[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6185-6186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WAR CRIMES IN SYRIA

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to discuss the ongoing crisis in 
Syria. Last month marked the 3-year anniversary since the brutal 
conflict began. According to the United Nations Security Council 
Resolution 2139, which was unanimously accepted in February of this 
year, the conflict has resulted in the death of over 140,000 people in 
Syria, including at least 10,000 children. UNICEF reports that Syria is 
among the most dangerous places on Earth to be a child, pointing to 
high child casualty rates, brutalizing and traumatic violence, 
deteriorating access to education, and health concerns. The number of 
children suffering in Syria more than doubled in the third year of the 
conflict.
  The crisis is only getting worse. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian 
civilians are under fire by government and opposition forces in 
violation of internationally accepted Laws of Armed Conflict. These war 
crimes are truly devastating, and to escape the violence, millions of 
refugees have flooded into neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, 
while thousands more remain internally displaced inside Syria Last year 
I visited the Kilis refugee camp in Turkey which is currently 
sheltering more than 14,000 Syrian refugees. I witnessed first-hand the 
remarkable bravery of the Syrian refugee population. Many of these 
families relocated several times within Syria before ultimately making 
the heart-wrenching decision to leave their country in order to seek 
food, medical attention, and safety outside of Syria.
  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has registered more 
than 2.6 million Syrian refugees with women and children making up more 
than 80 percent of the refugee population. By the end of this year, the 
United Nations estimates that the number of refugees could increase to 
4 million.

[[Page 6186]]

  That is why I am a cosponsor of the Syria Humanitarian Resolution of 
2014, which urges all parties in Syria to allow for and facilitate 
immediate, unfettered access to humanitarian aid throughout the Syrian 
Arab Republic. This legislation calls for the safety, security, 
independence, and impartiality of humanitarian workers and demands 
freedom of movement to deliver aid.
  I remain deeply concerned by the instability of the entire region, as 
violence spills over into neighboring countries such as Turkey, Jordan, 
Lebanon, and Israel.
  Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has testified that, 
``In Syria, the ongoing civil war will probably heighten regional and 
sectarian tensions.'' The influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, Jordan, 
Turkey and Iraq is putting a strain on those countries' resources.
  The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on 
the Syrian Arab Republic reports that pro-government forces have 
murdered, tortured, assaulted, and raped civilians in Syria. Anti-
government groups have also engaged in murder, execution without due 
process, torture, hostage-taking, and shelling of civilian 
neighborhoods.
  But nowhere is the brutality of this war more evident than in the 
events of August 21, 2013, when the Syrian Army, under the direction of 
President Assad, launched a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus 
suburbs. This attack left over 1,400 innocent Syrian civilians dead--
many of whom were children.
  Assad's criminal use of chemical weapons against his own people is 
morally reprehensible and violates internationally accepted rules of 
war. The international community cannot stand by and allow the murder 
of innocent men, women, and children to go unchallenged. We must bring 
Assad and all other perpetrators of gross human rights violations in 
the Syrian conflict to justice.
  It is clear that we must take action. Last week I introduced, the 
Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2014, S. 2209 along with 
Senators Rubio and Kaine.
  My bill strongly condemns the ongoing violence, the use of chemical 
weapons, the targeting of civilian populations, and the systematic 
gross human rights violations carried out by both the Syrian government 
and opposition forces.
  My legislation requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress 
with a description of violations of internationally recognized human 
rights abuses and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict 
in Syria. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to report to 
Congress on efforts by the Department of State and USAID to ensure 
accountability for these violations and provide a review of the facts 
concerning any prosecution in the case of Syrian crimes that could be 
defined under universal jurisdiction.
  This Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. 
Unfortunately, we have not learned the lessons of the past. We must do 
better to not only see that sort of atrocities never again occur under 
our watch, but to ensure that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes 
are held accountable for their actions.
  Ignoring the crisis in Syria is both morally wrong and 
counterproductive to our National security and that of our allies. War 
tactics employed in Syria by government and some opposition forces fly 
in the face of the rules of war. For the sake of our National security 
interests and regional stability, we cannot turn a blind eye to these 
heinous acts.
  I strongly believe that there are times when the international 
community must come together to end atrocities, protect innocent lives 
from crimes against humanity and hold accountable the groups that 
perpetrate them.
  The Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2014 sends a strong 
message to the international community that the United States is firmly 
committed to bringing all perpetrators of international crimes in Syria 
to justice. I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in supporting this 
important legislation.

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