CONDEMNING VIOLENCE BY SYRIA AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND EXPRESSING SENSE              OF THE SENATE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN SYRIA

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CONDEMNING VIOLENCE BY SYRIA AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND EXPRESSING SENSE

OF THE SENATE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN SYRIA

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 348, \[S. Res.

391\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/391).

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

A resolution (\[S. Res. 391\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/391)) condemning violence by the

Government of Syria against journalists, and expressing the

sense of the Senate on freedom of the press in Syria.

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the

resolution which had been reported by the Committee on Foreign

Relations without amendment and an amendment to the preamble, as

follows:

\\\[Omit the part printed in boldface brackets and insert the part

printed in italic.\\\]

\[S. Res. 391\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/391)

\\\[Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738

(2006) obliges states to ensure the safety of journalists in

war zones;\\\]

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738

(2006) stresses the obligations of states under international

law to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones;

Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January

2011, the Government of Syria has denied entry to foreign

journalists and arrested, abducted, beaten, tortured, and

killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to prevent

the free flow of accurate information to the outside world;

Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on

media have made it extraordinarily difficult to verify death

tolls and the exact nature and course of events within the

country;

Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly

from the few independent reports that make their way out of

Syria;

Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international

nongovernmental organization that advocates freedom of the

press and freedom of information, has listed Bashar al-Assad

as a Predator of Freedom of the Press;

Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to

be allowed into Syria during its monitoring mission that was

suspended indefinitely on January 28, 2012, due to the

\\\`\\\`critical deterioration of the situation'' in Syria;

Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and

killed on November 19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests in

Al-Qassir, Syria;

Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27,

2011, from a gunshot wound he suffered 5 days earlier at a

checkpoint in the Baba Amr neighborhood in the city of Homs,

Syria;

Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al

Thawra and Radio Damascus died on January 3, 2012, in

Damascus, Syria from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered

four days earlier;

Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2

television, was killed in a grenade explosion on January 11,

2012, while covering demonstrations in the city of Homs;

Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer

and photojournalist who contributed to Agence France-Presse

and other international outlets, was killed by government

forces' fire in the city of Homs on February 4, 2012;

Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of

an asthma attack on February 16, 2012, while attempting to

leave Syria after reporting inside the country for a week,

gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed

elements of the resistance to the government of President

Bashar al-Assad;

Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed

videos of Syrian security forces' repressive acts, was killed

on February 21, 2012, while covering the bombardment of the

city of Homs by Government of Syria forces;

Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a

United States citizen, and freelance photojournalist Remi

Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, after their

makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets fired by

Government of Syria forces;

Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State

Spokesman Mark Toner stated, \\\`\\\`\\\[T\\\]oday, we're also clearly

deeply troubled and saddened by reports that American

journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik

were killed today in Homs as a result of the intense

shelling, the ongoing intense shelling by the Syrian regime.

. . . We, of course, extend our deepest condolences to their

families and loved ones and just note that their sacrifice in

chronicling the daily suffering of the people of Homs stands

as a testament to journalism's highest standards.'';

Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during

a weeklong attempt to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of whom

were injured, who were trapped in Homs as a result of the

bombardment by the Government of Syria that killed Marie

Colvin and Remi Ochlik;

Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented unrest

in the besieged city of Homs, was killed by a mortar round

while filming the bombardment of the city's Qarabees district

on February 24, 2012;

Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were

killed in Syria according to the Committee to Protect

Journalists; and

Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to

arbitrarily arrest and detain prominent Syrian journalists

and bloggers:

Mr. REID. I ask that the Senate now vote on this matter.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the resolution.

The resolution (\[S. Res. 391\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/391)) was agreed to.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported

amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be

agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no

intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the

resolution be printed in the Record.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.

