[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 91 (Friday, June 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN SUPPORT OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 15, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my horror and 
outrage at the events currently taking place across Syria. It has now 
been 15 months since the first protests flared up in response to the 
imprisonment of 17 teenagers in Dara for writing anti-government 
graffiti on a wall, and the death toll has risen to well over 13,000 
men, women, and children.
  For the past three decades the Syrian people have lived in a restive 
peace. Israel had claimed it to be its safest border, and minorities 
were treated relatively well compared to surrounding countries. 
President Assad transitioned easily into power after the death of his 
father, and was hailed as a reformist who would lead Syria onto the 
world's stage as a constructive member of the international community.
  However, the reforms never came, and the emergency law put into place 
over 50 years ago remained. People were living in a constant fear that 
they would be turned in by a friend or neighbor for even a simple 
comment against the regime. The mail and internet were tracked by 
government officials, and websites such as facebook were blocked. This 
was not the secular democracy the West expected for a reformed Syria. 
It is instead an authoritarian dictatorship.
  In the beginning the protests in Syria were small and peaceful, but 
were met with such brutality from the regime that they incited even 
greater public resistance. The Syrian people were rising up and 
claiming their natural right to freedom. President Assad authorized the 
massacre of women and children in a desperate attempt to retain control 
over a country that no longer wants him.
  Mr. Speaker, this conflict has escalated into civil war. Those who 
have fared well under Assad's government have no desire for change, but 
the impoverished majority has found its voice and is unwilling to 
return to the status quo. I believe that the United States should stand 
with those who are fighting for democracy and human rights.
  Kofi Annan's peace plan was a valiant effort to bring an end to the 
violence through diplomacy, but it has not yielded the results hoped 
for, and President Assad has shown no inclination to keep his promises. 
The time has come for greater action. Yesterday Secretary Clinton 
rightly criticized Russia for its continued support of the Assad 
regime, specifically the weapons it has been providing to the regime. 
This and other actions by the Russians undermine the efforts of the 
United Nations to broker a solution to meet this crisis.
  The recent massacre in Houla a few days ago, which left over 50 
children dead, is the most shocking example of official terror that has 
been occurring weekly over the past 15 months. President Assad has lost 
the confidence of the Syrian people who no longer regard his regime as 
legitimate. I believe that for the good of the country and for the 
cause of peace in the region President Assad should step down.
  What began as a peaceful stand against tyranny has morphed into the 
bloodiest movement of the Arab Spring. With a grip as tight as the 
Assad family has had over this country for decades the outcome was 
foreseeable, but nobody could have envisioned anything as bloody as 
this.
  Mr. Speaker, Syrian men and women fighting for democratic ideals 
should not be abandoned to face the wrath of a tyrant alone. They 
should know that they have a friend in the United States and the United 
Nations. I call upon both to redouble their efforts to find a solution 
to the crisis in Syria. As a member of the Committee on Homeland 
Security I have seen how America is an example of democracy and peace, 
and I wish to see the same outcome for Syria. I stand today to show my 
support for the rebel fighters and all those in Syria who are fighting 
against oppression and cruelty.

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