[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 25, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 32--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS 
  REGARDING THE NEED FOR INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF WAR CRIMES, 
 CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, AND GENOCIDE, WHETHER COMMITTED BY OFFICIALS 
  OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA, OR MEMBERS OF OTHER GROUPS INVOLVED IN 
 CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA, AND CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO DIRECT THE UNITED 
STATES PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO USE THE VOICE 
AND VOTE OF THE UNITED STATES TO IMMEDIATELY PROMOTE THE ESTABLISHMENT 
        OF A SYRIAN WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 32

       Whereas the Government of Syria is reported to have engaged 
     in widespread torture, rape, and massacre of civilians, 
     including by means of chemical weapons, most recently on or 
     about August 21, 2013;
       Whereas other groups involved in civil war in Syria, 
     including the al-Nusra Front, are reported to have engaged in 
     torture, rape, summary execution of government soldiers, 
     kidnapping for ransom, and violence against civilians, 
     including Christians and others who are not Sunni Muslims;
       Whereas these and other actions perpetrated by the 
     Government of Syria and other groups involved in civil war in 
     Syria may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and 
     genocide;
       Whereas Syria is not a state-party to the Rome Statute of 
     the International Criminal Court, done at Rome July 17, 1998, 
     and is not a member of the International Criminal Court;
       Whereas the international community has previously 
     established ad hoc tribunals through the United Nations to 
     bring justice in specific countries where there have been war 
     crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide;
       Whereas ad hoc tribunals, including the International 
     Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the 
     International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the Special 
     Court for Sierra Leone, have successfully investigated and 
     prosecuted war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, 
     and there are many positive lessons to be learned from these 
     three ad hoc tribunals; and
       Whereas any lasting, peaceful solution to civil war in 
     Syria must be based upon justice for all, including members 
     of all factions, political parties, ethnicities, and 
     religions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This concurrent resolution may be cited as the ``Immediate 
     Establishment of Syrian War Crimes Tribunal Resolution''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States Government should urge the Government 
     of Syria and other groups involved in civil war in Syria to 
     implement an immediate cease fire and engage in negotiations 
     to end the bloodshed;
       (2) the United States Government should publicly declare 
     that it is a requirement of basic justice that war crimes, 
     crimes against humanity, and genocide, whether committed by 
     officials of the Government of Syria, or members of other 
     groups involved in civil war in Syria, should be investigated 
     and prosecuted;
       (3) the President should direct the United States Permanent 
     Representative to the United Nations to use the voice and 
     vote of the United States to immediately promote the 
     establishment of a Syrian war crimes tribunal, an ad hoc 
     court to prosecute the perpetrators of such serious crimes 
     committed during the civil war in Syria;
       (4) in working with other countries to establish a Syrian 
     war crimes tribunal, the United States Government should 
     promote judicial procedures that enable the prosecution of 
     the most culpable persons guilty of directing such serious 
     crimes;
       (5) the United States Government should make an immediate 
     priority the collection of information that can be supplied 
     to a Syrian war crimes tribunal for use as evidence to 
     support the indictment and trial of any person involved in 
     civil war in Syria and responsible for war crimes, crimes 
     against humanity, or genocide in Syria; and
       (6) the United States Government should urge other 
     interested states to apprehend and deliver into the custody 
     of a Syrian war crimes tribunal persons indicted for war 
     crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Syria and 
     urge such states to provide information pertaining to such 
     crimes to the tribunal.

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