III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 116 

Condemning the Assad regime for its continued use of chemical weapons 

against the Syrian people. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 5 (legislative day, APRIL 4), 2017 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. CORKER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. KAINE, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. UDALL, Mr. COONS, and Mr. GARDNER) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Assad regime for its continued use of 

chemical weapons against the Syrian people. 

Whereas, on August 21, 2013, the Assad regime launched 

rockets carrying sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, against 

Ghouta, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, killing 1,429 

men, women, and children, according to United States 

Government estimates, while injuring another 3,600 people; 

Whereas, on September 14, 2013, the Assad regime agreed 

to enter the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical 

Weapons and on their Destruction, done at Paris January 13, 1993, and entered into force April 29, 1997 (referred to in this Resolution as the ‘‘Chemical Weapons 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 116 IS 

Convention’’), and to allow a joint mission between the 

United Nations and the Organization for the Prevention 

of Chemical Weapons (referred to in this Resolution as 

the ‘‘OPCW–UN’’) to oversee the removal and elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons program; 

Whereas, on September 27, 2013, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2118, which 

endorsed the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons 

program and agreed that in the event of noncompliance, 

it would take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of 

the United Nations; 

Whereas, on October 16, 2013, the OPCW–UN was formally 

established to investigate and destroy Syria’s chemical 

weapons program and stockpiles; 

Whereas, on June 23, 2014, the OPCW–UN announced that 

the last of Syria’s declared chemical weapon stockpile had 

been shipped out of Syria for destruction; 

Whereas, on September 30, 2014, the OPCW–UN announced 

that it had completed its mandate and officially ended 

operations; 

Whereas, on October 14, 2013, the Syria Government entered 

into the Chemical Weapons Convention; 

Whereas the Chemical Weapons Convention has 192 member 

states and bans all chemical weapons; 

Whereas, the Assad regime was subsequently accused of committing more chemical weapons attacks on Syrian civilians in opposition-held areas by using chlorine-based 

chemical weapons, in violation of the Chemical Weapons 

Convention; 

Whereas, on August 7, 2015, the United Nations Security 

Council adopted Resolution 2235, which established the 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 116 IS 

UN–OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify 

which individuals and entities were responsible for the 

use of chlorine-based chemical weapons attacks in Syria; 

Whereas, on October 27, 2016, the UN–OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism definitively confirmed that the Assad 

regime was responsible for the use of chemical weapons 

in Syria in Talmenes in April 2014, in Qmenas in March 

2015, and in Sarmin in March 2016; 

Whereas, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2319 on November 17, 2016, which renewed the 

UN–OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism mandate for 

one year; 

Whereas, the Russian Federation, along with China, blocked 

a United Nations Security Council Resolution on February 28, 2017, which would have implemented a sanctions regime against the Assad regime for its use of 

chemical weapons; 

Whereas, on the morning of April 4, 2017, another chemical 

weapons attack took place in the town of Khan 

Sheikhoun in Idlib Province, killing at least 58 people, including 11 children, according to the Syrian Observatory 

For Human Rights; 

Whereas Human Rights Watch reported that dozens of people showed symptoms consistent with exposure to chemicals after aircraft attacked the town; 

Whereas the Assad regime is the only entity operating in 

Syria that the UN–OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism 

has confirmed use of aircraft to launch chemical weapons 

attacks; 

Whereas, United States Ambassador to the United Nations 

Nikki Haley announced that the United Nations Security 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 116 IS 

Council would hold an emergency meeting on April 5, 

2017, to discuss the chemical weapons attack in Idlib 

province: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) holds the Assad regime responsible for war 

3 crimes and crimes against humanity, including its 

4 confirmed use of chemical weapons; 

5 (2) condemns Russia for repeatedly blocking 

6 collective response to Bashar al-Assad’s confirmed 

7 use of chemical weapons though the United Nations 

8 Security Council; 

9 (3) calls on the United Nations Security Coun10 cil to take immediate, decisive action in response to 

11 the Assad regime’s continued use of chemical weap12 ons; 

13 (4) supports the critical work of the United Na14 tions–Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical 

15 Weapons Joint Investigate Mechanism; 

16 (5) expresses alarm that the continued use of 

17 chemical weapons by the Assad regime undermines 

18 the integrity of the Chemical Weapons Convention; 

19 (6) reiterates that Bashar al-Assad has lost le20 gitimacy as Syria’s leader; and 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•SRES 116 IS 

1 (7) insists that Bashar al-Assad must be held 

2 accountable for his war crimes and crimes against 

3 humanity. 

Æ 


SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS