[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 57 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2551-S2553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 428--CONDEMNING THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA FOR CRIMES
AGAINST HUMANITY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Graham, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kirk, Ms.
Collins, Mr. Coats, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 428
Whereas, on December 22, 2010, the Senate passed S. Con.
Res. 71 (111th 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, since the uprisings in Syria began in January
2011, the Government of Syria has manifestly failed in its
responsibility to protect its people;
Whereas, on August 4, 2011, President Barack Obama issued
Presidential Study Directive/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 November 23, 2011, the United Nations-appointed
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian
Arab Republic expressed grave concern 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 3, 2012, Syria security forces began
using indiscriminate sniper fire and shelling of the densely
populated neighborhoods of Homs with heavy weaponry;
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Obama stated that
President Assad ``has no right to lead Syria and has lost all
legitimacy with his people and the international community'';
Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the United States co-
sponsored a draft United Nations Security Council resolution
condemning ``the continued widespread and gross violations of
human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian
authorities such as the use of force against civilians,
arbitrary executions, killing and persecution of protestors
and members of the media, arbitrary detention, enforced
disappearances, interference with access to medical
treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment,
including against children'';
Whereas, on February 17, 2012, the Senate passed S. Res.
379 (112th Congress), stating
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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 22, 2012, the Independent
International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab
Republic found in a subsequent report that ``[a] reliable
body of evidence exists that, consistent with other verified
circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe that
particular individuals, including commanding officers and
officials at the highest levels of Government, bear
responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross
human rights violations'' and that ``children continue to be
arbitrarily arrested and tortured while in detention'';
Whereas, on February 28, 2012, the United Nations Security
Council was informed that over 7500 people in Syria have been
killed, an estimated 100 more are killed each day in attacks
directed against the civilian population, and there are
between 100,000 and 200,000 internally displaced persons in
Syria;
Whereas, on February 28, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton testified before the Subcommittee on the Department
of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate concerning
President Assad, stating 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, Assistant Secretary of State for
Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman testified before the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that ``large
numbers of Syrians are living every day under siege, deprived
of basic necessities including food, clean water and medical
supplies, and women and children are wounded and dying for
lack of treatment'';
Whereas, on March 8, 2012 Ambassador Susan Rice, the United
States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated
that the United States ``remain[s] determined to hasten the
day when the brave people of Syria can shake off the yoke of
bondage and tyranny'';
Whereas, on March 27, 2012, United States Ambassador to
Syria Robert Ford, in testimony before the Tom Lantos Human
Rights Commission, cited massive human rights violations
that, ``may amount to crimes against humanity''; and
Whereas, with the intent and knowledge of the highest level
of the Government of Syria, including commanding officers of
the Syria security forces and the President of the Syrian
Arab Republic, Bashir Assad, members of the Syria security
forces have reportedly committed a widespread and systematic
pattern of gross human rights violations, including use of
force against civilians, torture, extra judicial killings,
arbitrary executions, sexual violence, the execution of
defectors, and interference with medical treatment and other
humanitarian assistance: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns the Government of Syria, Syria security
forces, and the President of the Syrian Arab Republic for
widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian
population of Syria;
(2) commends the President for the vote of the United
States at the United Nations Security Council to condemn the
continued widespread and gross violations of human rights and
fundamental freedoms by the authorities in Syria;
(3) urges the President to use his authority to collect
information on incidents in Syria that may constitute crimes
against humanity under section 2113 of the ADVANCE Democracy
Act of 2007 (title XXI of Public Law 110 53; 22 U.S.C. 8213)
and take action to ensure that the Government of Syria, its
leaders, and senior officials who are responsible for crimes
against humanity are brought to account for such crimes in an
appropriately constituted tribunal;
(4) urges the President to formally establish the
Atrocities Prevention Board established by Presidential Study
Directive 10 in August 2011, and for the Board to provide
recommendations to the President concerning the prevention of
mass atrocities in Syria;
(5) urges the international community, working with the
people of Syria to review legal processes available to hold
officials of the Government of Syria, Syria security forces,
and the President of the Syrian Arab Republic accountable for
crimes against humanity and gross violations of human rights;
and
(6) expresses solidarity and support for the people of
Syria as they seek to exercise universal rights and pursue
peaceful democratic change.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I rise to submit a resolution
condemning the Government of Syria for crimes against humanity. I am
pleased to be joined by Senators Graham, Klobuchar, Kirk, Cardin,
Coats, Collins, and McCain in submitting this resolution.
