[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 18, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2502-S2503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 424--CONDEMNING THE MASS ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY THE 
GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AND SUPPORTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA TO 
                    BE SAFE AND TO DEFEND THEMSELVES

  Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Graham, Mr. Kyl, Ms. 
Ayotte, and Mr. Hoeven) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 424

       Whereas, in March 2011, large-scale peaceful demonstrations 
     began to take place in Syria against the authoritarian rule 
     of Bashar al-Assad;
       Whereas the Bashar al-Assad regime responded to protests by 
     launching a campaign of escalating and indiscriminate 
     violence, including gross human rights violations, use of 
     force against civilians, torture, extrajudicial killings, 
     arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and interference with 
     access to medical treatment;
       Whereas demonstrators initially demanded political reform, 
     but under sustained violent attack by the Government of 
     Syria, now demand a change in the Syrian regime;
       Whereas forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad are increasingly 
     and indiscriminately employing heavy weapons, including tanks 
     and artillery, to attack civilian population centers;
       Whereas, on November 23, 2011, the United Nations-appointed 
     Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian 
     Arab Republic reported that ``crimes against humanity of 
     murder, torture, rape or other forms of sexual violence of 
     comparable gravity, imprisonment or other severe deprivation 
     of liberty, enforced disappearances of persons and other 
     inhumane acts of a similar character have occurred in 
     different locations in Syria since March 2011'' and that 
     ``the Syrian Arab Republic bears responsibility for these 
     crimes and violations'';
       Whereas, on February 22, 2012, the Independent 
     International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab 
     Republic found in a subsequent report that ``commanding 
     officers and officials at the highest level of government 
     bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other 
     gross human rights violations'';
       Whereas, on March 15, 2012, United Nations Secretary-
     General Ban Ki-Moon warned that ``well over 8,000 people'' 
     have been killed because of the ``brutal oppression'' by 
     authorities in Syria and called the status quo in Syria 
     ``indefensible'';
       Whereas, on March 27, 2012, the United Nations reported 
     that the death toll in Syria had climbed to ``more than 
     9,000'';
       Whereas at least 3,000 people have been killed in Syria in 
     2012 alone;
       Whereas, on October 2, 2011, a broad-based coalition of 
     Syrian opposition leaders announced the establishment of the 
     Syrian National Council (SNC), calling for the end of the 
     Bashar al-Assad regime and the formation of a civil, 
     pluralistic, and democratic state in Syria;
       Whereas, on February 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary 
     Clinton called the Syrian National Council (SNC) ``a leading 
     legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful 
     democratic change'' and an ``effective representative for the 
     Syrian people with governments and international 
     organizations'';
       Whereas growing numbers of people in Syria, under continued 
     and escalating assault by the Assad regime, have taken up 
     arms to defend themselves and organized armed resistance 
     under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA);
       Whereas the leaders of the Free Syrian Army have rejected 
     sectarianism;
       Whereas, on December 6, 2011, the Syrian National Council 
     issued a statement affirming that the Free Syrian Army 
     ``deserve[s] the backing of all supporters of human rights in 
     Syria'' and applauding the decision of FSA officers to ``risk 
     their lives and those of their families because they believe 
     in Syria and have lost faith in the Assad doctrine'';
       Whereas, on March 12, 2012, the Syrian National Council, 
     through its spokesperson, called for ``military intervention 
     by Arab and Western countries to protect civilians'' in 
     Syria, and endorsed the arming of the Free Syrian Army;
       Whereas, on March 16, 2012, opposition activists inside 
     Syria staged protests calling for ``immediate military 
     intervention by the Arabs and Muslims, followed by the rest 
     of the world'';
       Whereas, on February 24, 2012, the Foreign Minister of 
     Saudi Arabia, Saud bin Feisal, called providing weapons to 
     the Syrian opposition ``an excellent idea...because they have 
     to protect themselves'';
       Whereas, on February 27, 2012, the Prime Minister of Qatar, 
     Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani, said of the Syrian 
     opposition, ``I think we should do whatever is necessary to 
     help them, including giving them weapons to defend 
     themselves.'';
       Whereas, on March 1, 2012, the parliament of Kuwait voted 
     overwhelmingly on a resolution calling on the Government of 
     Kuwait to support the Syrian opposition, including by 
     providing weapons;
       Whereas, on March 16, 2012, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip 
     Erdogan of Turkey said that the Government of Turkey was 
     considering setting up a ``security'' or ``buffer zone'' 
     along its border with Syria;
       Whereas, on December 22, 2010, the Senate passed Senate 
     Concurrent Resolution 71 (112th Congress), a bipartisan 
     resolution recognizing that it is in the national interest of 
     the United States to prevent and mitigate acts of genocide 
     and other mass atrocities against civilians;
       Whereas, on August 4, 2011, President Barack Obama issued 
     Presidential Study Directive 10 (PSD 10), stating, 
     ``Preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national 
     security interest and a core moral responsibility of the 
     United States.'';
       Whereas, on May 18, 2011, President Obama signed Executive 
     Order 13573, targeting senior officials of the Government of 
     Syria due to the Government's continuing escalation of 
     violence against the people of Syria;
       Whereas, on April 29, 2011, President Obama signed 
     Executive Order 13572, imposing sanctions on certain 
     individuals and entities in the annex to the order and 
     providing the authority to designate persons responsible for 
     human rights abuses in Syria, including those related to 
     repressing the people of Syria;
       Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Obama stated that 
     Bashar al-Assad ``has no right to lead Syria and has lost all 
     legitimacy with his people and the international community'';
       Whereas, on February 17, 2012, the Senate passed Senate 
     Resolution 379 (112th Congress), stating that the ``gross 
     human rights violations perpetuated by the Government of 
     Syria against the people of Syria represent a grave risk to 
     regional peace and stability'';
       Whereas, on February 28, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton, 
     in testimony before the Subcommittee on the Department of 
     State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the 
     Committee on Appropriations of the Senate concerning Bashar 
     al- Assad, testified that, ``based on the definitions of war 
     criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an 
     argument to be made that he would fit into that category'';
       Whereas, on March 1, 2012, Admiral James Stavridis, 
     commander of United States European Command and Supreme 
     Allied Commander of NATO, during testimony before the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, agreed with the 
     statement that ``the provision of arms, communication 
     equipment, and tactical intelligence'' would ``help the 
     Syrian opposition to better organize itself and push Assad 
     from power'';
       Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General James Mattis, commander 
     of United States Central Command, testified before the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that Bashar al-
     Assad will ``continue to employ heavier and heavier weapons 
     on his people'';
       Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General Mattis testified before 
     the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that there is 
     ``a full throated effort by Iran to keep Assad there and 
     oppressing his own people'' in Syria, including ``providing 
     the kinds of weapons that are being used right now to 
     suppress the opposition,'' as well as ``listening capability, 
     eavesdropping capability...and experts who I could only say 
     are experts at oppressing'';
       Whereas, on March 6, 2012, General Mattis testified before 
     the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that the fall 
     of the Bashar al-Assad regime would represent ``the biggest 
     strategic setback for Iran in 25 years''; and
       Whereas the continuing gross human rights violations 
     against the people of Syria represent a grave risk to 
     regional peace and stability: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the mass atrocities and severe human rights 
     abuses being perpetrated against the people of Syria by 
     Bashar al-Assad and his followers;
       (2) recognizes that the people of Syria have an inherent 
     right to defend themselves against the campaign of violence 
     being conducted by the Assad regime;
       (3) supports calls by Arab leaders to provide the people of 
     Syria with the means to defend themselves against Bashar al-
     Assad and his forces, including through the provision of 
     weapons and other material support, and calls on the 
     President to work closely

