IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 741 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the rebuilding 

and resettlement of the Nineveh Plain, which is essential for preserving 

the homeland and heritage of Christian Assyrians (also known as 

Chaldean and Syriac), Yezidis and Shabaks. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2018 

Mr. DENHAM (for himself, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. WEBER of Texas, and Mr. 

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

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the rebuilding and resettlement of the Nineveh Plain, 

which is essential for preserving the homeland and heritage of Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldean and 

Syriac), Yezidis and Shabaks. 

Whereas the Nineveh Plain territorially affirms the 

indigeneity of the Assyrian people for seven millennia, 

and is one of a precious few remaining regions of territorial concentration for the Christian Assyrians and as 

such presents a viable territorial solution to the existential crisis facing the indigenous Assyrians; 

Whereas, on October 22 and 23, 2003, through the final declaration of the ‘‘Chaldean Syriac Assyrian General ConVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:13 Feb 16, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR741.IH HR741

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•HRES 741 IH 

ference’’, the Christian Assyrians declared their intention 

to make the Nineveh Plain a new, separate jurisdiction 

under Iraq’s burgeoning federal system with the express 

intent of actualizing their right of ‘‘self-administration’’; 

Whereas the Iraqi Minorities Council brought together independent, elected representatives from the Shabak, Yezidi, 

Turkmen, and Assyrian peoples in order to combine their 

efforts and formally call on the ‘‘Iraqi government to establish a new administrative unit (a new province) in 

[the] Nineveh Plain in order to live [in] peace’’ at least 

since 2007; 

Whereas the United States Congress has at least twice formally legislated support for Iraqis in their efforts to create a province in the Nineveh Plain through appropriations report language in Senate Report 112–85, adopted 

on September 22, 2011, and Senate Report 113–195, 

adopted on June 19, 2014; 

Whereas the Government of Iraq, through a decision of the 

Council of Ministers, which is the executive branch of the 

Government of Iraq, initiated the process of forming a 

province in the Nineveh Plain (as well as Tel Afar, 

Fallujah and Tuz Khurmato) at the Council’s Session 

No. 3 of 1/21/2014; 

Whereas the Nineveh Plain province formation process was 

underway in mid-2014 when ISIL attacked Iraq, seizing 

Mosul and soon after the Nineveh Plain, thereby derailing the process; 

Whereas ISIL committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the peoples of the Nineveh Plain, killing 

and persecuting thousands and forcing survivors to flee 

their homeland; 


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•HRES 741 IH 

Whereas the Nineveh Plains Protection Unit (NPU) was established in late 2014 in response to the invasion of 

Mosul and the Nineveh Plain by ISIL; 

Whereas the Nineveh Plain Protection Units are part of the 

Iraqi Security Forces apparatus and are authorized to secure towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain by Nineveh 

Liberation Operations Command (NLOC); 

Whereas the Nineveh Plains Protection Units are the only 

Assyrian Christian force formally listed as an ally alongside United States and Coalition forces in Operation Conquest, to liberate the Nineveh Plain and Mosul from 

ISIL; 

Whereas ISIL was driven out of Mosul and the Nineveh 

plains in 2017, ending its territorial control in Iraq; and 

Whereas persecuted and displaced peoples are returning to 

their homeland in order to continue the establishment of 

a Nineveh Plain province: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States should— 

3 (1) work with the Iraqi Government, local gov4 ernments, and the international community to facili5 tate the safe return of displaced peoples to the 

6 Nineveh Plain region; 

7 (2) continue to support the establishment of a 

8 self-governing province in the Nineveh Plain, in ac9 cordance with the Government of Iraq’s decision to 

10 establish a Nineveh Plain Province through the 


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•HRES 741 IH 

1 Council of Ministers Session No. 3 of January 21, 

2 2014; 

3 (3) prioritize rehabilitation efforts in war-rav4 aged areas like the Nineveh Plain; 

5 (4) expand partners in development and res6 toration to encourage involvement and empowerment 

7 of non-sectarian, indigenous, and ethnic organiza8 tions from the Assyrian and Yezidi communities to 

9 build unity among vulnerable peoples and transcend 

10 the vicious cycle of sectarian conflict in Iraq; 

11 (5) recognize the importance of the Nineveh 

12 Plain Protection Units in maintaining order and fa13 cilitating resettlement and reconstruction rehabilita14 tion efforts in the Nineveh Plain region; and 

15 (6) work vigorously to ensure there is a home 

16 and future for vulnerable Iraqi minorities such as 

17 Assyrian, Yezidis, Shabaks, and others. 

Æ 


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