WAR CRIMES IN SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 160, No. 59

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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.

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, \[S. 2209\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/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

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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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