[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 87 (Thursday, June 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS ON DEMONSTRATORS IN SYRIA

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to strongly condemn the 
violence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has unleashed on his 
people over the past few months.
  While the world closely watched the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia 
unfold, little attention has been paid to the Assad government's 
crackdown on peaceful demonstrators. In March 2011, hundreds of Syrians 
took to the streets to demand freedom and to force the Assad government 
to lift the emergency law, which has been in place since 1963.
  Instead of meeting their demands, the Assad government unleashed a 
vicious crackdown on demonstrators with security forces firing, 
arresting and torturing thousands of unarmed Syrians. According to U.N. 
officials, as many as 1,100 people may have been killed since the 
protests began and as many as 10,000 people have been reported to be in 
custody or missing.
  In May 2011, the Syrian government widened its military crackdown by 
sending tanks into several more villages and severing communications. 
The attacks on civilians and military defectors intensified in June 
after demonstrators showed renewed strength and determination. The 
relentless attacks have forced thousands of Syrians to flee Syria into 
Lebanon and Turkey to escape the escalating violence.
  While I applaud President Obama and Secretary Clinton for condemning 
these brutal attacks and human rights violations, I believe the U.S. 
and the international community should be doing more to force the Assad 
regime to stop attacking its own people. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in condemning this violence and to call on the Obama administration 
to take a more active role in forcing the Syrian government to end 
these attacks.

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