IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 618 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning Syria and 

Lebanon. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 15, 2005 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 

concerning Syria and Lebanon. 

Whereas the Syrian Human Rights Committee writes that 

‘‘In Lebanon, where the Syrian [military] presence lasted 

around 29 years, thousands of Lebanese disappeared, 

died of torture, faced massacres, and were victims of 

raids and arrests.’’; 

Whereas it is widely reported that Syria has utilized the practices of kidnapping and arresting Lebanese citizens, 

using torture against them, and causing their virtual disappearance; 

Whereas two mass graves were recently discovered in the 

Lebanese village of Anjar, 2 miles from the Syrian border; 
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Whereas Syria reportedly operated detention facilities in 

Anjar and other Lebanese cities including Tripoli, Beirut, 

and Shtaura in the Bekka Valley; 

Whereas Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has sought 

the aid of the international community in investigating 

the Anjar tragedy; 

Whereas reports received at Amnesty International indicate 

that ‘‘exhumations are not being carried out with the appropriate level of care and there are fears that bodies 

may be damaged and potential evidence lost’’; 

Whereas Amnesty International urged Lebanon to ‘‘take immediate actions to ensure that the evidence at the sites 

is properly preserved that the victims are identified and 

that the evidence is used to bring suspected perpetrators 

to justice in fair trials’’; 

Whereas a 1991 Amnesty Law gives immunity to those individuals responsible for crimes committed before March 

18, 1991; and 

Whereas though its military occupation of Lebanon has 

ended, Syria’s efforts to intimidate, harass, and silence 

Lebanese critics have persisted: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports efforts by the Lebanese govern3 ment to respect the remains of the victims in the 

4 mass graves and protect the viability of the evidence; 

5 (2) calls on the President to direct the United 

6 States Permanent Representative to the United Na7 tions to seek adoption of a resolution at the United 

8 Nations Security Council calling for an investigation 
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1 into the Lebanese disappeared and all mass graves 

2 and calling on all Members States of the United Na3 tions to cooperate fully with the investigation toward 

4 finding the perpetrators and bringing them to jus5 tice; 

6 (3) urges revisions be made to the 1991 Am7 nesty Law to allow for the prosecution of those re8 sponsible for the murder and disappearance of Leba9 nese citizens prior to 1991; 

10 (4) insists that the government of Syria cease 

11 and desist its continued efforts to intimidate, silence, 

12 and harass Lebanese critics, and to otherwise hold 

13 Lebanon captive; and 

14 (5) demands that the Government of Syria be 

15 further sanctioned under United States law for its 

16 continuing infringement of Lebanese sovereignty and 

17 be otherwise held accountable for its continuing vio18 lations of United Nations Security Council Resolu19 tions 1559, 1595, and 1636. 

Æ