[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 132 (Monday, September 30, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7055-S7056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SYRIA
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, last Friday I was reading the press
reports about the remarkable progress that has taken place at the
United Nations in obtaining a legally binding resolution, with the
support of Russia and the other members of the Security Council, to
eliminate Syria's chemical weapons. I could not help but compare it to
what has been happening here in the Congress over the past week and a
half.
While Secretary of State Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
have worked diligently to reach a historic agreement to destroy one of
the world's largest arsenals of poison gas, the Congress has been
consumed by political theater, debating an utterly pointless,
politically motivated, doomed attempt to defund the Affordable Care
Act. In doing so we are now perilously close to a shutdown of the
Federal government that will cause untold damage to innumerable
programs on which States, municipalities, and every community and
family in this country depend and cost the taxpayers far more than if
the government stays open.
Ironically, while just 2 weeks ago Congress was on the verge of
authorizing a military attack against Syria, some of the most vocal
advocates of an attack are the same Members who are toying with a
government shutdown that could make it harder for the United States to
help implement the U.N. resolution to destroy Syria's chemical weapons.
If the government stops functioning, it will no longer be able to pay
the salaries of our diplomats, nor to provide the funds to help pay for
the weapons inspectors and the removal and destruction of the weapons.
I commend President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and our new U.N.
Ambassador Samantha Power for their extraordinary efforts. We should
also recognize the indispensable cooperation of Minister Lavrov and his
government. While it will be many months before we know if this
agreement will be faithfully implemented and achieve its goals in
Syria, it is a dramatic step forward.
I also commend President Obama and Secretary Kerry for their efforts
to
[[Page S7056]]
seize on the positive overtures by the new President of Iran. Again, it
is too soon to say where this may lead, but if there is a chance of
resolving diplomatically and verifiably the issue of Iran's nuclear
program, it would be a monumental achievement.
I ask unanimous consent that Ambassador Power's remarks at the U.N.
last Thursday be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to
the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout Following
Consultations on Syria, September 26, 2013
``Just two weeks ago, tonight's outcome seemed utterly
unimaginable. Two weeks ago the Syrian regime had not even
acknowledged the existence of its chemical weapons
stockpiles. But tonight we have a shared draft resolution
that is the outcome of intense diplomacy and negotiations
over the past two weeks.
Our overarching goal was and remains the rapid and total
elimination of Syria's chemical weapons program. This is a
class of weapons that the world has already judged must be
banned because their use is simply too horrific. This is a
fundamental belief shared by the United States, all members
of the Security Council and 98% of the world.
Tonight, the Council discussed a draft resolution that will
uphold this international norm by imposing legally binding
obligations on Syria--on the government--to eliminate this
chemical weapons program.
This resolution will require the destruction of a category
of weapons that the Syrian government has used ruthlessly and
repeatedly against its own people. And this resolution will
make clear that there are going to be consequences for
noncompliance.
This is very significant. This is the first time since the
Syria conflict began 2\1/2\ years ago that the Security
Council has imposed binding obligations on Syria--binding
obligations of any kind. The first time. The resolution also
establishes what President Obama has been emphasizing for
many months: that the use of chemical weapons anywhere
constitutes a threat to international peace and security. By
establishing this, the Security Council is establishing a new
international norm.
As you know, we went into these negotiations with a
fundamental red line, which is that we would get in this
resolution a reference to Chapter VII in the event of non-
compliance, that we would get the Council committing to
impose measures under Chapter VII if the Syrians did not
comply with their binding, legal obligations.
If implemented fully, this resolution will eliminate one of
the largest previously undeclared chemical weapons programs
in the world, and this is a chemical weapons program--I don't
have to tell you--that has sat precariously in one of the
most volatile countries and in one of the most horrific civil
wars the world has seen in a very long time.
In the span of a few weeks, the curtain that hid this
secret chemical weapons program has been lifted and the world
is on the verge of requiring that these terrible weapons to
be destroyed.
This resolution breaks new ground in another critical
respect. For the first time, the Security Council is on the
verge of coming together to endorse the Geneva Communique,
calling for the establishment of a transitional governing
body with full executive powers. If adopted, we will have
achieved what we were unable to do before--unable to do for
the last 2\1/2\ years--which is to fully endorse the
Communiqu and call for the convening, as soon as possible, of
an international conference on its implementation.
As Ambassador Churkin, with whom we've worked very
productively, has just stated, we are hoping for a vote
tomorrow in the OPCW Executive Council on the OPCW Executive
Council decision. And then in the wake of that vote--and we
hope in the immediate wake of that vote--we would have
Security Council adoption of this text, which we are
optimistic is going to be received very warmly. We're
optimistic for an overwhelming vote.
Before closing, just let me--bear in mind, or note that we
should bear in mind, even as we express appreciation for the
cooperation that brought us to this moment but let us bear in
mind the sobering catalyst for all of this: the use on August
21st of chemical weapons against people who were just
sleeping in their beds, against children who will never get
to share their dreams.
The precipitant for this effort was as ghastly as anything
we have ever seen. And I think the Council members are well
aware of that. A number of the Council members referred to
the events of August 21 and the importance of keeping the
victims of that attack and other chemical weapons attacks in
their minds as we seek to move forward.
The second sobering note, of course, goes beyond chemical
weapons, which is that every day Syrians are dying by
artillery, by air power, by Scuds. This monstrous conflict
has to come to an end. And we are hopeful that the spirit of
cooperation that we carried from Secretary Kerry and Foreign
Minister Lavrov's negotiations in Geneva back to New York,
that that spirit of cooperation will carry over now on
humanitarian issues and, fundamentally, on the political
solution we all know is needed to this horrific conflict.
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