of the militias inside Iraq said that Syria is
``definitely'' working alongside Iraqi intelligence and other Saddam
loyalists. He said that there is cooperation between Syria and his
forces inside Iraq, and that ``It began before the war, through trade,
which was only a cover.''
``Armed Syrians,'' he added, ``even joined our Iraqi militia groups.
And well before the war, we had forged passports that enabled us to go
to that country,'' meaning Syria. He added that this coordination
continues to this day.
Thus, regardless of how some will spin it, the Syrian regime has the
blood of Americans on its hands, and they must be held responsible for
their deaths, as well as those of scores of innocent human beings
murdered by Syrian-sponsored terrorists.
Fully implemented, H.R. 1828 would help deny Syria the resources to
continue its deplorable activities and will help prevent U.S.
complicity in them. It seeks to do so by prohibiting U.S. exports of
military, dual-use, and other items, as well as by prohibiting
investments in key sectors that provide an economic windfall for the
Syrian economy. We have every faith and confidence in President Bush's
commitment to use the range of U.S. policy
[[Page H11760]]
options, including the sanctions provided for in H.R. 1828, to hold
Syria accountable for its unacceptable behavior.
As the President and the Secretary of State have clearly stated,
Syria is on the wrong side of history. And now, it is time for it to
suffer the consequences.
I ask my colleagues to concur with the Senate amendments to the
House-passed bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Mr.
Speaker, among the many Members who deserve commendation for the bill
before us, I would like to single out for recognition my friend, the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) who first introduced this bill in
the 107th Congress; my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen) for her superb chairmanship of the Subcommittee on the
Middle East and Central Asia who joined the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Engel), in initiating this bill in the 108th Congress; and my
friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), the ranking member
of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, who has been a
tireless fighter for tough-minded U.S. policies towards State sponsors
of terrorism.
Mr. Speaker, for years, our government has favored Syria over other
State sponsors of terrorism. We allow more trade with Syria than with
the others, and we maintain normal diplomatic ties with Syria. This
legislation, the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty
Restoration Act of 2003, will end this special treatment, this
inequity. It will make our Syria policy more like our policies toward
other State sponsors of terrorism. With this legislation, Syria's
support for terrorism, as well as Syria's illegal occupation of
Lebanon, will become the central focus of our bilateral relations,
rather than just an afterthought.
Mr. Speaker, Syrian-sponsored terrorism was responsible for the worst
pre-September 11 terrorist incident in American history: the cold-
blooded murder of 241 of our Marines by a suicide bomber in Lebanon a
few years ago. Now, Syrian behavior is resulting in more American
military being killed, this time in Iraq.
Recently, as my colleagues know, I visited Syria and met with
President Bashar al-Asad. I warned him that the Syria Accountability
Act would soon be on its way to passage unless Syria changed its ways.
My words to him were both a prediction and a pledge. Asad understood me
perfectly. The Secretary of State, Colin Powell, delivered a very
similar message to him one week after my visit.
Yet, Syria's unacceptable and menacing behavior has not changed.
Palestinian terrorists still populate Damascus. Hezbollah still
occupies the south of Lebanon, its military arsenal regularly
replenished, both by arms from Syria and Iran. Lebanon continues to
remain under Syria's thumb. There are some 17,000 Syrian occupation
troops in Lebanon, and countless additional thousands of Syrian
intelligence officers controlling Lebanon. Anti-U.S. incitement
continues in the Syrian media. Dissident Syrian parliamentarians and
academicians, who want only freedom, languish in prison. Terrorists and
Jahadists are allowed to cross the Syrian border into Iraq for the
purpose of killing our own fighting men and women.
Mr. Speaker, I wish that this legislation had not been necessary, but
the Syrian regime has made it so. Despite warning after warning, it has
refused to heed the dictates of common sense. Now, Syria will pay the
consequences.
The door to good relations with the United States has been wide open
to Syria. Secretary of State Powell, myself, and others beckoned Syria
to enter, but the Syrian regime has contemptuously slammed the door
shut. Mr. Speaker, even now, as this legislation makes clear, our
Nation would welcome good relations with Syria just as soon as the
Syrian regime conforms to the minimal norms of civilized international
conduct. Until then, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1828.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 7\1/2\ minutes to
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the originator of this
legislation.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos), who has been supportive every step of the way.
