IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 321 

Expressing the need for a more comprehensive diplomatic initiative led by 

the United States, Iraq, and the international community. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 2, 2008 

Mr. GILCHREST (for himself, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, 

Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. 

REYES, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Ms. KAPTUR, and Ms. 

BALDWIN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the need for a more comprehensive diplomatic 

initiative led by the United States, Iraq, and the international community. 

Whereas it is in the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States to foster and strengthen peace 

and security in Iraq and the broader Middle East region, 

which will require a more comprehensive international 

support structure involving Iraq’s neighboring countries, 

other pertinent and influential countries in and outside 

the region, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations; 


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•HCON 321 IH 

Whereas the removal of Saddam Hussein has resulted in a 

fundamental change in the composition and structure of 

Iraq’s Government, and of provincial and tribal leadership; 

Whereas the removal of Saddam Hussein has resulted in violent multi-layered conflicts of varying insurgencies, 

counter-insurgencies, and other armed competitions that 

exist today along religious, cultural, and economic lines; 

Whereas the removal of Saddam Hussein has fundamentally 

altered the relationship between Iraq and neighboring 

countries, thereby affecting the balance of power in the 

region; 

Whereas the removal of Saddam Hussein has resulted in the 

democratic election of the Government of Iraq where 

nearly 7,000,000 Iraqis participated in the voting process; 

Whereas elements and actions from outside Iraq’s borders, 

including neighboring countries, terrorist groups, and 

rogue elements continue to impede progress towards a 

more stable and sovereign Iraq; 

Whereas Iraqis, with the unrelenting military support from 

the United States, are facing difficulties to achieve political reconciliation and to independently govern; 

Whereas the Iraq Study Group stated that ‘‘a regional peace 

conference among Arab nations is a critically important 

step in helping to end the civil war in Iraq, and bringing 

peace and stability in the Middle East’’; 

Whereas General Petraeus recently stated in congressional 

testimony that ‘‘any student of history recognizes there 

is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to 

the insurgency in Iraq’’; and 


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Whereas finding a responsible and strategic way forward in 

Iraq will require international support: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) declares that a more comprehensive inter4 national support structure must be established to 

5 engage Iraq’s political, religious, ethnic, and tribal 

6 leaders in an ongoing inclusive political reconcili7 ation and reconstruction process; 

8 (2) declares that the current drawdown and 

9 eventual departure of the United States Armed 

10 Forces in Iraq be performed in a strategic and re11 sponsible manner, in consultation with the Govern12 ment of Iraq, and must be supported by a com13 prehensive international and regional diplomatic ini14 tiative; 

15 (3) encourages the President and the adminis16 tration, jointly with Iraq, to initiate, develop, and 

17 implement a sustained comprehensive regional and 

18 multilateral diplomatic plan of action, in conjunction 

19 with the United Nations Security Council, the 

20 United Nations Secretary General, Iraq’s neigh21 boring countries, regional organizations as the Arab 

22 League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, 

23 and appropriate nongovernmental organizations, reVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:05 Apr 04, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC321.IH HC321

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1 lating to issues and actions that impact the situation 

2 in Iraq, including— 

3 (A) promoting a national process of rec4 onciliation within Iraq; 

5 (B) curtailing the ongoing civil strife in 

6 Iraq that has created insurgency groups 

7 amongst civilian militias and related civil orga8 nizations; 

9 (C) preventing the spread of violence from 

10 Iraq into neighboring countries and fostering a 

11 collective security arrangement between Iraq 

12 with neighboring countries to secure Iraq’s sov13 ereign integrity and border security; 

14 (D) preventing genocide, ethnic cleansing, 

15 and other crimes against humanity; 

16 (E) preventing the establishment of safe 

17 havens for al Qaeda and other terrorist organi18 zations; 

19 (F) continuing to provide assistance to the 

20 Iraqi Security Forces, including military train21 ing, education, equipment and technical sup22 port, and to encourage the United Nations and 

