IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 548 

Expressing the ongoing concern of the House of Representatives for Lebanon’s 

democratic institutions and unwavering support for the administration 

of justice upon those responsible for the assassination of Lebanese public 

figures opposing Syrian control of Lebanon. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 16, 2007 

Mr. ACKERMAN (for himself, Mr. PENCE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. ISSA, and Mr. 

BOUSTANY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the ongoing concern of the House of Representatives for Lebanon’s democratic institutions and unwavering support for the administration of justice upon those 

responsible for the assassination of Lebanese public figures opposing Syrian control of Lebanon. 

Whereas on February 14, 2005, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, along with 22 other people, was assassinated by a massive bomb; 

Whereas Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution led to the withdrawal 

of Syrian troops in April 2005, following 30 years of Syrian military occupation; 

Whereas parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon in 

May and June of 2005 leading to the formation of govVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:58 Jul 17, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR548.IH HR548

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•HRES 548 IH 

ernment under Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, with a majority of the parliament and cabinet committed to 

strengthening Lebanon’s independence and the sovereignty of its democratic institutions of government; 

Whereas Lebanese independence and sovereignty are still 

threatened by an ongoing campaign of assassination and 

attempted assassinations of Lebanese political and public 

figures opposed to Syrian interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, and terrorist bombings intended to incite ethnic and religious hatred, the continuing presence of statesponsored militias and foreign terrorist groups, and the 

ongoing and illegal trans-shipment of weapons and munitions from Iran and Syria into Lebanon; 

Whereas the democratically-elected and legitimate government of Lebanon, in accordance with the mandate of 

United Nations Security Council resolutions and the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, has made efforts, 

through the internal deployments of the Lebanese Armed 

Forces, to exercise its full sovereignty, so that there will 

be no weapon or authority within Lebanon other than 

that of the Government of Lebanon; 

Whereas the Lebanese Council of Ministers, on November 25, 

2006, approved a statute for the establishment of a tribunal of an international character according to the 

terms negotiated between the Government of Lebanon 

and the United Nations in order to bring to justice all 

those responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 

14, 2005; 

Whereas a majority of Lebanese members of parliament 

sought a vote in favor of ratifying the statute establishing 

a tribunal of an international character, and 70 of Lebanon’s then 127 current parliamentarians sent a memoVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:58 Jul 17, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR548.IH HR548

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•HRES 548 IH 

randum to the United Nations Secretary-General endorsing the establishment under the United Nations Charter 

of a Special Tribunal to bring to justice all those responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005; 

Whereas the Speaker of the Lebanese parliament subverted 

the clear will of the Lebanese people, and a majority of 

Lebanese parliamentarians, by refusing to convene the 

parliament since November 2006 in order to prevent ratification of the statute approved by the Council of Ministers to create a Special Tribunal to bring to justice all 

those responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 

14, 2005; 

Whereas Hezbollah, a United States Department of State 

designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and their proSyrian allies have declared the democratically-elected and 

legitimate government of Lebanon ‘‘unconstitutional’’, 

and are seeking to topple the government through extralegal means, including, rioting, continuous street demonstrations outside of the Council of Ministers, and obstructing traffic in Beirut; 

Whereas the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and fighters 

into Lebanon in contravention of United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 1701 (2006), has twice prompted the 

Security Council to issue statements, on April 17, 2007, 

(S/PRST/2007/12) and on June 11, 2007, (S/PRST/ 

2007/17) wherein it expressed deep and serious concern 

at mounting information by Israel and other states of illegal movements of arms into Lebanon, and in particular 

across the Lebanese-Syrian border in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 

support of the United States, has repeatedly adopted resVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:00 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR548.IH HR548

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•HRES 548 IH 

olutions, notably, Resolutions 425(1978), 520 (1982), 

1559 (2004), 1655 (2006), 1664 (2006), 1680 (2006), 

1701 (2006), and 1757 (2007) that, among other things, 

express the support of the international community for 

the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political 

independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive 

authority of the Government of Lebanon, and demand 

the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolutions, notably, 1595 (2005), 1636 (2005), 1644, (2005), 1664 

(2006), 1748 (2007), and 1757 (2007), that underscore 

the importance of the pursuit of justice in response to the 

terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and if appropriate, other assassinations and assassination attempts 

since October 2004; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 

support of the United States, has sought to assist the 

Government of Lebanon in extending its authority over 

all Lebanese territory, including its sea, land, and air 

borders, through the presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon 

and through technical and personnel assistance; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 

support of the United States, has strongly supported the 

demand of the Lebanese people that justice be done to 

those responsible for the terrorist attack of February 14, 

2005, and other terrorist attacks and attempted assassinations since October 2004, establishing and extending 

the mandate of the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) to investigate terrorist bombings 

of February 14, 2005, and moving toward the creation 

of a Special Tribunal of an international character, acVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:58 Jul 17, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR548.IH HR548

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•HRES 548 IH 

cording to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 

1595 (2005), 1636 (2005), 1644 (2005), 1664 (2006), 

1686 (2006) and 1748 (2007); 

