III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 87 

Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the ongoing conflict in Syria 

as it reaches its six-year mark in March, the ensuing humanitarian 

crisis in Syria and neighboring countries, the resulting humanitarian 

and national security challenges, and the urgent need for a political 

solution to the crisis. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 15, 2017 

Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. MURPHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the ongoing 

conflict in Syria as it reaches its six-year mark in March, 

the ensuing humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighboring 

countries, the resulting humanitarian and national security challenges, and the urgent need for a political solution to the crisis. 

Whereas the transnational Salafi-jihadi organizations ISIL 

and al Qaeda are utilizing the conflict in Syria and the 

actions of the Assad regime to recruit and mobilize fighter and popular support; 

Whereas the crisis in Syria has led to the creation of terrorist 

safe havens controlled by ISIL and al Qaeda, along with 


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•SRES 87 IS 

other extremist groups, which have become bases from 

which to plan, direct, and inspire attacks against the 

United States and its allies and partners; 

Whereas the spread of violence perpetuated by the Syrian 

conflict and the flow of refugees is a threat to the security of United States allies in the Middle East and Europe, placing immense domestic and humanitarian burdens on Syria’s neighbors, most notably Lebanon and 

Jordan, as well as Turkey and Iraq; 

Whereas the Syrian conflict has allowed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies to increase their 

influence in parts of Syria and potentially threaten 

Israel’s borders; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council resolutions 2332 

(2016), 2268 (2016), and 2139 (2014) call for the implementation of a cessation of hostilities in Syria and reaffirm the international community’s support for the immediate, direct, and uninhibited access of humanitarian 

workers throughout the Syrian Arab Republic; 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that the Syrian conflict has created 

4,800,000 refugees and 6,600,000 internally displaced 

persons; 

Whereas widespread and systematic attacks on civilians, 

schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, in 

violation of international humanitarian law, continue in 

Syria, in particular as result of the actions of the Assad 

regime and its Russian and Iranian supporters; 

Whereas widespread and systematic violations of the human 

rights of the people of Syria continue to be perpetrated 

by the Assad regime; 


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•SRES 87 IS 

Whereas, according to Amnesty International, the Assad regime has a documented record of committing mass 

human rights abuses against detainees, including 5,000 

to 13,000 detainees summarily executed by hanging between September 2011 through December 2015; 

Whereas the regime of Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly 

blocked civilian access to or diverted humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies, from besieged and hardto-reach areas, in violation of United Nations Security 

Council resolutions; 

Whereas the Assad regime is subject to and in violation of 

both United Nations Security Council Resolution 2118 

(2013) on the Framework for Elimination of Syrian 

Chemical Weapons and United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 2209 (2015) Condemning the Use of Chlorine 

Gas in Syria; 

Whereas the Governments of the Russian Federation and 

Iran have supported the Assad regime, perpetuated the 

conflict, and deployed tactics and strategies that have 

caused grave harm to civilians, including their conduct in 

the siege of eastern Aleppo, constituting war crimes and 

crimes against humanity; 

Whereas there exists sufficient documentation, as well as 

credible, clear, and convincing reporting, to charge 

Bashar al-Assad with war crimes and crimes against humanity due to the Assad regime’s confirmed use of chemical weapons, use of barrel bombs against noncombatants, 

widespread use of torture, summary executions, prolonged sieges, forcible relocations, and indiscriminate targeting of civilians and humanitarian actors; 


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•SRES 87 IS 

Whereas the United States Government has provided over 

$5,800,000 since 2011 in humanitarian assistance to 

communities and people directly impacted by the Syrian 

conflict, including $364,000,000 that will be provided in 

fiscal year 2017 for refugees and other people displaced 

by the Syrian conflict; and 

Whereas the United States Armed Forces are leading the 

Global Coalition to Counter ISIL and are deployed with 

Coalition allies within the territory of Syria and are 

working by, with, and through local Syrian partner forces 

to defeat ISIL and stabilize territory taken from it: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) strongly condemns the regime of Bashar al3 Assad for committing war crimes and crimes against 

4 humanity during the Syrian conflict, including the 

5 use of chemical weapons, in violation of its obliga6 tions as required by United Nations Security Coun7 cil Resolutions 2118 (2013) and 2209 (2015), and 

8 for the widespread use of torture, summary execu9 tions, prolonged sieges, forcible relocations, and in10 discriminate targeting of civilians and humanitarian 

11 actors; 

12 (2) condemns the Assad regime and the Gov13 ernment of the Russian Federation for using indis14 criminate cluster munitions on civilian areas and in15 frastructure and for the deliberate targeting of 

16 United Nations humanitarian aid convoys; 


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•SRES 87 IS 

1 (3) urges all parties to the conflict, particularly 

2 the Russian Federation, Iran, and Iranian-backed 

3 militias, to immediately halt indiscriminate attacks, 

4 the imposition of starvation sieges, and other forms 

5 of warfare directed against civilians and civilian in6 frastructure; 

7 (4) strongly urges all parties to the conflict to 

8 allow for and facilitate immediate, unfettered access 

9 to humanitarian assistance throughout Syria, re10 specting the safety, security, independence, and im11 partiality of humanitarian workers and ensuring 

12 freedom of movement to deliver aid, particularly in 

13 areas of Syria controlled by opposition forces; 

14 (5) affirms the neutrality of medical profes15 sionals providing humanitarian assistance and health 

16 care on a non-political basis, and condemns attacks 

17 against such personnel or interference in the provi18 sion of medical care, particularly in areas of Syria 

19 controlled by opposition forces; 

20 (6) encourages the President to make it the pol21 icy of the United States Government to continue to 

22 coordinate a comprehensive and generous response 

23 to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, including assist24 ance and development, and protection of human 

25 rights inside Syria and in the region; 


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1 (7) urges all parties in Syria to support the im2 mediate and full implementation of United Nations 

3 Security Council Resolution 2268 (2016), which 

4 calls for a cessation of hostilities in the conflict, ex5 cept with ISIL and al Qaeda and their affiliated or6 ganizations, to facilitate the provision of humani7 tarian assistance and reconstruction of war-affected 

8 communities in Syria; 

9 (8) affirms that the elimination of al Qaeda and 

10 ISIS safe havens in Syria, from which those organi11 zations can plan and launch attacks against the 

12 United States and its partners, is a vital national se13 curity interest of the United States; 

14 (9) commends the Syrian Democratic Forces, 

15 the Syrian Arab Coalition, and other local, Syrian 

16 partner forces for their support of Operation Inher17 ent Resolve and the efforts of the Global Coalition 

18 to Counter ISIL; 

19 (10) affirms that the stability of key European 

20 and Middle Eastern partners is vital to the national 

21 security of the United States and preventing the 

22 Syrian conflict from undermining that stability is a 

23 top priority for the United States; 

24 (11) calls on the international community to 

25 continue to support neighboring countries and host 


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1 communities who are generously supporting refugees 

2 and internally displaced persons fleeing the conflict 

3 in Syria; 

4 (12) calls on the President to continue the ac5 tive participation of the United States Government 

6 in a robust and effective diplomatic process to 

7 achieve a political agreement to the Syrian conflict; 

8 and 

9 (13) urges the President to develop and submit 

10 to the Committees on Foreign Relations and Armed 

11 Services of the Senate within 90 days a strategy for 

12 providing long-term stability and security in areas 

13 seized from ISIL. 

Æ 


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