The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

The resolution, with its preamble, as amended, reads as follows:

\[S. Res. 391\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/391)

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738

(2006) stresses the obligations of states under international

law to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones;

Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January

2011, the Government of Syria has denied entry to foreign

journalists and arrested, abducted, beaten, tortured, and

killed journalists, photographers, and bloggers to prevent

the free flow of accurate information to the outside world;

Whereas restrictions imposed by the Government of Syria on

media have made it extraordinarily difficult to verify death

tolls and the exact nature and course of events within the

country;

Whereas Syrian state media reports differ significantly

from the few independent reports that make their way out of

Syria;

Whereas Reporters Without Borders, an international

nongovernmental organization that advocates freedom of the

press and freedom of information, has listed Bashar al-Assad

as a Predator of Freedom of the Press;

Whereas the League of Arab States called for the media to

be allowed into Syria during its monitoring mission that was

suspended indefinitely on January 28, 2012, due to the

\\\`\\\`critical deterioration of the situation'' in Syria;

Whereas freelance journalist Ferzat Jarban was tortured and

killed on November 19 or 20, 2011, after filming protests in

Al-Qassir, Syria;

Whereas videographer Basil al-Sayed died on December 27,

2011, from a gunshot wound he suffered 5 days earlier at a

checkpoint in the Baba Amr neighborhood in the city of Homs,

Syria;

Whereas Shukri Abu al-Burghul of the state-owned daily Al

Thawra and Radio Damascus died on January 3, 2012, in

Damascus, Syria from a gunshot wound to the head he suffered

four days earlier;

Whereas Gilles Jacquier, a correspondent with France 2

television, was killed in a grenade explosion on January 11,

2012, while covering demonstrations in the city of Homs;

Whereas freelance journalist Mazhar Tayyara, a videographer

and photojournalist who contributed to Agence France-Presse

and other international outlets, was killed by government

forces' fire in the city of Homs on February 4, 2012;

Whereas New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid died of

an asthma attack on February 16, 2012, while attempting to

leave Syria after reporting inside the country for a week,

gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed

elements of the resistance to the government of President

Bashar al-Assad;

Whereas freelance journalist Rami al-Sayed, who filmed

videos of Syrian security forces' repressive acts, was killed

on February 21, 2012, while covering the bombardment of the

city of Homs by Government of Syria forces;

Whereas journalist Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, a

United States citizen, and freelance photojournalist Remi

Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, after their

makeshift press center in Homs was struck by rockets fired by

Government of Syria forces;

Whereas, on February 22, 2012, Department of State

Spokesman Mark Toner stated, \\\`\\\`\\\[T\\\]oday, we're also clearly

deeply troubled and saddened by reports that American

journalist Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik

were killed today in Homs as a result of the intense

shelling, the ongoing intense shelling by the Syrian regime.

. . . We,

\\\[\\\[\[Page\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-158/senate-section/page/S2279) \[S2279\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-158/senate-section/page/S2279)\\\]\\\]

of course, extend our deepest condolences to their families

and loved ones and just note that their sacrifice in

chronicling the daily suffering of the people of Homs stands

as a testament to journalism's highest standards.'';

Whereas 13 opposition activists in Syria were killed during

a weeklong attempt to rescue 4 foreign journalists, 2 of whom

were injured, who were trapped in Homs as a result of the

bombardment by the Government of Syria that killed Marie

Colvin and Remi Ochlik;

Whereas videographer Anas al-Tarsha, who documented unrest

in the besieged city of Homs, was killed by a mortar round

while filming the bombardment of the city's Qarabees district

on February 24, 2012;

Whereas, from 1992 through 2010, zero journalists were

killed in Syria according to the Committee to Protect

Journalists; and

Whereas the Government of Syria has continued to

arbitrarily arrest and detain prominent Syrian journalists

and bloggers: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately open

the country up to independent and foreign journalists and

immediately end its media blackout;

(2) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Government

of Syria's abuse, intimidation, and violence towards

journalists, videographers, and bloggers;

(3) calls on the Government of Syria to immediately release

all journalists, videographers, and bloggers who have been

detained, arrested, or imprisoned;

(4) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost their

lives while reporting on the conflict in Syria;

(5) commends the bravery and courage of journalists who

continue to operate in harm's way;

(6) supports the people of Syria seeking access to a free

flow of accurate news and other forms of information;

(7) recognizes the critical role that technology plays in

helping independent journalists report the facts on the

ground;

(8) condemns all acts of censorship and other restrictions

on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of

expression in Syria;

(9) strongly condemns all nations that assist or enable the

Government of Syria's ongoing repression of the media; and

(10) reaffirms the centrality of press freedom to efforts

by the United States Government to support democracy and

promote good governance around the world.

&nbsp;