CONDEMNING VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 162, No. 44

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CONDEMNING VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA

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speech of

HON. TULSI GABBARD

of hawaii

in the house of representatives

Monday, March 14, 2016

Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose \[H. Con. Res. 121\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/121).

Make no mistake, this is a War Bill--a thinly veiled attempt to use

the rationale of \\\`\\\`humanitarianism'' as a justification for

overthrowing the Syrian government of Assad. Similar resolutions were

used in the past to legitimize the regime change wars to overthrow the

governments of Iraq and Libya. I will have no part of it. I oppose \[H.

Con. Res. 121\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/121) because I oppose more unnecessary, interventionist regime

change wars.

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We all know that Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, is a brutal

dictator. But this resolution's purpose is not merely to recognize him

as such. Rather, it is a call to action. Specifically, it is a call to

escalate our war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad.

For the last five years, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and

others have been working hand-in-hand to overthrow the Assad

government, supposedly for humanitarian reasons. But how has our war to

overthrow Assad helped humanity?

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed. Millions have

become homeless refugees. Much of the country's infrastructure has been

destroyed. Terrorist organizations like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and others have

taken over large areas of the country and are engaging in genocide. And

now, the same people who are behind this war to overthrow Assad want to

escalate that war, and this resolution is an attempt to gin up public

support for such an escalation.

This resolution urges the Administration to create \\\`\\\`additional

mechanisms for the protection of civilians'' which is coded language

for the creation of a so-called \\\`\\\`no-fly'' or \\\`\\\`safe zone.'' The

creation of a \\\`\\\`no fly zone'' or \\\`\\\`safe zone'' in Syria would be a

major escalation of the war. Such a measure would cost billions of

dollars, require tens of thousands of ground troops and a massive U.S.

air presence, and it won't work. Furthermore, it will likely result in

a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia.

Fortunately, President Obama has thus far resisted pressure to escalate

the war in this way.

The fact is that the main area in Syria where Christians, Alawites,

Shiites, Druze, Yazidis and other religious minorities can practice

their faith without fear of persecution is in the Syrian territories

where Assad maintains control. Therefore, the overthrow of Assad would

worsen the genocidal activities by ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist

organizations against Christians, Alawites, and other Syrian religious

minorities.

\[H. Con. Res. 121\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/121) could be used to lay the groundwork for the

escalation of the present U.S. military action aimed at overthrowing

the Assad government.

Previous Congresses passed Iraq and Libya resolutions, which were

used for remarkably similar ends in several ways. The Iraq resolution

was introduced in 1998, and it called upon the United States to \\\`\\\`take

steps necessary, including the reprogramming of funds, to ensure United

States support for efforts to bring Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi

officials to justice.''

The Libya resolution went further, urging \\\`\\\`the United Nations

Security Council to take such further action as may be necessary to

protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the possible

imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory.'' Both of those

statements, while not legally binding, were a part of the public

campaign that were later used to build support for U.S. military

action.

Similarly, \[H. Con. Res. 121\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/121) urging \\\`\\\`the Administration to establish

additional mechanisms for the protection of civilians and to ensure

consistent and equitable access to humanitarian aid for vulnerable

populations'' could be used for similar ends by a future

administration.

Of course, there are many differences in the Iraq, Libya and Syria

conflicts, as well as the military action taken. But if the U.S.

learned nothing else in Iraq and Libya, we should have learned that

toppling ruthless dictators in the Middle East creates even more human

suffering and strengthens our enemy, groups like ISIS and other

terrorist organizations, in those countries.

It is undeniable that in both Iraq and Libya, humanitarian conditions

today are far worse than they were before those governments were

overthrown, and ISIS and other terrorist organizations are more

powerful, causing even more human suffering.

If the U.S. is successful in its current effort to overthrow the

Syrian government of Assad, allowing ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other

terrorist groups to take over all of Syria, including the Assad-

controlled areas where Christians and other religious minorities remain

protected, then the United States will be morally culpable for the

genocide that will result.

This is exactly what happened when we overthrew Saddam Hussein in

Iraq. It is what happened in Libya when we overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.

To do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome is

insanity.

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