[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 90 (Thursday, June 14, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S4207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 494--CONDEMNING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN 
 FEDERATION FOR PROVIDING WEAPONS TO THE REGIME OF PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-
                             ASSAD OF SYRIA

  Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ayotte, Mrs. Gillibrand, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Risch, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 494

       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has an 
     extensive history of providing weapons and political support 
     to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, a 
     country designated by the Secretary of State as a ``state 
     sponsor of terrorism'';
       Whereas, at the Port of Tartus in Syria, the Government of 
     the Russian Federation maintains for the Russian Navy its 
     only permanent warm-water naval port outside of the former 
     Soviet Union, which bolsters the Assad regime;
       Whereas the Assad regime responded to the widespread, 
     peaceful, and sustained calls for political reform that began 
     in March 2011 in a manner that has caused the deaths of more 
     than 10,000 people in Syria, mostly civilians, as of June 
     2012, according to an estimate by the United Nations;
       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation remains 
     the top supplier of weapons to the Government of Syria, 
     reportedly providing nearly $1,000,000,000 worth of arms to 
     the Government of Syria in 2011 alone;
       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has 
     unabatedly continued to ship arms to the Government of Syria 
     during the ongoing popular uprisings;
       Whereas, on October 4, 2011, the Russian Federation, 
     together with the People's Republic of China, vetoed a United 
     Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned 
     ``grave and systematic human rights violations'' in Syria and 
     would have warned the Government of Syria of the actions, 
     including sanctions, to be considered against it, if 
     warranted;
       Whereas, on January 18, 2012, Foreign Minister of the 
     Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov criticized ``the sending of 
     so-called humanitarian convoys to Syria'';
       Whereas, on January 19, 2012, Foreign Minister Lavrov 
     stated that, with regard to the Government of Syria, ``For 
     us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support 
     any sanctions.'';
       Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the Russian Federation, 
     together with the People's Republic of China, vetoed a United 
     Nations Security Council resolution calling for an end to the 
     violence in Syria, demanding that all parties in Syria cease 
     all violence and reprisals and implement the plan set out by 
     the League of Arab States, expressing grave concern for the 
     deteriorating situation in Syria, and condemning the 
     widespread gross violations of human rights;
       Whereas, on March 13, 2012, Deputy Minister of Defence of 
     the Russian Federation Anatoly Antonov stated that the 
     Government of the Russian Federation would not halt arms 
     shipments to Syria, acknowledging that the Government of the 
     Russian Federation has military instructors on the ground 
     training the Syrian Arab Army and stating, ``Russia enjoys 
     good and strong military technical co-operation with Syria, 
     and we see no reason to reconsider it. Russian-Syria military 
     co-operation is perfectly legitimate.'';
       Whereas, on May 30, 2012, Permanent Representative of the 
     United States to the United Nations Susan Rice condemned 
     recent reports of an arms shipment that arrived in Syria from 
     the Russian Federation on May 26, 2012, as ``reprehensible,'' 
     stating that ``this is obviously of the utmost concern given 
     that the Syrian government continues to use deadly forces 
     against civilians'';
       Whereas, on May 31, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary 
     Clinton stated that the policy of the Government of the 
     Russian Federation toward the Government of Syria ``is going 
     to help contribute to a civil war,'' maintaining that Russian 
     officials ``are just vociferous in their claim that they are 
     providing a stabilizing influence,'' and stating, ``I reject 
     that. I think they are, in effect, propping up the regime at 
     a time when we should be working on a political 
     transition.'';
       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has thus 
     far failed to effectively use its influence and relationship 
     with the Assad regime to halt the murder of civilians in 
     Syria, including the massacre of over 100 people, many of 
     them women and children, in Houla on May 25 to 26, 2012;
       Whereas Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin 
     rejected appeals by President of France Francois Hollande for 
     tougher United Nations sanctions aimed at ending violence in 
     Syria;
       Whereas, on June 5, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton stated 
     that ``it's pretty clear that we all have to intensify our 
     efforts to speed a political transition. . . . And we invite 
     the Russians and the Chinese to be part of the solution of 
     what is happening in Syria'';
       Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Permanent Representative of the 
     Russian Federation to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin 
     publicly criticized the Governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar 
     for supporting the opposition in Syria; and
       Whereas, on June 12, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton 
     stated that ``there are attack helicopters on the way from 
     Russia to Syria, which will escalate the conflict quite 
     dramatically'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation for--
       (A) its longstanding and ongoing support for the criminal 
     regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria;
       (B) continuing to transfer weapons to the Assad regime, 
     which cannot be considered legitimate for purposes of self-
     defense; and
       (C) its troubling opposition to resolutions from the United 
     Nations Security Council regarding Syria, including those 
     recently tabled by the United States;
       (2) concludes that the actions of the Government of the 
     Russian Federation--
       (A) have enabled the Assad regime to maintain power and 
     perpetrate mass atrocities against its own people; and
       (B) directly undermine the core national security interests 
     of the United States, as well as the stability of the entire 
     Middle East; and
       (3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to--
       (A) immediately end all transfers of weapons to the Assad 
     regime;
       (B) call on the Assad regime to end all violence against 
     civilians;
       (C) support international sanctions against Syria; and
       (D) support a peaceful transition of leadership in the 
     Government of Syria, starting with the early departure of 
     Bashar al-Assad.

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