III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 379 

Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against the Syrian people. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2012 

Mr. KERRY, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, reported the following 

original resolution; which was placed on the calendar 

FEBRUARY 17, 2012 

Considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning violence by the Government of Syria against 

the Syrian people. 

Whereas the Syrian Arab Republic is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 

adopted at New York December 16, 1966, the United 

Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, 

Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, done 

at New York December 10, 1984; 

Whereas Syria voted in favor of the Universal Declaration of 

Human Rights, adopted at Paris, December 10, 1948; 

Whereas, in March 2011, peaceful demonstrations in Syria 

began against the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad; 


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SRES 379 ATS 

Whereas, in response to the demonstrations, the Government 

of Syria launched a brutal crackdown, which has resulted 

in gross human rights violations, use of force against civilians, torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and interference with access to 

medical treatment; 

Whereas the United Nations, as of January 25, 2012, estimated that more than 5,400 people in Syria have been 

killed since the violence began in March 2011; 

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Barack Obama 

stated that President Bashar al-Assad ‘‘has no right to 

lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and 

the international community’’; 

Whereas the Department of State has repeatedly condemned 

the Government of Syria’s crackdown on its people, including on January 30, 2012, when Secretary of State 

Hillary Clinton stated ‘‘The status quo is unsustainable. 

. .The longer the Assad regime continues its attacks on 

the Syrian people and stands in the way of a peaceful 

transition, the greater the concern that instability will escalate and spill over throughout the region.’’; 

Whereas President Obama, on April 29, 2011, designated 3 

individuals subject to sanctions for humans rights abuses 

in Syria: Mahir al-Assad, the brother of Syrian President 

Bashar al-Assad and brigade commander in the Syrian 

Army’s 4th Armored Division; Atif Najib, the former 

head of the Political Security Directorate for Daraa 

Province and a cousin of Bashar al-Assad; and Ali 

Mamluk, director of Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate; 


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SRES 379 ATS 

Whereas, on May 18, 2011, President Obama issued an executive order sanctioning senior officials of the Syrian Arab 

Republic and their supporters, specifically designating 7 

people: President Bashar al-Assad, Vice President Farouk al-Shara, Prime Minister Adel Safar, Minister of 

the Interior Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, Minister of 

Defense Ali Habib Mahmoud, Head of Syrian Military 

Intelligence Abdul Fatah Qudsiya, and Director of Political Security Directorate Mohammed Dib Zaitoun; 

Whereas President Obama, on August 17, 2011, issued Executive Order 13582, blocking property of the Government 

of Syria and prohibiting certain transactions with respect 

to Syria; 

Whereas, on December 1, 2011, the Department of the 

Treasury designated 2 individuals, Aus Aslan and Muhammad Makhluf, under Executive Order 13573 and 2 

entities, the Military Housing Establishment and the 

Real Estate Bank of Syria, under Executive Order 

13582; 

Whereas, on May 6, 2011, the European Union’s 27 countries imposed sanctions on the Government of Syria for 

the human rights abuses, including asset freezes and visa 

bans on members of the Government of Syria and an 

arms embargo on the country; 

Whereas, on November 12, 2011, the League of Arab States 

voted to suspend Syria’s membership in the organization; 

Whereas, on December 2, 2011, the United Nations Human 

Rights Council passed Resolution S-18/1, which deplores 

the human rights situation in Syria, commends the 

League of Arab States, and supports implementation of 

its Plan of Action; 


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SRES 379 ATS 

Whereas the League of Arab States approved and implemented a plan of action to send a team of international 

monitors to Syria, which began December 26, 2011; 

Whereas, on January 28, 2012, the League of Arab States 

decided to suspend its international monitoring mission 

due to escalating violence within Syria; 

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the Russian Federation and 

People’s Republic of China vetoed a United Nations Security Council Resolution in support of the League of 

Arab States’ Plan of Action; 

Whereas, on February 14, 2012, General Martin Dempsey, 

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the 

Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that Syria 

‘‘is a much different situation than we collectively saw in 

Libya,’’ presenting a ‘‘very different challenge’’ in which 

‘‘we also know that other regional actors are providing 

support’’ as a part of a ‘‘Sunni majority rebelling against 

an oppressive Alawite-Shia regime’’; 

Whereas the Governments of the Russian Federation and the 

Islamic Republic of Iran remain major suppliers of military equipment to the Government of Syria notwithstanding that government’s violent repression of demonstrators; 

Whereas the gross human rights violations perpetuated by 

the Government of Syria against the people of Syria represent a grave risk to regional peace and stability; and 

Whereas the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 

will immediately schedule a hearing to take place as soon 

as the Senate reconvenes to assess the situation in Syria 

and all the international options available to address this 

crisis: Now, therefore, be it 


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SRES 379 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) strongly condemns the Government of Syr3 ia’s brutal and unjustifiable use of force against ci4 vilians, including unarmed women and children and 

5 its violations of the fundamental human rights and 

6 dignity of the people of Syria; 

7 (2) expresses its solidarity with the people of 

8 Syria, who have exhibited remarkable courage and 

9 determination in the face of unspeakable violence to 

10 rid themselves of a brutal dictatorship; 

11 (3) expresses strong disappointment with the 

12 Governments of the Russian Federation and the 

13 People’s Republic of China for their veto of the 

14 United Nations Security Council resolution con15 demning Bashar al-Assad and the violence in Syria 

16 and urges them to reconsider their votes; 

17 (4) encourages the members of the United Na18 tions Security Council to continue to pursue a reso19 lution in support of a political solution to the crisis 

20 in Syria; 

21 (5) commends the League of Arab States’ ef22 forts to bring about a peaceful resolution in Syria; 

23 (6) regrets that the League of Arab States ob24 server mission was not able to monitor the full im25 plementation of the League of Arab States’ Action 


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SRES 379 ATS 

1 Plan of November 2, 2011, due to the escalating vio2 lence in Syria; and 

3 (7) urges the international community to review 

4 legal processes available to hold officials of the Gov5 ernment of Syria accountable for crimes against hu6 manity and gross violations of human rights. 

Æ 


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