I am very proud we have strong bipartisan support and I thank, in
particular, Senator Graham for his leadership, along with Senator
McCain, who repeatedly and consistently in this area of human rights
and liberties have stood for basic American principles of democracy and
freedom. I had the great opportunity to visit a number of the Middle
Eastern countries with them, and my strong support for this kind of
resolution rises from the firsthand views we were able to have of the
results of freedom fighters in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt and the impact
on the future of their country and being on the right side of history,
as the United States was there. Those people showed their gratitude and
welcomed us to their countries.
I am grateful to Senators McCain and Graham for giving me that
opportunity, along with Senators Sessions and Hoeven, who accompanied
us, for their leadership.
Syrian crimes against humanity include acts such as murder, torture
and unlawful punishment and imprisonment when committed as part of a
widespread or systematic attack on civilian populations.
Since peaceful protests began last year, the Syrian regime has
brutalized and savaged its own people, leaving thousands dead as it
commits horrific crimes against humanity, including the abduction and
torture of children.
This resolution tells the Syrian people they are not alone, that the
American people are with them as they fight for freedom and basic
democratic rights; the people of the world are watching.
On November 23, 2011, the U.N.-appointed Independent International
Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed grave
concern that ``crimes against humanity of murder, torture, rape or
other forms of sexual violence . . . imprisonment or other severe
deprivation of liberty, enforced disappearances of persons and other
inhumane acts . . . have occurred in different locations in Syria since
March 2011.''
The Commission also found that ``the Syrian Arab Republic bears
responsibility for these crimes and violations.''
Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman
testified before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that
``large numbers of Syrians are living every day under siege, deprived
of basic necessities including food, clean water and medical supplies,
and women and children are wounded and dying for lack of treatment.''
General Mattis, commander of the U.S. Central Command, for whom I
have the strongest and deepest respect, explained before the Senate
Armed Services Committee ``the Syrian military continues to ruthlessly
use lethal force with impunity against the Syrian people.''
In this body, we have not remained silent in the face of this
humanitarian disaster, approving on February 17, 2012, S. Res. 379,
condemning violence by the Government of Syria against the Syrian
people. We have also approved S. Res. 391, which I cosponsored,
condemning violence by the Government of Syria against journalists and
expressing the sense of the Senate on freedom of the press in Syria.
The world should be inspired by the continuing courage and
determination of Syrian protesters standing and speaking, despite the
Syrian military gunning down and bombing their homes, businesses, and
neighborhoods.
I know our Nation is at war and rightly wary of intervention abroad.
But military intervention is not our only option, not the only means to
summon support or step forward in solidarity with the freedom fighters
in Syria, nor is military intervention alone sufficient to call forth
the world's conscience. Even without military action, we need not
abdicate the democratic rights and principles that underlie and
underpin our own Nation's constitutional ethos.
One powerful and profound step this body can take is to bear witness
to the atrocities occurring in Syria. More than 9,000 people have died
in Syria since these protests began. As Elie Wiesel has said, ``For the
dead and the living, we must bear witness.''
The Syrian thugs who detain and torture children must know the United
States bears witness to their crimes. We should say to President Assad
that the world is watching and witnessing as he uses snipers to target
civilians, indiscriminately shelling homes and businesses, and
torturing protesters who dare to speak of change.
This resolution calls on President Obama to bear witness by using his
existing authority. America can and
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must bear witness by taking and preserving evidence of actions and
incidents in Syria that constitute crimes against humanity. America
must bear witness by asking the President's newly created Atrocities
Prevention Board to consider crimes against humanity occurring in
Syria.
These atrocities epitomize the crimes this prevention board must
address. I commend President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton for
their work at the U.N. and with our allies to assist the Syrian people.
We should make our own findings about what has occurred in Syria
concerning the crimes against humanity. We cannot avoid this obligation
simply because the result may present difficult choices.
As Martin Luther King would often remind us, ``The arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends toward justice.''
If we bear witness today, justice will come closer for the Syrian
people. President Assad and the Government of Syria, its leaders and
senior officials who are responsible for crimes against humanity, will
be brought to account and justice for their crimes.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
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