INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION COALITION TO OUTLINE PLAN FOR INCLUSION OF MINORITIES; Congressional Record Vol. 159, No. 70

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INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION COALITION

TO OUTLINE PLAN FOR INCLUSION OF MINORITIES

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HON. JAMES P. MORAN

of virginia

in the house of representatives

Friday, May 17, 2013

Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, the horror unleashed by the regime of Bashar

al Assad in Syria has caused tremendous suffering, displacement and

death. Tragically, this conflict may endure for months to come. Assad

has lost legitimacy with his own people and with the world, but he

retains the military capacity to keep fighting. The fact that he

retains chemical weapons and, as the Administration has averred, may

have already used them on the battlefield, raises new concerns about

the toll this conflict may yet take.

Mr. Speaker, we all are aware of the delicate mix of religious and

cultural diversity that exists in Syria. That harmony persisted even

when sectarian conflict--fomented in part by Bashar al Assad and his

father Hafez before him--overwhelmed Syria's neighbors in Lebanon and

Iraq. But in Syria, a delicate ethnic and religious balance held.

Now, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that Assad believes

his best hope lies in shattering that harmony. He hopes that the

atrocities committed by the shabiha, paramilitary gangs mostly drawn

from Assad's own Alawite community, will implicate all of Syria's 2.3

million Alawites and bind their future to his.

This horrific strategy was recently employed on May 2 in the small,

coastal village of Bayda. Assad's soldiers, accompanied by elements of

shabiha, entered the mainly Sunni town and slaughtered scores of men,

women and children.

By carrying out massacres like the one in Bayda, the regime hopes

that Alawites, as well as other minorities seen as dependent on Assad's

protection, will be inexorably tied to the regime. He hopes that his

genocidal actions will lead to calls for revenge and, ultimately, to

unbridled sectarian conflict. He will then claim to be the only power

that can control the resulting chaos. This is the gamble of a desperate

ruler, and we have to do what we can to frustrate his plan. In reality,

those in Bashar al Assad's inner circle know he is steadily losing the

support of Syria's people--including Alawites. We should encourage the

opposition to accelerate that trend, and reach out to Syria's people

with a vision of unity, peace and citizenship for all.

That is why I am introducing a resolution today calling on the Syrian

Opposition Coalition to publicly outline a detailed vision of inclusion

for all of Syria's people, including a guarantee that all Syrians--

Alawites and others, will participate as equals in any new Syrian

government. Such a statement, along with meaningful progress towards

establishing institutions of transitional justice, will instill

confidence among Syria's minorities, and help peel more Syrians away

from the regime.

This revolution started as a peaceful and inclusive movement calling

for an end to the undemocratic and corrupt system of government

controlled by Assad. That is why many Alawites are already

participating in the opposition. They can see a better future for

Syria. We should encourage the opposition to make concrete that

pluralistic, democratic vision.

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