It has been a long road. Two years ago, when we sat down in my office
and drafted this bill, we could hardly have dreamed the overwhelming
support that this bill would have picked up, bipartisan support, I
might add, in both the House and the Senate. In the previous Congress,
the 107th Congress, I approached the then majority leader, Mr. Armey,
about sponsoring this bill with me, and he very graciously agreed to do
so. Our sponsors in the other body were Senator Santorum and Senator
Boxer, and they, in the 108th Congress, continued to be the sponsors of
the bill. In the 108th Congress, I spoke with my good friend and the
chair of our subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen), and she joined with me in sponsoring this bill in the 108th
Congress, and it has been a pleasure to work with her. I want to also
thank our chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), and all of
the people who have worked so hard to bring this to fruition.
This is a very important bill. Syria is prominently listed by the
U.S. State Department as a nation which supports terror. In 1979, the
U.S. State Department put forth a list of countries which support
terrorism and Syria was a charter member of that list. Syria has been
on that State Department list, unabated, for 24 years, and now, in
2003, Syria is the only nation currently on that list with which we
have normal diplomatic relations. It never made any sense to me, it
still does not, and this bill is an important step in saying to Syria,
enough is enough. No longer are you going to get away with supporting
terrorism. No longer are you going to get away with your weapons of
mass destruction. No longer are you going to get away with your
occupation and strangulation of the sovereign nation of Lebanon and,
certainly, no longer will we allow you to get away with allowing
terrorists to cross over your border into Iraq to do harm to U.S.
troops, and weapons crossing over from Syria to Iraq to kill U.S.
troops.
{time} 1615
Numerous terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, maintain offices or training camps in Syria
or areas of Syrian-occupied Lebanon with impunity under Syrian control
and guidance.
Syria is in clear violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373,
which directs all states to refrain from providing any form of support
for terrorists. Indeed, even after Secretary of State Powell's meeting
with President Assad earlier this year, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other
terrorist groups still remain active in Damascus and all over Syria and
Lebanon.
Hezbollah is the group which killed more than 200 U.S. Marines in
Beirut 20 years ago. Hezbollah continues to attack and wreak havoc in
Israel's northern border. Hezbollah continues to kill American
citizens. And yet Syria continues to play these duplicitous games. As
General Aoun, the former leader of Lebanon, said, Syria plays a game
where she is both the arsonist and the fireman. She starts the fire and
then helps to put it out and expects accolades. Syria can no longer
throw us crumbs and support terrorism at the same time and expect our
accolades. She does not deserve it.
I think it is also interesting to note, Mr. Speaker, that several
days ago the bombings in Turkey and Istanbul, and there were other
horrible bombings this morning, but the bombing of the two synagogues
in Istanbul the other day were carried out by two cousins. And the
mastermind of the bombings, a brother of one of the cousins, fled to
Syria after the bombings.
Syria, of course, is safe haven for terrorists around the world. Now,
not only does Syria undermine regional stability by harboring terrorist
groups, its 20,000-strong occupation force has denied Lebanon its
internationally guaranteed sovereignty and political independence. As
called for in U.N. Security Council Resolution 520, it is time that
Lebanon is run by the Lebanese, not by the Assad regime in Damascus.
I cannot tell you how many Lebanese Americans have called me and
called my office and commended us for this
[[Page H11761]]
bill because people of Lebanese descent in this country are tired of
seeing the stranglehold on Lebanon by Syria.
I am also concerned about Syrian efforts to field chemical and
biological weapons in its development of long-range ballistic missiles.
Considering the close ties Syria maintains with terrorist
organizations, Syrian weapons of mass destruction programs are of grave
concern. At a recent hearing of our Middle East subcommittee, the State
Department confirmed that Syria is continuing to permit volunteers and
others to enter Iraq from Syria to attack and kill Americans. This is
totally unacceptable.
The broad spectrum of organizations which supports H.R. 1828
recognizes Syria as a major destabilizing factor in the region and see
this bill as an essential tool to send a clear message to the Assad
regime. The bill has 297 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 76 in
the Senate, a majority in both Houses in both parties.