23 regional allies to support this coordinated effort 

24 if the Iraqi Government supports this strategic 

25 arrangement; and 


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1 (G) supporting the formation of an inter2 national consortium for relief and reconstruc3 tion in Iraq; 

4 (4) urges the President and the administration, 

5 jointly with Iraq, the United Nations, and regional 

6 organizations, to expeditiously engage in bilateral 

7 and multilateral talks and conferences with Iraq’s 

8 neighboring countries, and specifically— 

9 (A) recommends the implementation of the 

10 International Compact for Iraq and rec11 ommendations 9 and 13 of the Iraq Study 

12 Group Report, including— 

13 (i) implementing recommendation 9, 

14 which states, ‘‘Under the aegis of the New 

15 Diplomatic Offensive and the Support 

16 Group, the United States should engage 

17 directly with Iran and Syria in order to try 

18 to obtain their commitment to constructive 

19 policies toward Iraq and other regional 

20 issues. In engaging with Syria and Iran, 

21 the United States should consider incen22 tives, as well as disincentives, in seeking 

23 constructive results’’; and 

24 (ii) implementing recommendation 13, 

25 which states, ‘‘There must be a renewed 


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1 and sustained commitment by the United 

2 States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli 

3 peace on all fronts’’; 

4 (5) remains resolved that the interests of the 

5 people of Iraq, United States allies, and the greater 

6 Middle East region should be paramount in estab7 lishing regional and international assistance and aid 

8 to ensure the unity and integrity of Iraq so as to 

9 safeguard the establishment of a cohesive govern10 ment in Iraq; 

11 (6) encourages the international community, re12 gional organizations, and the United States, in con13 sultation with the Government of Iraq, to continue 

14 efforts to strengthen the Iraqi Security Forces and, 

15 to the extent practicable, to police human rights vio16 lations; 

17 (7) recognizes that as part of a diplomatic ini18 tiative in Iraq, the President should transmit to the 

19 Congress, in classified and unclassified form, a com20 prehensive regional stability plan for Iraq, which 

21 shall include diplomatic, political, and economic stra22 tegic measures; 

23 (8) urges sustained commitment of Iraq, the 

24 United States, countries in the Middle East, and the 

25 international community, in consultation with the 


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1 United Nations and pertinent regional and non-gov2 ernmental organizations, to develop and raise fund3 ing for the reconstruction of Iraq and to provide re4 lief to the Iraqi people, including for purposes of— 

5 (A) assisting efforts to deal with the hu6 manitarian impact of the war in Iraq, particu7 larly civilian displacement and Iraqi refugees; 

8 (B) developing an Iraq corps of engineers; 

9 (C) encouraging the use of Iraqi engineers, 

10 contractors, tradesmen, and construction work11 ers in the reconstruction process; 

12 (D) surveying and performing proper res13 toration of Iraq’s world cultural sites; 

14 (E) supporting efforts by the Iraqi Govern15 ment for an equitable distribution of oil reve16 nues to the Iraqi people; and 

17 (F) encouraging initiatives to assist in re18 building Iraq’s infrastructure, including public 

19 health, transportation, physical plants, edu20 cational, and utilities systems; 

21 (9) expresses its deep and sincere gratitude to 

22 the coalition forces and other international sup23 porters for their contribution and sacrifice in the 

24 collective efforts to bring peace and stability to Iraq; 


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1 (10) expresses its sincere condolences to the 

2 families of the many Iraqis who have died, and to 

3 the many Iraqis who have been displaced or wound4 ed in their struggle to gain a measure of freedom; 

5 and 

6 (11) recognizes that the United States Govern7 ment and the American people owe a debt of grati8 tude to the young men and women who have honor9 ably served in Iraq and now deserve comprehensive 

10 rehabilitation, physical, mental, educational, and 

11 economic assistance. 

Æ 


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