[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2278-S2279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONDEMNING VIOLENCE BY SYRIA AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND EXPRESSING SENSE 
            OF THE SENATE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN SYRIA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 348, S. Res. 
391.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 391) condemning violence by the 
     Government of Syria against journalists, and expressing the 
     sense of the Senate on freedom of the press in Syria.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution which had been reported by the Committee on Foreign 
Relations without amendment and an amendment to the preamble, as 
follows:
  [Omit the part printed in boldface brackets and insert the part 
printed in italic.]

                              S. Res. 391

       [Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 
     (2006) obliges states to ensure the safety of journalists in 
     war zones;]
        Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 
     (2006) stresses the obligations of states under international 
     law to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones;
       Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 
     2011, the Government of Syria has denied entry to foreign 
     journalists and arrested, abducted, beaten, tortured, and 
     killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to prevent 
     the free flow of accurate information to the outside world;
       Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on 
     media have made it extraordinarily difficult to verify death 
     tolls and the exact nature and course of events within the 
     country;
       Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly 
     from the few independent reports that make their way out of 
     Syria;
       Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international 
     nongovernmental organization that advocates freedom of the 
     press and freedom of information, has listed Bashar al-Assad 
     as a Predator of Freedom of the Press;
       Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to 
     be allowed into Syria during its monitoring mission that was 
     suspended indefinitely on January 28, 2012, due to the 
     ``critical deterioration of the situation'' in Syria;
       Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and 
     killed on November 19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests in 
     Al-Qassir, Syria;
       Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27, 
     2011, from a gunshot wound he suffered 5 days earlier at a 
     checkpoint in the Baba Amr neighborhood in the city of Homs, 
     Syria;
       Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al 
     Thawra and Radio Damascus died on January 3, 2012, in 
     Damascus, Syria from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered 
     four days earlier;
       Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2 
     television, was killed in a grenade explosion on January 11, 
     2012, while covering demonstrations in the city of Homs;
       Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer 
     and photojournalist who contributed to Agence France-Presse 
     and other international outlets, was killed by government 
     forces' fire in the city of Homs on February 4, 2012;
       Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of 
     an asthma attack on February 16, 2012, while attempting to 
     leave Syria after reporting inside the country for a week, 
     gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed 
     elements of the resistance to the government of President 
     Bashar al-Assad;
       Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed 
     videos of Syrian security forces' repressive acts, was killed 
     on February 21, 2012, while covering the bombardment of the 
     city of Homs by Government of Syria forces;
       Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a 
     United States citizen, and freelance photojournalist Remi 
     Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, after their 
     makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets fired by 
     Government of Syria forces;
       Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State 
     Spokesman Mark Toner stated, ``[T]oday, we're also clearly 
     deeply troubled and saddened by reports that American 
     journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik 
     were killed today in Homs as a result of the intense 
     shelling, the ongoing intense shelling by the Syrian regime. 
     . . . We, of course, extend our deepest condolences to their 
     families and loved ones and just note that their sacrifice in 
     chronicling the daily suffering of the people of Homs stands 
     as a testament to journalism's highest standards.'';
       Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during 
     a weeklong attempt to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of whom 
     were injured, who were trapped in Homs as a result of the 
     bombardment by the Government of Syria that killed Marie 
     Colvin and Remi Ochlik;
       Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented unrest 
     in the besieged city of Homs, was killed by a mortar round 
     while filming the bombardment of the city's Qarabees district 
     on February 24, 2012;
       Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were 
     killed in Syria according to the Committee to Protect 
     Journalists; and
       Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to 
     arbitrarily arrest and detain prominent Syrian journalists 
     and bloggers:

  Mr. REID. I ask that the Senate now vote on this matter.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
  The resolution (S. Res. 391) was agreed to.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be 
agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no 
intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the 
resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, as amended, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 391

       Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 
     (2006) stresses the obligations of states under international 
     law to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones;
       Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 
     2011, the Government of Syria has denied entry to foreign 
     journalists and arrested, abducted, beaten, tortured, and 
     killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to prevent 
     the free flow of accurate information to the outside world;
       Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on 
     media have made it extraordinarily difficult to verify death 
     tolls and the exact nature and course of events within the 
     country;
       Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly 
     from the few independent reports that make their way out of 
     Syria;
       Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international 
     nongovernmental organization that advocates freedom of the 
     press and freedom of information, has listed Bashar al-Assad 
     as a Predator of Freedom of the Press;
       Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to 
     be allowed into Syria during its monitoring mission that was 
     suspended indefinitely on January 28, 2012, due to the 
     ``critical deterioration of the situation'' in Syria;
       Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and 
     killed on November 19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests in 
     Al-Qassir, Syria;
       Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27, 
     2011, from a gunshot wound he suffered 5 days earlier at a 
     checkpoint in the Baba Amr neighborhood in the city of Homs, 
     Syria;
       Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al 
     Thawra and Radio Damascus died on January 3, 2012, in 
     Damascus, Syria from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered 
     four days earlier;
       Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2 
     television, was killed in a grenade explosion on January 11, 
     2012, while covering demonstrations in the city of Homs;
       Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer 
     and photojournalist who contributed to Agence France-Presse 
     and other international outlets, was killed by government 
     forces' fire in the city of Homs on February 4, 2012;
       Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of 
     an asthma attack on February 16, 2012, while attempting to 
     leave Syria after reporting inside the country for a week, 
     gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed 
     elements of the resistance to the government of President 
     Bashar al-Assad;
       Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed 
     videos of Syrian security forces' repressive acts, was killed 
     on February 21, 2012, while covering the bombardment of the 
     city of Homs by Government of Syria forces;
       Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a 
     United States citizen, and freelance photojournalist Remi 
     Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, after their 
     makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets fired by 
     Government of Syria forces;
       Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State 
     Spokesman Mark Toner stated, ``[T]oday, we're also clearly 
     deeply troubled and saddened by reports that American 
     journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik 
     were killed today in Homs as a result of the intense 
     shelling, the ongoing intense shelling by the Syrian regime. 
     . . . We,

[[Page S2279]]

     of course, extend our deepest condolences to their families 
     and loved ones and just note that their sacrifice in 
     chronicling the daily suffering of the people of Homs stands 
     as a testament to journalism's highest standards.'';
       Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during 
     a weeklong attempt to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of whom 
     were injured, who were trapped in Homs as a result of the 
     bombardment by the Government of Syria that killed Marie 
     Colvin and Remi Ochlik;
       Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented unrest 
     in the besieged city of Homs, was killed by a mortar round 
     while filming the bombardment of the city's Qarabees district 
     on February 24, 2012;
       Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were 
     killed in Syria according to the Committee to Protect 
     Journalists; and
       Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to 
     arbitrarily arrest and detain prominent Syrian journalists 
     and bloggers: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately open 
     the country up to independent and foreign journalists and 
     immediately end its media blackout;
       (2) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Government 
     of Syria's abuse, intimidation, and violence towards 
     journalists, videographers, and bloggers;
       (3) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately release 
     all journalists, videographers, and bloggers who have been 
     detained, arrested, or imprisoned;
       (4) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost their 
     lives while reporting on the conflict in Syria;
       (5) commends the bravery and courage of journalists who 
     continue to operate in harm's way;
       (6) supports the people of Syria seeking access to a free 
     flow of accurate news and other forms of information;
       (7) recognizes the critical role that technology plays in 
     helping independent journalists report the facts on the 
     ground;
       (8) condemns all acts of censorship and other restrictions 
     on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of 
     expression in Syria;
       (9) strongly condemns all nations that assist or enable the 
     Government of Syria's ongoing repression of the media; and
       (10) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts 
     by the United States Government to support democracy and 
     promote good governance around the world.

                          ____________________