[[Page S2503]]

     with regional partners to implement these efforts 
     effectively;
       (4) urges the President to take all necessary precautions 
     to ensure that any support for the Syrian opposition does not 
     benefit individuals in Syria who are aligned with al Qaeda or 
     associated movements, or who have committed human rights 
     abuses;
       (5) affirms that the establishment of safe havens for 
     people from Syria, as contemplated by governments in the 
     Middle East, would be an important step to save Syrian lives 
     and to help bring an end to Mr. Assad's killing of civilians 
     in Syria, and calls on the President to consult urgently and 
     thoroughly with regional allies on whether, how, and where to 
     create such safe havens;
       (6) urges the President, as part of an international effort 
     to hold senior officials in Syria accountable for mass 
     atrocities--
       (A) to gather information about such mass atrocities, 
     including gross human rights violations, use of force against 
     civilians, torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary 
     executions, sexual violence, and interference with access to 
     medical treatment; and
       (B) to continue to take actions to ensure that senior 
     officials in the Government of Syria and other individuals 
     responsible for mass atrocities in Syria are held 
     accountable, including by using the authority provided under 
     Executive Order 13572 and Executive Order 13573 to designate 
     additional individuals;
       (7) urges the Atrocities Prevention Board, once it is 
     formally constituted by the President as called for in 
     Presidential Study Directive 10, to provide recommendations 
     concerning measures to prevent continued mass atrocities in 
     Syria; and
       (8) commends the establishment of the ``Friends of the 
     Syrian People'' Contact Group and other international 
     diplomatic efforts to end the violence and support a peaceful 
     transition to democracy in Syria, and reaffirms the necessity 
     of the departure from power of Bashar al-Assad.

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