[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 18, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7766-S7767]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 534--CONDEMNING HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS AND THEIR STATE 
 SPONSORS AND SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S EXERCISE OF ITS RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE

  Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Biden, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Nelson 
of Florida, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Levin, Mrs. Dole, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Smith, Mr. Talent, Mr. Roberts, Mr. 
Vitter, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Allen, Mr. Coleman, Mr. 
McConnell, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. 
Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. 
Conrad, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, 
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Rockefeller, 
Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Wyden, and 
Mr. McCain) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 534

       Whereas Israel fully complied with United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 425 (adopted March 19, 1978) by completely 
     withdrawing its forces from Lebanon, as certified by the 
     United Nations Security Council and affirmed by United 
     Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 16, 2000, when 
     he said, ``Israel has withdrawn from [Lebanon] in full 
     compliance with Security Council Resolution 425.'';
       Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 
     (adopted September 2, 2004)

[[Page S7767]]

     calls for the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces and 
     the dismantlement of all independent militias in Lebanon;
       Whereas despite Resolution 1559, the terrorist organization 
     Hezbollah remains active in Lebanon and has amassed thousands 
     of rockets aimed at northern Israel;
       Whereas the Government of Lebanon, which includes 
     representatives of Hezbollah, has done little to dismantle 
     Hezbollah forces or to exert its authority and control 
     throughout all geographic regions of Lebanon;
       Whereas Hezbollah receives financial, military, and 
     political support from Syria and Iran;
       Whereas the United States has enacted several laws, 
     including the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty 
     Restoration Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 2151 note) and the Iran 
     and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note), that 
     call for the imposition of sanctions on Syria and Iran for, 
     among other things, their support for terrorism and terrorist 
     organizations;
       Whereas the Government of Israel has shown restraint in the 
     past year even though Hezbollah has launched at least 4 
     separate attacks into Israel using rockets and ground forces;
       Whereas, without provocation, on the morning of July 12, 
     2006, Hezbollah launched an attack into northern Israel, 
     killing 7 Israeli soldiers and taking 2 hostage into Lebanon;
       Whereas on June 25, 2006, despite Israel's evacuation of 
     Gaza in 2005, the terrorist organization Hamas, which is also 
     supported by Syria and Iran, entered sovereign Israeli 
     territory, attacked an Israeli military base, killed 2 
     Israeli soldiers, and captured an Israeli soldier, and has 
     refused to release that soldier;
       Whereas rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel 
     since Israel's evacuation of Gaza in 2005; and
       Whereas both Hezbollah and Hamas refuse to recognize 
     Israel's right to exist and call for the destruction of 
     Israel: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its steadfast support for the State of 
     Israel;
       (2) supports Israel's right of self-defense and Israel's 
     right to take appropriate action to deter aggression by 
     terrorist groups and their state sponsors;
       (3) urges the President to continue fully supporting Israel 
     as Israel exercises its right of self-defense in Lebanon and 
     Gaza;
       (4) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     Israeli soldiers who are being held captive by Hezbollah or 
     Hamas;
       (5) condemns the Governments of Iran and Syria for their 
     continued support for Hezbollah and Hamas, and holds the 
     Governments of Syria and Iran responsible for the acts of 
     aggression carried out by Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel;
       (6) condemns Hamas and Hezbollah for exploiting civilian 
     populations as shields and locating their military activities 
     in civilian areas;
       (7) urges the President to use all available political and 
     diplomatic means, including sanctions, to persuade the 
     governments of Syria and Iran to end their support of 
     Hezbollah and Hamas;
       (8) calls on the Government of Lebanon to do everything in 
     its power to find and free the kidnapped Israeli soldiers 
     being held in its territory, and to fulfill its 
     responsibility under United Nations Security Council 
     Resolution 1559 (adopted September 2, 2004) to disband and 
     disarm Hezbollah;
       (9) calls on the United Nations Security Council to condemn 
     these unprovoked acts and to demand compliance with 
     Resolution 1559, which requires that Hezbollah and other 
     militias be disbanded and disarmed, and that all foreign 
     forces be withdrawn from Lebanon; and
       (10) urges all sides to protect innocent civilian life and 
     infrastructure and strongly supports the use of all 
     diplomatic means available to free the captured Israeli 
     soldiers.
       (11) recognizes that thousands of American nationals reside 
     peacefully in Lebanon, and that those American nationals in 
     Lebanon concerned for their safety should receive the full 
     support and assistance of the United States government.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I am proud to rise as a cosponsor of 
this resolution condemning Hezbollah and its state sponsors, and 
supporting Israel's exercise of its right to self-defense.
  On July 12 Hezbollah militants launched an attack into northern 
Israel, killing seven Israeli soldiers and kidnapping two soldiers to 
hold hostage in Lebanon. On June 25, despite Israel's evacuation of 
Gaza almost a year ago, Hamas entered sovereign Israeli territory, 
attacked an Israeli military base, killed two Israeli soldiers and 
kidnapped one, who is still being held captive.
  Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorist organizations supported by Syria 
and Iran. The Senate is on the record demanding that Syria and Iran 
abandon their sponsorship of terrorism, with legislation including the 
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 
and the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996. Syria, Iran, and the 
Hezbollah terrorists that these states sponsor are responsible for the 
current violence in the Middle East. The kidnapping of Israeli soldiers 
from Israeli soil and the exploitation of civilian populations as 
shields are provocations to which any sovereign nation would be 
obligated to react. Israel has every right to respond to protect her 
citizens.
  These terrorists must be stopped. Terrorists destroy lives. They 
destroy hope. They destroy the opportunity for peace. The independent 
militias in Lebanon must be dismantled and withdrawn. The Lebanese 
government must take steps to comply with United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1559 and disarm the Hezbollah forces operating 
within its territory. The Israeli soldiers being held captive by 
Hezbollah or Hamas must be released immediately and unconditionally.
  I urge President Bush to use all available political and diplomatic 
means to persuade the governments of Syria and Iran to end their 
support of Hezbollah and Hamas. We are united in our rejection and 
condemnation of the heinous acts of Hezbollah and Hamas and the 
governments of Syria and Iran are supporting them.
  We are also united, Mr. President, in our steadfast support for 
Israel and Israel's right to self-defense. Israel is one of our closest 
allies. As Americans, we share with Israel both strategic interests and 
moral values. Today I am proud to stand with the people of Israel and 
support their right to defend themselves.

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