I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1785 

To require a comprehensive regional strategy to destroy the Islamic State 

of Iraq and al-Sham and its affiliates, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2017 

Mr. KINZINGER (for himself, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. OLSON, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. 

CUELLAR, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. HUNTER, Mrs. MURPHY

of Florida, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, and Mr. JODY B. 

HICE of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on 

Armed Services, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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 

A BILL 

To require a comprehensive regional strategy to destroy the 

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham and its affiliates, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Comprehensive Strat5 egy to Destroy ISIS Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Since the civil war in Syria began in 2011, 

4 nearly 500,000 Syrians have been killed, including 

5 50,000 children. 

6 (2) The ongoing civil war in Syria has been 

7 among the most disruptive and costly of this cen8 tury, having displaced an estimated 4,900,000 refu9 gees and an additional 6,300,000 internally dis10 placed persons according to the United Nations 

11 High Commissioner for Refugees. 

12 (3) In June 2014 the self-described caliphate of 

13 the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) con14 quered territory in Syria and Iraq. 

15 (4) According to the House Committee on 

16 Homeland Security’s Task Force on Combatting 

17 Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel, nearly 

18 300,000 people from over 100 countries have trav19 eled to the conflict zone in Iraq and Syria since 

20 2011 to join or attempt to join terrorist groups, in21 cluding ISIS. 

22 (5) According to CNN, ISIS has committed 

23 143 attacks in 29 countries outside of Iraq and 

24 Syria, killing 2,043 people since June 2014. 


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1 (6) According to the United Nations Assistance 

2 Mission for Iraq, over 27,000 Iraqi civilians have 

3 been killed since June 2014. 

4 (7) On March 17, 2016, Secretary of State 

5 John Kerry stated, ‘‘Daesh is responsible for geno6 cide against groups in areas under its control’’. 

7 (8) On January 28, 2017, the President signed 

8 National Security Presidential Memo-3 to require 

9 the Secretary of Defense to submit to the President 

10 within 30 days a ‘‘plan to defeat ISIS’’. 

11 SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO DESTROY THE ISLAMIC STATE OF 

12 IRAQ AND AL-SHAM AND ITS AFFILIATES. 

13 (a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

15 of Defense and the Secretary of State, in consultation with 

16 the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall 

17 jointly develop and submit to the appropriate committees 

18 of Congress a strategy to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq 

19 and al-Sham (ISIS) and its affiliates. 

20 (b) ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY.—The strategy re21 quired by subsection (a) shall include the following ele22 ments: 

23 (1) An update on the status and progress of the 

24 Global Coalition to Counter ISIS and specific acVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Apr 01, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1785.IH H1785

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1 tions being taken in conjunction with such Coalition 

2 to destroy and eliminate ISIS. 

3 (2) A strategy for the deployment of United 

4 States military assets, including ground combat 

5 forces, to train and equip allies, as well as potential 

6 direct confrontation with ISIS fighters and its affili7 ates. 

8 (3) A strategy for airstrikes and drone strikes 

9 in Iraq and Syria against ISIS senior leaders and 

10 infrastructure, as well as the viability of the use of 

11 airstrikes in conjunction with regional partners that 

12 face a significant threat from ISIS and its affiliates. 

13 (4) A plan to strengthen the capacity of the 

14 Iraqi Security Forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga, the 

15 Jordanian Armed Forces, the Afghanistan Security 

16 Forces, and others to counter gains by ISIS and its 

17 affiliates. 

18 (5) A plan to provide humanitarian assistance 

19 and relief, governance, and rule of law to regions 

20 previously impacted by ISIS and its affiliates. 

21 (6) Prevention of a reconstitution of ISIS or its 

22 affiliates in the region. 

23 (7) A strategy to pursue war crimes prosecu24 tions against ISIS fighters through international 

25 fora. 


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1 (8) Use of social media and other communica2 tion technologies to counter ISIS’s propaganda, in3 fluence, and ability to recruit fighters domestically 

4 and internationally. 

5 (9) A strategy to deny financial resources, in6 cluding revenues from natural resources extraction, 

7 sale of antiquities, kidnapping, extortion, and tax8 ation, to ISIS and its affiliates. 

9 (c) UPDATE.—The Secretary of Defense and the Sec10 retary of State shall submit to the appropriate committees 

11 of Congress an update of the strategy required by sub12 section (a) at least once every 2 years after the date of 

13 the initial submission of the strategy. 

14 SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO BRING THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA TO 

15 A SUSTAINABLE END. 

16 (a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

18 of Defense and the Secretary of State, in consultation with 

19 the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall 

20 jointly develop and submit to the appropriate committees 

21 of Congress a strategy to bring the civil war in Syria to 

22 a sustainable end. 

23 (b) ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY.—The strategy re24 quired by subsection (a) shall include the following ele25 ments: 


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1 (1) A description of military and diplomatic ac2 tions to end the Syrian Civil War. 

3 (2) An assessment on the viability of safe zones 

4 for Syrian refugees displaced from their homes to 

5 allow such refugees to settle for an unspecified 

6 amount of time and live in peace and security. 

7 (3) A plan to bring the various moderate oppo8 sition factions and the Government of Syria to the 

9 negotiating table in order to find a peaceful solution 

10 to the conflict, and specifically includes plans for a 

11 transition of power from the presidency of Bashar 

12 al-Assad to a confederation of multi-sectarian and 

13 moderate parties that does not include any known 

14 radical Islamist groups in order to rebuild Syria. 

15 (4) A strategy to pursue war crimes prosecu16 tions against Bashar al-Assad and Syrian govern17 ment officials responsible for crimes against human18 ity. 

19 (5) A plan that will prevent the reconstitution 

20 of the ISIS in Syrian territory. 

21 SEC. 5. ASSESSMENT BY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTEL22 LIGENCE. 

23 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

24 of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall subVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Apr 01, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1785.IH H1785

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1 mit to the appropriate committees of Congress an assess2 ment of the following: 

3 (1) The willingness and capabilities of coalition 

4 members and allies to defeat and destroy the Islamic 

5 State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and its affiliates 

6 with their own military assets. 

7 (2) The presence of ISIS or its affiliates in 

8 countries other than Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and 

9 Afghanistan. 

10 (3) Preventing radicalization of citizens of re11 gional countries by ISIS and its affiliates and tactics 

12 used by countries to stop radicalization. 

13 (4) Assessment of the number of foreign fight14 ers joining ISIS and its affiliates and tactics that 

15 can be used by countries with foreign fighter popu16 lations to prevent further recruitment. 

17 (5) Significant United States intelligence gaps 

18 concerning ISIS and its affiliates and the ability to 

19 carry out a regional strategy to defeat ISIS and its 

20 affiliates. 

21 SEC. 6. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE22 FINED. 

23 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of 

24 Congress’’ means— 


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1 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

2 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

3 Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Com4 mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa5 tives; and 

6 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

7 Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 

8 Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intel9 ligence of the Senate. 

Æ 


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