The legislation imposes a variety of penalties upon Syria until it
ends its support of terrorism, withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon,
halts development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic
missiles, and stops facilitating terrorism in Iraq and stops allowing
people to cross the border to do harm to U.S. troops.
This act is a measured and flexible approach to deal with the
challenge emanating from Syria. It clearly states that we will not
accept Syria's support of terrorism and we call for a free and
sovereign Lebanon. This is the right step in America's Middle East
policy.
And, finally, I want to say the national security waiver authority in
this bill, which was put in by the Senate, is to be taken very
seriously by the President; and its provisions are not to be waived
except in instances truly affecting the national security interest of
the United States.
Let me just say, as Syria is still supporting terrorism, occupying
Lebanon, procuring weapons of mass destruction, and permitting
guerillas to enter Iraq to attack and kill our troops, I want to say to
the White House that any waiver would have to outweigh those most
dangerous transgressions.
I find it very hard to imagine what factor would be more important to
the national security of the U.S. than those matters. The
administration should be aware that any waiver will be given the
strictest scrutiny by Congress. And I would hope that the President in
signing this bill would understand that the full implementation of this
bill ought to be put into effect right away.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone), my good friend and distinguished colleague.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of
H.R. 1828, the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty
Restoration Act. I urge all my colleagues to continue their support for
this important legislation. The United States must show Syria that
there are consequences for supporting terrorism and undermining peace
in the region.
H.R. 1828 holds Syria accountable for its continued support of
terrorism, occupation of Lebanon, and possession and development of
weapons of mass destruction. It gives the President the tools he needs
to impose penalties on Syria unless Syria corrects its behavior
immediately.
Syria is listed on the State Department's list of countries who
harbor and support terrorism. Syria has proven to be a destabilizing
force in the Middle East, continuing to develop and stockpile chemical
weapons and the missiles to deliver them and remaining the occupying
power in Lebanon. Syria offered support to Iraq even as U.S. and
coalition forces were engaged in combat and has turned a blind eye to
militants who slip across their borders into Iraq to kill American
soldiers.
Mr. Speaker, yet Syria is subject to fewer U.S. sanctions than any
other country considered a state sponsor of terrorism.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend my colleagues, the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and also the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), for introducing this legislation. I just
want to urge my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to fully support and
pass this bill as amended in the Senate.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).
Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of the Syrian Accountability
Act, I am proud to rise in strong support of this legislation. It is a
remedy for the absence of a consistent, clear, and strong policy
towards Syria today. And while we pass this bill today, we are sending
a strong signal by passing this bill that Syria will be treated like
other state sponsors of terrorist organizations.
Today, over in Iraq the Iraqi council, with the American
administration support, buys electricity in a swap deal for energy and
oil, inconsistent with both the principles and the values embedded in
this policy. On the northern border of Iraq, we have opened up in
dialogue with Syria a free trade zone, again inconsistent especially
with the policy of this act and the values and the principles embedded
here.
It is my hope here we not only send a signal to Syria when it comes
to being a state sponsor of terrorism but to the administration that we
must have a consistent policy, not one that says as a state sponsor of
terrorism that you have penalties but on the other side we will
continue to do trade as it relates to electricity, continue to do trade
as it relates to opening up a trade zone between Iraq and Syria. If we
want to buy electricity, there are sources like Turkey, Jordan,
countries that are partners with America.
So it is my hope that we support this bill which is a good first step
to sending a signal to Syria that its days of sponsoring terrorism are
coming to an end and that the administration should announce a policy
that sends a strong, consistent, unambiguous signal we will not do
business with states that sponsor terrorism.
Once again, I want to associate myself with my colleagues who have
worked so hard on this and for their great work. Again, it crosses both
parties because it represents the values of all of those in the House
and other democratic nations in the fight against terrorism.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to take a moment to express my
appreciation to those without whom this day would not have been
possible. Of course, first and foremost, the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Engel), with whom it has been a pleasure to work for passage of
this bill, the second time we pass it in just a few short weeks. Our
impressive leadership here in the House, very particularly our majority
leader whose unwavering commitment to U.S. national security and, thus,
to this bill, were instrumental in moving this legislation. So thank
you to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), my distinguished chairman,
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for his support and his
assistance throughout this process, the ranking member of the Committee
on International Relations, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos)
who is always an inspiration to us all, to Tony Haddad and the Lebanese
American community whose passion on these issues have served as a
source of energy for us all.
