CONDEMNING VIOLENCE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AGAINST THE SYRIAN PEOPLE; Congressional Record Vol. 158, No. 27

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CONDEMNING VIOLENCE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AGAINST THE SYRIAN

PEOPLE

Mr. REID. Mr. President, if we could return to Calendar No. 325, \[S.

Res. 379\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/379), I ask unanimous consent the action just taken be vitiated.

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

Mr. REID. We are still on that matter; is that correct?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are still on that matter.

The question is on agreeing to the resolution and its preamble.

The resolution (\[S. Res. 379\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/379)) was agreed to.

The preamble was agreed to.

The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

\[S. Res. 379\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/379)

Whereas the Syrian Arab Republic is a party to the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),

adopted at New York December 16, 1966, the United Nations

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishment, done at New York December

10, 1984;

Whereas Syria voted in favor of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, adopted at Paris, December 10, 1948;

Whereas, in March 2011, peaceful demonstrations in Syria

began against the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad;

Whereas, in response to the demonstrations, the Government

of Syria launched a brutal crackdown, which has resulted in

gross human rights violations, use of force against

civilians, torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary

executions, sexual violence, and interference with access to

medical treatment;

Whereas the United Nations, as of January 25, 2012,

estimated that more than 5,400 people in Syria have been

killed since the violence began in March 2011;

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Barack Obama stated

that President Bashar al-Assad \\\`\\\`has no right to lead Syria,

and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the

international community'';

Whereas the Department of State has repeatedly condemned

the Government of Syria's crackdown on its people, including

on January 30, 2012, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

stated \\\`\\\`The status quo is unsustainable . . . The longer the

Assad regime continues its attacks on the Syrian people and

stands in the way of a peaceful transition, the greater the

concern that instability will escalate and spill over

throughout the region.'';

Whereas President Obama, on April 29, 2011, designated 3

individuals subject to sanctions for humans rights abuses in

Syria: Mahir al-Assad, the brother of Syrian President Bashar

al-Assad and brigade commander in the Syrian Army's 4th

Armored Division; Atif Najib, the former head of the

Political Security Directorate for Daraa Province and a

cousin of Bashar al-Assad; and Ali Mamluk, director of

Syria's General Intelligence Directorate;

Whereas, on May 18, 2011, President Obama issued an

executive order sanctioning senior officials of the Syrian

Arab Republic and their supporters, specifically designating

7 people: President Bashar al-Assad, Vice President Farouk

al-Shara, Prime Minister Adel Safar, Minister of the Interior

Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, Minister of Defense Ali Habib

Mahmoud, Head of Syrian Military Intelligence Abdul Fatah

Qudsiya, and Director of Political Security Directorate

Mohammed Dib Zaitoun;

Whereas President Obama, on August 17, 2011, issued

Executive Order 13582, blocking property of the Government of

Syria and prohibiting certain transactions with respect to

Syria;

Whereas, on December 1, 2011, the Department of the

Treasury designated 2 individuals, Aus Aslan and Muhammad

Makhluf, under Executive Order 13573 and 2 entities, the

Military Housing Establishment and the Real Estate Bank of

Syria, under Executive Order 13582;

Whereas, on May 6, 2011, the European Union's 27 countries

imposed sanctions on the Government of Syria for the human

rights abuses, including asset freezes and visa bans on

members of the Government of Syria and an arms embargo on the

country;

Whereas, on November 12, 2011, the League of Arab States

voted to suspend Syria's membership in the organization;

Whereas, on December 2, 2011, the United Nations Human

Rights Council passed Resolution S-18/1, which deplores the

human rights situation in Syria, commends the League of Arab

States, and supports implementation of its Plan of Action;

Whereas the League of Arab States approved and implemented

a plan of action to send a team of international monitors to

Syria, which began December 26, 2011;

Whereas, on January 28, 2012, the League of Arab States

decided to suspend its international monitoring mission due

to escalating violence within Syria;

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the Russian Federation and

People's Republic of China vetoed a United Nations Security

Council Resolution in support of the League of Arab States'

Plan of Action;

Whereas, on February 14, 2012, General Martin Dempsey,

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the

Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that Syria \\\`\\\`is a

much different situation than we collectively saw in Libya,''

presenting a \\\`\\\`very different challenge'' in which \\\`\\\`we also

know that other regional actors are providing support'' as a

part of a \\\`\\\`Sunni majority rebelling against an oppressive

Alawite-Shia regime'';

Whereas the Governments of the Russian Federation and the

Islamic Republic of Iran remain major suppliers of military

equipment to the Government of Syria notwithstanding that

government's violent repression of demonstrators;

Whereas the gross human rights violations perpetuated by

the Government of Syria against the people of Syria represent

a grave risk to regional peace and stability; and

Whereas the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate

will immediately schedule a hearing to take place as soon as

the Senate reconvenes to assess the situation in Syria and

all the international options available to address this

crisis: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) strongly condemns the Government of Syria's brutal and

unjustifiable use of force against civilians, including

unarmed women and children and its violations of the

fundamental human rights and dignity of the people of Syria;

(2) expresses its solidarity with the people of Syria, who

have exhibited remarkable courage and determination in the

face of unspeakable violence to rid themselves of a brutal

dictatorship;

(3) expresses strong disappointment with the Governments of

the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China for

their veto of the United Nations Security Council resolution

condemning Bashar al-Assad and the violence in Syria and

urges them to reconsider their votes;

(4) encourages the members of the United Nations Security

Council to continue to pursue a resolution in support of a

political solution to the crisis in Syria;

\\\[\\\[\[Page\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-158/senate-section/page/S1021) \[S1021\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-158/senate-section/page/S1021)\\\]\\\]

(5) commends the League of Arab States' efforts to bring

about a peaceful resolution in Syria;

(6) regrets that the League of Arab States observer mission

was not able to monitor the full implementation of the League

of Arab States' Action Plan of November 2, 2011, due to the

escalating violence in Syria; and

(7) urges the international community to review legal

processes available to hold officials of the Government of

Syria accountable for crimes against humanity and gross

violations of human rights.

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