[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1846-S1847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 87--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING THE
ONGOING CONFLICT IN SYRIA AS IT REACHES ITS SIX-YEAR MARK IN MARCH, THE
ENSUING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN SYRIA AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, THE
RESULTING HUMANITARIAN AND NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES, AND THE URGENT
NEED FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS
Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Murphy)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 87
Whereas the transnational Salafi-jihadi organizations ISIL
and al Qaeda are utilizing the conflict in Syria and the
actions of the Assad regime to recruit and mobilize fighter
and popular support;
Whereas the crisis in Syria has led to the creation of
terrorist safe havens controlled by ISIL and al Qaeda, along
with other extremist groups, which have become bases from
which to plan, direct, and inspire attacks against the United
States and its allies and partners;
Whereas the spread of violence perpetuated by the Syrian
conflict and the flow of refugees is a threat to the security
of United States allies in the Middle East and Europe,
placing immense domestic and humanitarian burdens on Syria's
neighbors, most notably Lebanon and Jordan, as well as Turkey
and Iraq;
Whereas the Syrian conflict has allowed Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies to increase their
influence in parts of Syria and potentially threaten Israel's
borders;
Whereas United Nations Security Council resolutions 2332
(2016), 2268 (2016), and 2139 (2014) call for the
implementation of a cessation of hostilities in Syria and
reaffirm the international community's support for the
immediate, direct, and uninhibited access of humanitarian
workers throughout the Syrian Arab Republic;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
estimates that the Syrian conflict has created 4,800,000
refugees and 6,600,000 internally displaced persons;
Whereas widespread and systematic attacks on civilians,
schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, in
violation of international humanitarian law, continue in
Syria, in particular as result of the actions of the Assad
regime and its Russian and Iranian supporters;
Whereas widespread and systematic violations of the human
rights of the people of Syria continue to be perpetrated by
the Assad regime;
Whereas, according to Amnesty International, the Assad
regime has a documented record of committing mass human
rights abuses against detainees, including 5,000 to 13,000
detainees summarily executed by hanging between September
2011 through December 2015;
Whereas the regime of Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly
blocked civilian access to or diverted humanitarian
assistance, including medical supplies, from besieged and
hard-to-reach areas, in violation of United Nations Security
Council resolutions;
Whereas the Assad regime is subject to and in violation of
both United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118 (2013)
on the Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons
and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2209 (2015)
Condemning the Use of Chlorine Gas in Syria;
Whereas the Governments of the Russian Federation and Iran
have supported the Assad regime, perpetuated the conflict,
and deployed tactics and strategies that have caused grave
harm to civilians, including their conduct in the siege of
eastern Aleppo, constituting war crimes and crimes against
humanity;
Whereas there exists sufficient documentation, as well as
credible, clear, and convincing reporting, to charge Bashar
al-Assad with war crimes and crimes against humanity due to
the Assad regime's confirmed use of chemical weapons, use of
barrel bombs against noncombatants, widespread use of
torture, summary executions, prolonged sieges, forcible
relocations, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians and
humanitarian actors;
Whereas the United States Government has provided over
$5,800,000 since 2011 in humanitarian assistance to
communities and people directly impacted by the Syrian
conflict, including $364,000,000 that will be provided in
fiscal year 2017 for refugees and other people displaced by
the Syrian conflict; and
[[Page S1847]]
Whereas the United States Armed Forces are leading the
Global Coalition to Counter ISIL and are deployed with
Coalition allies within the territory of Syria and are
working by, with, and through local Syrian partner forces to
defeat ISIL and stabilize territory taken from it: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) strongly condemns the regime of Bashar al-Assad for
committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the
Syrian conflict, including the use of chemical weapons, in
violation of its obligations as required by United Nations
Security Council Resolutions 2118 (2013) and 2209 (2015), and
for the widespread use of torture, summary executions,
prolonged sieges, forcible relocations, and indiscriminate
targeting of civilians and humanitarian actors;
(2) condemns the Assad regime and the Government of the