Whereas Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in a letter 

of May 14, 2007, informed the Secretary General of the 

United Nations that, ‘‘the Lebanese Government believes 

that the time has come for the Security Council to help 

make the Special Tribunal for Lebanon a reality. We 

therefore ask you, as a matter of urgency, to put before 

the Security Council our request that the Special Tribunal be put into effect. A binding decision regarding the 

Tribunal on the part of the Security Council will be fully 

consistent with the importance the United Nations has 

attached to this matter from the outset, when the investigation commission was established. Further delays in 

setting up the Tribunal would be most detrimental to 

Lebanon’s stability, to the cause of justice, to the credibility of the United Nations itself and to peace and security in the region.’’; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 

support of the United States, adopted Resolution 1757, 

establishing on June 10, 2007, a Special Tribunal try all 

those found responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and if appropriate, both prior and subsequent attacks in Lebanon, unless the Government of Lebanon has provided notice that such a tribunal has been 

established under its own laws; 

Whereas the United States Congress has appropriated emergency economic and military assistance to Lebanon at 

levels far greater than the amounts of bilateral assistance 

provided in recent fiscal years; and 


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•HRES 548 IH 

Whereas it is manifestly in the interests of the United States 

and the international community to support the full sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon, its democratically-elected and legitimate government, and to insist 

that justice be done concerning the terrorist bombing of 

February 14, 2005, and both prior and subsequent politically-inspired assassinations and assassination attempts: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the attempts by Hezbollah and 

3 other pro-Syrian groups to undermine and intimi4 date the democratically-elected and legitimate Gov5 ernment of Lebanon by extra-legal means; 

6 (2) condemns the campaign of attempted and 

7 successful assassinations targeting members of par8 liament and public figures in favor of Lebanese inde9 pendence and sovereignty and opposed to Syrian in10 terference in Lebanon, and bombings in civilian 

11 areas intended to intimidate the Lebanese people; 

12 (3) calls on the Speaker of the Lebanese par13 liament to convene the parliament without further 

14 delay, so that it can fulfill its legislative obligations 

15 and pursue the interests of the Lebanese people 

16 under the rule of law; 

17 (4) confirms the strong support of the United 

18 States for United Nations Security Council resolu19 tions concerning Lebanon, and the clear and binding 


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•HRES 548 IH 

1 mandate of the international community for the 

2 arms embargo and disarmament of all armed groups 

3 in Lebanon, and particularly, Hezbollah and Pales4 tinian factions in Lebanon; 

5 (5) condemns Syria and Iran for their ongoing 

6 roles in providing arms to Lebanese militias, par7 ticularly Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Leb8 anon, in blatant contravention of United Nations Se9 curity Council Resolution 1701; 

10 (6) expresses its strong appreciation to Bel11 gium, China, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, 

12 Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, 

13 India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of 

14 Korea, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, 

15 Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Slovakia, Slo16 venia, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, and Turkey for 

17 their contributions of military personnel to serve in 

18 the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 

19 (UNIFIL), now manned with 13,251 troops of the 

20 15,000 troops authorized in United Nations Security 

21 Council Resolution 1701; 

22 (7) urges the Government of Lebanon to re23 quest UNIFIL’s assistance to secure the Lebanese24 Syrian border against the entry of illicit arms or re25 lated material under paragraphs 11(f) and 14 of 


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•HRES 548 IH 

1 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, 

2 and pledges earnest American support for this ac3 tion, should the Government of Lebanon choose to 

4 do so; 

5 (8) calls on the international community to fur6 ther support the mission of UNIFIL and efforts by 

7 the United Nations Secretary-General to improve the 

8 monitoring of the Lebanese border in order to effec9 tively implement the arms embargo on armed groups 

10 in Lebanon required by United Nations Security 

11 Council Resolution 1701; 

12 (9) affirms strongly United States support for 

13 efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the 

14 terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and both 

15 prior and subsequent politically inspired assassina16 tions, and for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon es17 tablished by the United Nations Security Council 

18 Resolution 1757; 

19 (10) endorses prompt action by the Special Tri20 bunal for Lebanon for the terrorist bombing of Feb21 ruary 14, 2005, and both prior and subsequent po22 litically-inspired assassinations, under Chapter VII 

23 of the United Nations Charter; 

24 (11) pledges continued support for the demo25 cratically-elected and legitimate Government of LebVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:58 Jul 17, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR548.IH HR548

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•HRES 548 IH 

1 anon and the Lebanese people against the campaign 

2 of intimidation, terror, and murder directed at the 

3 Lebanese people and at political and public figures 

4 opposing Syrian interference in Lebanon; 

5 (12) commends the many Lebanese who con6 tinue to adhere steadfastly to the principles of the 

7 Cedar Revolution and support the democratically 

8 elected and legitimate government of Lebanon; 

9 (13) applauds the Government of Lebanon’s ef10 forts to fully extend Lebanon’s sovereignty over the 

11 entire country through the internal deployments of 

12 the Lebanese Armed Forces, including direct action 

13 against the Fatah al Islam group, and encourages 

14 the Government of Lebanon to intensify these ef15 forts; and 

16 (14) re-affirms its intention to continue to pro17 vide financial and material assistance to support the 

18 sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political 

19 independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclu20 sive authority of the Government of Lebanon. 

Æ 


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