[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17047-17048]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




URGING ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO HOSTILITIES BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed 
to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 548 submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 548) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding the United States and the international 
     community to take certain actions with respect to hostilities 
     between Hezbollah and Israel.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider 
be laid on the table, and that any statements relating thereto be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 548) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 548

       Whereas, on June 12, 2000, the Government of Lebanon 
     advised the United Nations that it would consider deploying 
     its armed forces throughout southern Lebanon following 
     confirmation by the United Nations Secretary-General that the 
     Government of Israel had fully withdrawn its armed forces 
     from that country in accordance with United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 425 (1978);
       Whereas, on June 16, 2000, the United Nations Security 
     Council endorsed the Secretary-General's conclusion that 
     Israel had withdrawn all of its forces from Lebanon in 
     accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     425;
       Whereas, notwithstanding the reservations of both Israel 
     and Lebanon regarding the final line determining what 
     constitutes an Israeli withdrawal in accordance with United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 425, the governments of 
     both countries confirmed that establishing the identifying 
     line was the sole responsibility of the United Nations, and 
     that they would respect the line that the United Nations 
     identified;
       Whereas Hezbollah remains an armed terrorist presence in 
     Lebanon and continues to

[[Page 17048]]

     receive material and political support from the Governments 
     of Syria and Iran;
       Whereas, as affirmed in Public Law 108-175, the Governments 
     of Syria and Iran have significant influence over Hezbollah;
       Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 
     (2004) calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and the 
     dismantlement of all independent militias in Lebanon;
       Whereas the international community has provided 
     insufficient encouragement and resources to the Government of 
     Lebanon to enable the Government to comply with the relevant 
     provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1559;
       Whereas Hezbollah launched an unprovoked attack against 
     Israel on July 12, 2006, killing 7 Israeli soldiers and 
     taking 2 soldiers hostage, its fifth provocative act against 
     Israel since the summer of 2005;
       Whereas the Government of Israel, as reaffirmed in S. Res. 
     534, has the right to defend itself and to take appropriate 
     action to deter aggression by terrorist groups and their 
     state sponsors;
       Whereas fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to date has 
     caused significant damage to Lebanon's and Israel's 
     infrastructures that will necessitate the expenditure of 
     significant sums to rebuild;
       Whereas more than 400 citizens of Israel and Lebanon have 
     already lost their lives in the ongoing conflict;
       Whereas over 14,000 United States citizens have been 
     evacuated from Lebanon at a cost of over $60,000,000;
       Whereas more than 1,000,000 Israelis living in northern 
     Israel are under threat of Hezbollah rockets;
       Whereas more than 700,000 Lebanese civilians have been 
     displaced by the fighting, and the United Nations Emergency 
     Relief Coordinator is seeking more than $170,000,000 in 
     donations from international donors to pay for food, 
     medicine, water, and sanitation services over the next 3 
     months;
       Whereas the United States Government has pledged 
     $30,000,000 in short-term humanitarian assistance to address 
     the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon;
       Whereas the fragile democracy of Lebanon is in jeopardy of 
     collapsing without significant international support to 
     address the humanitarian crisis in the country and to 
     strengthen the capacity of the army and security forces of 
     the Government of Lebanon to gain effective control of all 
     territory in Lebanon; and
       Whereas continued fighting between Hezbollah and Israel is 
     a threat to the peace and security of the peoples of Israel 
     and Lebanon:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the Governments of Syria and Iran should--
       (A) end all material and logistical support for Hezbollah, 
     including attempts to replenish Hezbollah's supply of 
     weapons; and
       (B) use their significant influence over Hexbollah to 
     disarm the group and release all kidnapped prisoners;
       (2) the United States Government and the international 
     community must work urgently with the Governments of Israel 
     and Lebanon--
       (A) to attain a cessation in the hostilities between 
     Hezbollah and Israel based on--
       (i) effectuating the safe return of Israeli soldiers held 
     in Lebanon;
       (ii) the disarmament of Hezbollah, the removal of all 
     Hezbollah forces from southern Lebanon, and the replacement 
     of those forces with army and security forces of the 
     Government of Lebanon; and
       (iii) reaching an agreement to fully implement United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 and to create and 
     deploy an international stabilization force with a clear 
     mandate to enforce a permanent ceasefire;
       (B) to organize an international donors conference to 
     solicit and ensure the provision of international resources 
     for the reconstruction of roads, bridges, hospitals, 
     electrical and communications systems, and other civilian 
     infrastructure damaged or destroyed in Lebanon during the 
     hostilities;
       (C) to remain engaged to promote sustainable peace and 
     security for Israel and Lebanon and the greater Middle East; 
     and
       (D) to assist the Government of Lebanon on its path to 
     democracy by promoting necessary internal political reforms; 
     and
       (3) the territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity, and 
     political independence of Lebanon should be strongly 
     supported.

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