And I would also like to pay special thanks to Yleem Poblete,
committee staff director of our Subcommittee on the Middle East and
Central Asia. This will be the last piece of legislation that she will
be handling for our subcommittee because she is awaiting White House
approval in a State Department job working with Secretary John Bolton.
And I thank Yleem for being a valuable member of my family, my
legislative family for many, many years. I remember when Yleem and I
first met and she was Miss Teen Florida. That was not so long ago. But
she has been a wonderful friend and a part of my family for a long
time. And we wish her God speed and much success.
And I would also like to ask my colleagues to reflect on the
suffering of the Syrian and Lebanese people today and on the lives and
the sacrifice of American, Israeli, and so many other victims of
terrorist attacks supported by or facilitated by the Syrian regime.
This bill is also for them. We look forward to working closely with
President
[[Page H11762]]
Bush toward expeditious enactment and implementation of this bill.
Time has clearly run out for the Syrian regime. It had a choice to
make, and it chose terrorism. That was the wrong choice. We have a
choice to make. We have demonstrated it by our overwhelming vote in
support of this bill, what our will is with respect to Syria's regime.
Let us again send a strong, unequivocal message to this pariah state
and concur in the Senate amendment to the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I want to again personally thank her for
being my partner in this bill. This whole Congress, it could not have
been done without her. And it was a pleasure to work with her. I want
to state that for the record.
I also want to thank the gentleman who is to my left who is my chief
of staff, Jason Steinbaum. When I say that we wrote the bill in my
office, he is the man who did all the writing. And I want to
acknowledge his role and his work and thank him. It is very difficult
when you have a concept and then you want to put the concept into
writing and then you want to pass it through all the channels that it
needs to be passed through. But as you mentioned, our staffs do a
magnificent job. We could not do what we do if it were not for the good
work of our staff.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to working on the
Saudi Arabia Accountability Act and the Iran Accountability Act. We
have only just begun.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, a little over a month ago, this Act came
before the House and I voted for it.
I believe that Syria's occupation of Lebanon and questionable
policies toward terrorist groups are reprehensible. I also believe it
is important for the Syrian government to realize that Americans of
every political stripe (including those who, like me, opposed the U.S.
invasion of Iraq) are aware of and disapprove of many of Syria's
actions.
I believe it is entirely appropriate for the United States to apply
political and economic pressure on Syria to change its policies.
However, I have decided to vote against the Syria Accountability Act
tonight.
I am concerned about the increasing bellicose statements we have been
hearing from London. I am concerned that our President may be setting
the stage for the imposition of his vision of democracy in more and
more places, and that he may use the many findings, senses of Congress,
and statements of policy in this Act to promote actions that are
contrary to the best interests of the United States.
This act is filled with nonbinding provisions that build a case
against Syria, based on soft intelligence and reasonable, but
undocumented, assumptions.
Ultimately, I fear that those provisions could be used to build a
case for a military intervention against Syria.
For example, the bill before us contains language that speaks of
``hostile actions'' by Syria against U.S.-led forces in Iraq as though
this is something we firmly know to be true. It is certainly possible
that it is true. Yet there is no conclusive evidence as to the role of
the Government of Syria in the attacks that have been carried out
against our troops in Iraq. It is just this kind of poorly sourced
insinuation that I fear might be used to build the case for a
preemptive invasion of Syria.
It is unfortunate that the dangerous doctrine of preemption to which
President Bush so obdurately subscribes makes members like me, who are
truly concerned about wrongdoing by Syria, fearful of supplying the
Administration with language like this to wield.
I remember that similar language regarding Iraq was misused by the
Administration. We meant to express concerns and admonish the Iraqi
government, but our words ended up being used as evidence for military
action.
The standard of proof for a House expression of concern is and should
be lower than the standard of proof for an invasion--but I don't think
any of us can count on the Bush Administration to draw that
distinction. Therefore, I must vote ``no.''
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that
the House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the
bill, H.R. 1828.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________