III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 548 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States 

and the international community to take certain actions with respect 

to the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2006 

Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. SUNUNU, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. 

CHAFEE, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. FEINGOLD, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for 

the United States and the international community to 

take certain actions with respect to the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. 

Whereas, on June 12, 2000, the Government of Lebanon advised the United Nations that it would consider deploying 

its armed forces throughout southern Lebanon following 

confirmation by the United Nations Secretary-General 

that the Government of Israel had fully withdrawn its 

armed forces from that country in accordance with 

United Nations Security Council Resolution 425 (1978); 

Whereas, on June 16, 2000, the United Nations Security 

Council endorsed the Secretary-General’s conclusion that 

Israel had withdrawn all of its forces from Lebanon in 


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•SRES 548 ATS 

accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 425; 

Whereas, notwithstanding the reservations of both Israel and 

Lebanon regarding the final line determining what constitutes an Israeli withdrawal in accordance with United 

Nations Security Council Resolution 425, the governments of both countries confirmed that establishing the 

identifying line was the sole responsibility of the United 

Nations, and that they would respect the line that the 

United Nations identified; 

Whereas Hezbollah remains an armed terrorist presence in 

Lebanon and continues to receive material and political 

support from the Governments of Syria and Iran; 

Whereas, as affirmed in Public Law 108–175, the Governments of Syria and Iran have significant influence over 

Hezbollah; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 

(2004) calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and 

the dismantlement of all independent militias in Lebanon; 

Whereas the international community has provided insufficient encouragement and resources to the Government of 

Lebanon to enable the Government to comply with the 

relevant provisions of United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 1559; 

Whereas Hezbollah launched an unprovoked attack against 

Israel on July 12, 2006, killing 7 Israeli soldiers and taking 2 soldiers hostage, its fifth provocative act against 

Israel since the summer of 2005; 

Whereas the Government of Israel, as reaffirmed in S. Res. 

534, has the right to defend itself and to take approVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:46 Aug 05, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR548.ATS SR548

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•SRES 548 ATS 

priate action to deter aggression by terrorist groups and 

their state sponsors; 

Whereas fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to date has 

caused significant damage to Lebanon’s and Israel’s infrastructures that will necessitate the expenditure of significant sums to rebuild; 

Whereas more than 400 citizens of Israel and Lebanon have 

already lost their lives in the ongoing conflict; 

Whereas over 14,000 United States citizens have been evacuated from Lebanon at a cost of over $60,000,000; 

Whereas more than 1,000,000 Israelis living in northern 

Israel are under threat of Hezbollah rockets; 

Whereas more than 700,000 Lebanese civilians have been displaced by the fighting, and the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator is seeking more than 

$170,000,000 in donations from international donors to 

pay for food, medicine, water, and sanitation services 

over the next 3 months; 

Whereas the United States Government has pledged 

$30,000,000 in short-term humanitarian assistance to 

address the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon; 

Whereas the fragile democracy of Lebanon is in jeopardy of 

collapsing without significant international support to address the humanitarian crisis in the country and to 

strengthen the capacity of the army and security forces 

of the Government of Lebanon to gain effective control 

of all territory in Lebanon; and 

Whereas continued fighting between Hezbollah and Israel is 

a threat to the peace and security of the peoples of Israel 

and Lebanon: 


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•SRES 548 ATS 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the Governments of Syria and Iran 

3 should— 

4 (A) end all material and logistical support 

5 for Hezbollah, including attempts to replenish 

6 Hezbollah’s supply of weapons; and 

7 (B) use their significant influence over 

8 Hexbollah to disarm the group and release all 

9 kidnapped prisoners; 

10 (2) the United States Government and the 

11 international community must work urgently with 

12 the Governments of Israel and Lebanon— 

13 (A) to attain a cessation in the hostilities 

14 between Hezbollah and Israel based on— 

15 (i) effectuating the safe return of 

16 Israeli soldiers held in Lebanon; 

17 (ii) the disarmament of Hezbollah, the 

18 removal of all Hezbollah forces from south19 ern Lebanon, and the replacement of those 

20 forces with army and security forces of the 

21 Government of Lebanon; and 

22 (iii) reaching an agreement to fully 

23 implement United Nations Security Coun24 cil Resolution 1559 and to create and deVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:46 Aug 05, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR548.ATS SR548

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•SRES 548 ATS 

1 ploy an international stabilization force 

2 with a clear mandate to enforce a perma3 nent ceasefire; 

4 (B) to organize an international donors 

5 conference to solicit and ensure the provision of 

6 international resources for the reconstruction of 

7 roads, bridges, hospitals, electrical and commu8 nications systems, and other civilian infrastruc9 ture damaged or destroyed in Lebanon during 

10 the hostilities; 

11 (C) to remain engaged to promote sustain12 able peace and security for Israel and Lebanon 

13 and the greater Middle East; and 

14 (D) to assist the Government of Lebanon 

15 on its path to democracy by promoting nec16 essary internal political reforms; and 

17 (3) the territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity, 

18 and political independence of Lebanon should be 

19 strongly supported. 

Æ 


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