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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 741 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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 Conference'', 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;
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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should--
            (1) work with the Iraqi Government, local governments, and 
        the international community to facilitate the safe return of 
        displaced peoples to the Nineveh Plain region;
            (2) continue to support the establishment of a self-
        governing province in the Nineveh Plain, in accordance with the 
        Government of Iraq's decision to establish a Nineveh Plain 
        Province through the Council of Ministers Session No. 3 of 
        January 21, 2014;
            (3) prioritize rehabilitation efforts in war-ravaged areas 
        like the Nineveh Plain;
            (4) expand partners in development and restoration to 
        encourage involvement and empowerment of non-sectarian, 
        indigenous, and ethnic organizations from the Assyrian and 
        Yezidi communities to build unity among vulnerable peoples and 
        transcend the vicious cycle of sectarian conflict in Iraq;
            (5) recognize the importance of the Nineveh Plain 
        Protection Units in maintaining order and facilitating 
        resettlement and reconstruction rehabilitation efforts in the 
        Nineveh Plain region; and
            (6) work vigorously to ensure there is a home and future 
        for vulnerable Iraqi minorities such as Assyrian, Yezidis, 
        Shabaks, and others.
                                 <all>
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