III 

Calendar No. 612 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 16 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 25, 2021 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

DECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide 

Comfort. 

Whereas, after the uprising against Saddam Hussein in 

March 1991, Hussein turned tanks and helicopter 

gunships on the defenseless citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan; 

Whereas, overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the Hussein regime, and having already experienced the genocidal 

death of approximately 200,000 Iraqi Kurds, the wanton 

destruction of approximately 4,500 Iraqi Kurdish vilVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:28 Dec 08, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC16.RS SC16

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•SCON 16 RS 

lages, and deadly chemical bombardment, hundreds of 

thousands of Iraqi Kurdish men, women, and children 

fled to the northern and eastern borders of Iraq, fearing 

that the regime would use poison gas against them, as 

during the Anfal campaign and in Halabja only 3 years 

before; 

Whereas, at one point in the early days of the 1991 refugee 

crisis, the daily death toll of fleeing Iraqi Kurds exceeded 

1,000, with victims having no time to gather any possessions or winter protective gear and thus succumbing to 

exposure, malnutrition, and disease; 

Whereas the United States, in response to the unfolding 

human catastrophe, led what became the largest humanitarian operation of its kind ever, Operation Provide Comfort, delivering humanitarian relief and enforcing a no-fly 

zone; 

Whereas Operation Provide Comfort saved the lives of countless thousands of Iraqi Kurds from near certain death on 

the freezing and rugged border mountains of Iraqi 

Kurdistan; 

Whereas, to this day, Iraqi Kurds credit United States-led 

Operation Provide Comfort, particularly the no-fly zone 

that protected the Iraqi Kurdish people until 2003, for 

helping support security and stability in Iraqi Kurdistan; 

Whereas Iraqi Kurdistan has long served as a safe haven for 

people fleeing conflict and religious and political persecution; and 

Whereas the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Kurdish Peshmerga remain steadfast partners of the United 

States in the fight against extremism and terrorism: 

Now, therefore, be it 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•SCON 16 RS 

Whereas, in March 1991, Saddam Hussein responded to an 

uprising in Iraqi Kurdistan with a violent military campaign that included the use of chemical weapons against 

the citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan, most of whom were unarmed civilians; 

Whereas Saddam Hussein’s forces killed approximately 

200,000 Iraqi Kurds, destroyed approximately 4,500 Iraqi 

Kurdish villages, and displaced hundreds of thousands of 

Iraqi Kurds who fled to the northern and eastern borders 

of Iraq, fearing that the regime would use chemical weapons against them, as it did during Saddam Hussein’s 

Anfal campaign, including the Halabja chemical weapon 

attack only 3 years before; 

Whereas, at one point in the early days of the 1991 crisis, the 

daily death toll of fleeing Iraqi Kurds exceeded 1,000, with 

victims succumbing to exposure, malnutrition, and disease; 

Whereas, the United States, in response to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe, led Operation Provide Comfort, 

delivering humanitarian relief and enforcing a no-fly zone, 

saving the lives of countless thousands of Iraqi Kurds from 

near certain death on the freezing and rugged border 

mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan; 

Whereas Operation Provide Comfort provided security and stability in Iraqi Kurdistan; and 

Whereas the Kurdistan regional government and the Kurdish 

Peshmerga remain steadfast partners of the United States 

in the fight against extremism and terrorism: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•SCON 16 RS 

1 (1) commemorates the 30th anniversary of Op2 eration Provide Comfort; 

3 (2) recognizes and honors the heroic soldiers, 

4 diplomats, political leaders, and coalition partners of 

5 the United States who implemented Operation Pro6 vide Comfort; 

7 (3) recognizes and honors the bravery of the 

8 nearly 2,000,000 Iraqi Kurdish women, children, 

9 and men who struggled to survive starvation and ex10 posure, welcomed the aid that came, and embraced 

11 the opportunity for a new life; 

12 (4) encourages Iraqi Kurdish leaders to con13 tinue to uphold the values of democracy, human 

14 rights, and freedom that have made Iraqi Kurdistan 

15 an oasis in a troubled region; and 

16 (5) reaffirms— 

17 (A) the strong partnership between the 

18 United States and the Iraqi Kurds, which exists 

19 in complementarity with the United States 

20 strong partnership with the Government of 

21 Iraq; and 

22 (B) the enduring respect and support of 

23 Congress for Iraqi Kurdish friends of the 

24 United States who courageously stand with the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•SCON 16 RS 

1 United States in shared opposition to extre2 mism and terrorism. 

3 That Congress— 

4 (1) commemorates the 30th anniversary of Oper5 ation Provide Comfort; 

6 (2) recognizes and honors the soldiers, diplomats, 

7 political leaders, and coalition partners of the United 

8 States who implemented Operation Provide Comfort; 

9 (3) recognizes and honors the nearly 2,000,000 

10 Iraqis, mostly Kurds, who were displaced by the Hus11 sein regime and who survived starvation and expo12 sure, and for whom Operation Provide Comfort of13 fered assistance, security, and a chance for a new life; 

14 (4) encourages Iraqi Kurdish leaders to continue 

15 to uphold the values of democracy, human rights, and 

16 freedom; and 

17 (5) reaffirms— 

18 (A) the strong partnership between the 

19 United States and the Iraqi Kurds, which exists 

20 in complementarity with the United States 

21 strong partnership with the Government of Iraq; 

22 and 

23 (B) the enduring respect and support of 

24 Congress for Iraqi Kurds, who continue to stand 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•SCON 16 RS 

1 with the United States in shared opposition to 

2 extremism and terrorism. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 612 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 16 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Operation 

D

Provide Comfort. 

ECEMBER 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS