[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CAESAR SYRIA CIVILIAN PROTECTION ACT OF 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ADAM KINZINGER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2016

  Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 5732, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016.
   In September, a trending comment on Twitter read: This is not 
Pompeii, this is Aleppo. Think about that for a minute. The death and 
destruction in Aleppo has reached such epic proportions that we are 
comparing it to one of the most deadly natural disasters in world 
history.
   The President and his administration have continued to highlight the 
horrors of Syria exhibited by Assad and Putin by using terms like 
``barbarism'', ``beyond the pale'', and ``haunting''. I think the more 
apt term for this is ``a problem from hell.''
   Yet, even as the President, Secretary of State, and Ambassador to 
the UN continue to talk about the carnage in Syria, there has been very 
little action to end the suffering of the people of Aleppo and across 
Syria.
   Mr. Speaker, it pains me every single time I come to the well of the 
House to talk about the atrocities in Syria. But we are failing the 
innocent people of Syria through our inaction.
   Rather than enforcing red lines for Assad's use of chemical weapons 
or enhancing sanctions against the Russians for their war crimes in the 
bombing of medical facilities and aid convoys, the President and 
Secretary of State focus their attention on sham ceasefires that are 
continually violated by the people with which we negotiate.
   They constantly worry about the Iranians walking away from flawed 
nuclear deals instead of leading the global community to end the 
atrocities in Syria.
   I have said it before, and I will say it again: Russia and Iran are 
not our allies. Their interests lie in destabilizing Europe and turning 
the Middle East into a wasteland of murder and chaos.
   Mr. Speaker, there needs to be a true cost for the complicity in war 
crimes and crimes against humanity. It's time that Russia, Iran, and 
Syria are held accountable.
   That is why this bill is so important. It would increase sanctions 
on the Assad regime and its supporters for the continued atrocities 
committed against the Syrian people. It requires this administration 
and any future administration to stand up and impose costs on the 
Russians, Syrians, and Iranians for the barrel bombing and gassing of 
innocent civilians.
   I want to thank my colleagues, Congressman Engel and Congressman 
Royce for introducing this critical bill.
   We owe it to the innocent people of Syria to bring justice against 
the Assad regime, Russian military, and their allies and help the 
struggling people of Syria.
   If we fail to act, fail to lead--this Syrian Civil War will be the 
greatest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.

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