SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 159, No. 132

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SYRIA

Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, last Friday I was reading the press

reports about the remarkable progress that has taken place at the

United Nations in obtaining a legally binding resolution, with the

support of Russia and the other members of the Security Council, to

eliminate Syria's chemical weapons. I could not help but compare it to

what has been happening here in the Congress over the past week and a

half.

While Secretary of State Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

have worked diligently to reach a historic agreement to destroy one of

the world's largest arsenals of poison gas, the Congress has been

consumed by political theater, debating an utterly pointless,

politically motivated, doomed attempt to defund the Affordable Care

Act. In doing so we are now perilously close to a shutdown of the

Federal government that will cause untold damage to innumerable

programs on which States, municipalities, and every community and

family in this country depend and cost the taxpayers far more than if

the government stays open.

Ironically, while just 2 weeks ago Congress was on the verge of

authorizing a military attack against Syria, some of the most vocal

advocates of an attack are the same Members who are toying with a

government shutdown that could make it harder for the United States to

help implement the U.N. resolution to destroy Syria's chemical weapons.

If the government stops functioning, it will no longer be able to pay

the salaries of our diplomats, nor to provide the funds to help pay for

the weapons inspectors and the removal and destruction of the weapons.

I commend President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and our new U.N.

Ambassador Samantha Power for their extraordinary efforts. We should

also recognize the indispensable cooperation of Minister Lavrov and his

government. While it will be many months before we know if this

agreement will be faithfully implemented and achieve its goals in

Syria, it is a dramatic step forward.

I also commend President Obama and Secretary Kerry for their efforts

to

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seize on the positive overtures by the new President of Iran. Again, it

is too soon to say where this may lead, but if there is a chance of

resolving diplomatically and verifiably the issue of Iran's nuclear

program, it would be a monumental achievement.

I ask unanimous consent that Ambassador Power's remarks at the U.N.

last Thursday be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in

the Record, as follows:

Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to

the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout Following

Consultations on Syria, September 26, 2013

\\\`\\\`Just two weeks ago, tonight's outcome seemed utterly

unimaginable. Two weeks ago the Syrian regime had not even

acknowledged the existence of its chemical weapons

stockpiles. But tonight we have a shared draft resolution

that is the outcome of intense diplomacy and negotiations

over the past two weeks.

Our overarching goal was and remains the rapid and total

elimination of Syria's chemical weapons program. This is a

class of weapons that the world has already judged must be

banned because their use is simply too horrific. This is a

fundamental belief shared by the United States, all members

of the Security Council and 98% of the world.

Tonight, the Council discussed a draft resolution that will

uphold this international norm by imposing legally binding

obligations on Syria\\--on the government--to eliminate this

chemical weapons program.

This resolution will require the destruction of a category

of weapons that the Syrian government has used ruthlessly and

repeatedly against its own people. And this resolution will

make clear that there are going to be consequences for

noncompliance.

This is very significant. This is the first time since the

Syria conflict began 2\\\\1/2\\\\ years ago that the Security

Council has imposed binding obligations on Syria\\--binding

obligations of any kind. The first time. The resolution also

establishes what President Obama has been emphasizing for

many months: that the use of chemical weapons anywhere

constitutes a threat to international peace and security. By

establishing this, the Security Council is establishing a new

international norm.

As you know, we went into these negotiations with a

fundamental red line, which is that we would get in this

resolution a reference to Chapter VII in the event of non-

compliance, that we would get the Council committing to

impose measures under Chapter VII if the Syrians did not

comply with their binding, legal obligations.

If implemented fully, this resolution will eliminate one of

the largest previously undeclared chemical weapons programs

in the world, and this is a chemical weapons program--I don't

have to tell you--that has sat precariously in one of the

most volatile countries and in one of the most horrific civil

wars the world has seen in a very long time.

In the span of a few weeks, the curtain that hid this

secret chemical weapons program has been lifted and the world

is on the verge of requiring that these terrible weapons to

be destroyed.

This resolution breaks new ground in another critical

respect. For the first time, the Security Council is on the

verge of coming together to endorse the Geneva Communique,

calling for the establishment of a transitional governing

body with full executive powers. If adopted, we will have

achieved what we were unable to do before--unable to do for

the last 2\\\\1/2\\\\ years--which is to fully endorse the

Communiqu and call for the convening, as soon as possible, of

an international conference on its implementation.

As Ambassador Churkin, with whom we've worked very

productively, has just stated, we are hoping for a vote

tomorrow in the OPCW Executive Council on the OPCW Executive

Council decision. And then in the wake of that vote--and we

hope in the immediate wake of that vote--we would have

Security Council adoption of this text, which we are

optimistic is going to be received very warmly. We're

optimistic for an overwhelming vote.

Before closing, just let me--bear in mind, or note that we

should bear in mind, even as we express appreciation for the

cooperation that brought us to this moment but let us bear in

mind the sobering catalyst for all of this: the use on August

21st of chemical weapons against people who were just

sleeping in their beds, against children who will never get

to share their dreams.

The precipitant for this effort was as ghastly as anything

we have ever seen. And I think the Council members are well

aware of that. A number of the Council members referred to

the events of August 21 and the importance of keeping the

victims of that attack and other chemical weapons attacks in

their minds as we seek to move forward.

The second sobering note, of course, goes beyond chemical

weapons, which is that every day Syrians are dying by

artillery, by air power, by Scuds. This monstrous conflict

has to come to an end. And we are hopeful that the spirit of

cooperation that we carried from Secretary Kerry and Foreign

Minister Lavrov's negotiations in Geneva back to New York,

that that spirit of cooperation will carry over now on

humanitarian issues and, fundamentally, on the political

solution we all know is needed to this horrific conflict.

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