```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 135 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 135

Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States 
                               for Syria.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 18, 2024

  Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Crow, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Pallone, and Ms. 
    Titus) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States 
                               for Syria.

Whereas, in December 2024, following decades of pressure and sacrifice by the 
        Syrian people and from international condemnation, the al Assad family's 
        era of heinous war crimes and authoritarian rule ended and Bashar Assad 
        fled to Moscow, where Putin granted him political asylum;
Whereas, as a result of the opportunity his departure has presented to the 
        Syrian people, the United States reaffirms its support to all the Syrian 
        people, and urges an inclusive and peaceful transition by Syrians, for 
        Syria.
Whereas national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities and indigenous 
        peoples, including Alawites, Armenians, Druze, Yezidis, Kurds, Shabak, 
        Turkmen, and historic Christian communities (including Chaldean, Syriac, 
        Assyrian, and Melkite peoples) among others, have been integral 
        components of the long cultural lineage of Syria;
Whereas these same religious and ethnic minorities have made, and continue to 
        make, invaluable and significant contributions to the social, economic, 
        and political fabric of societies across the Middle East and the world, 
        including the United States;
Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (referred to in this preamble as 
        ``ISIS'') is responsible for carrying out a brutal campaign of violence 
        against members of all faiths in Syria and Iraq;
Whereas ethnic and religious minorities were subjected to innumerable atrocities 
        by ISIS, including forced religious conversion, kidnapping, slavery, 
        human trafficking, unlawful forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, 
        torture, sexual violence, and sex trafficking, among other crimes;
Whereas the Secretary of State declared on March 17, 2016, and on August 15, 
        2017, that ISIS is responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, 
        and other atrocities against religious and ethnic minority groups in 
        Syria and Iraq, including Shia Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis, among 
        other religious and ethnic groups;
Whereas the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 
        (Public Law 115-300) affirms that it is the policy of the United States 
        to ensure that assistance for religious and ethnic minorities is 
        directed towards those who--

    (1) have the greatest need, including minorities who the Secretary of 
State declared were targeted for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war 
crimes; and

    (2) have been identified as being at risk of persecution, forced 
migration, genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes;

Whereas members of these religious and ethnic minority communities continue to 
        face daily insecurity, discrimination, hardship, and violence from state 
        and non-state actors;
Whereas Syrian opposition forces have repeatedly signaled their intent to 
        respect the rights and dignity of religious and ethnic minorities in 
        Syria, but there have been incidents of members of such minorities 
        fleeing their homes while there is documented violence and expulsions 
        against Kurdish communities by elements of the Syrian National Army;
Whereas the restoration and stabilization of all regions of Syria will provide 
        an opportunity for its longstanding diverse ethnic and religious 
        communities to flourish;
Whereas the Syrian Democratic Forces (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``SDF'') has been a critical partner to United States and allied 
        counter-ISIS and broader counterterrorism efforts in Syria, and the 
        United States should continue to support and partner with the SDF;
Whereas the SDF has played a critical role in securing and maintaining ISIS 
        detention facilities and ensuring that ISIS terrorists do not pose a 
        renewed threat to the region or United States allies or partners;
Whereas the search continues for Austin Tice, an American journalist, was 
        kidnapped in Syria on August 14, 2012; and
Whereas the Syrian Democratic Council--

    (1) serves as the civil administration for much of northeast Syria; and

    (2) has provided critical public services and maintained civilian 
infrastructure in that region throughout the Syrian conflict: Now, 
therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commits to protecting and upholding the internationally 
        recognized human rights of members of all religious and ethnic 
        minority communities in Syria;
            (2) calls for an inclusive and peaceful political 
        transition process in Syria that preserves and protects the 
        rights and livelihoods of all Syria communities, including its 
        religious and ethnic minority communities;
            (3) supports the preservation, documentation, and 
        restoration of--
                    (A) religious and cultural heritage sites in Syria; 
                and
                    (B) community buildings of religious and ethnic 
                minority communities in the region;
            (4) calls upon all state and non-state actors--
                    (A) to cease any and all support for, or commission 
                of, all current violence in Syria; and
                    (B) to refrain from future violence and acts of 
                reprisal or repression against all Syrians, including 
                religious and ethnic minority communities in Syria;
            (5) encourages the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
        of the United States Agency for International Development--
                    (A) to advocate for the protection of religious and 
                ethnic minorities in Syria; and
                    (B) to engage in appropriate steps, including 
                targeted sanctions relief and development programming 
                to support humanitarian needs, development, and 
                reconstruction in Syria, including in religious and 
                ethnic minority communities; and
            (6) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
        finding and securing the release of Austin Tice.
                                 <all>
```