Russian Federation for using indiscriminate cluster munitions
on civilian areas and infrastructure and for the deliberate
targeting of United Nations humanitarian aid convoys;
(3) urges all parties to the conflict, particularly the
Russian Federation, Iran, and Iranian-backed militias, to
immediately halt indiscriminate attacks, the imposition of
starvation sieges, and other forms of warfare directed
against civilians and civilian infrastructure;
(4) strongly urges all parties to the conflict to allow for
and facilitate immediate, unfettered access to humanitarian
assistance throughout Syria, respecting the safety, security,
independence, and impartiality of humanitarian workers and
ensuring freedom of movement to deliver aid, particularly in
areas of Syria controlled by opposition forces;
(5) affirms the neutrality of medical professionals
providing humanitarian assistance and health care on a non-
political basis, and condemns attacks against such personnel
or interference in the provision of medical care,
particularly in areas of Syria controlled by opposition
forces;
(6) encourages the President to make it the policy of the
United States Government to continue to coordinate a
comprehensive and generous response to the Syrian
humanitarian crisis, including assistance and development,
and protection of human rights inside Syria and in the
region;
(7) urges all parties in Syria to support the immediate and
full implementation of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 2268 (2016), which calls for a cessation of
hostilities in the conflict, except with ISIL and al Qaeda
and their affiliated organizations, to facilitate the
provision of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction of
war-affected communities in Syria;
(8) affirms that the elimination of al Qaeda and ISIS safe
havens in Syria, from which those organizations can plan and
launch attacks against the United States and its partners, is
a vital national security interest of the United States;
(9) commends the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian Arab
Coalition, and other local, Syrian partner forces for their
support of Operation Inherent Resolve and the efforts of the
Global Coalition to Counter ISIL;
(10) affirms that the stability of key European and Middle
Eastern partners is vital to the national security of the
United States and preventing the Syrian conflict from
undermining that stability is a top priority for the United
States;
(11) calls on the international community to continue to
support neighboring countries and host communities who are
generously supporting refugees and internally displaced
persons fleeing the conflict in Syria;
(12) calls on the President to continue the active
participation of the United States Government in a robust and
effective diplomatic process to achieve a political agreement
to the Syrian conflict; and
(13) urges the President to develop and submit to the
Committees on Foreign Relations and Armed Services of the
Senate within 90 days a strategy for providing long-term
stability and security in areas seized from ISIL.
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, 6 years ago, the Syrian people rose up
against the tyranny of the Assad regime and hoped that the
international community would stand by their side in this monumental
endeavor. Nearly half a million Syrians have been killed by this
conflict. More than 13 million Syrians have been forced to flee their
homes and continue to face starvation and sieges by pro-Assad forces.
Assad's barrel bombs and Russian airstrikes still target hospitals and
schools. Syria's neighbors have provided refuge to nearly 5 million,
mostly women and children. At the same time, many Syrians continue to
risk their lives in an attempt to find safety on Europe's shores.
In the vacuum left by Assad's devastation, extremist groups like ISIS
and al-Qaida have found fertile ground. Ankara, Baghdad, Beirut,
Brussels, Paris, San Bernadino--these are just a few of the places
impacted by ISIS. As long as the Syrian conflict continues, violence
and extremism will continue to spiral out of the region. It is time for
the United States and international community to hold the Assad regime
and its backers accountable for their actions. The Trump administration
should take an active role in resolving this conflict. The Syrian
conflict has many dimensions--leaving this to the Russians and hoping
that they can end this war is not a strategy. American leadership,
along with support from regional actors and the international
community, is the only meaningful approach towards bringing peace to
Syria and its citizens and justice to the Assad regime for its brutal
actions.
I am pleased to introduce this resolution with Senators McCain and
Rubio and Murphy that condemns the Assad regime's blatant disregard for
international law and human life and asks the Trump administration to
pursue a strategy that can help bring the brutal conflict to a peaceful
conclusion. The resolution also denounces Iran and Russia for their
political and military support of the Assad regime and calls for
protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.
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