III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 428 

Condemning the Government of Syria for crimes against humanity, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 19, 2012 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. GRAHAM, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. KIRK, 

Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COATS, Mr. MCCAIN, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Government of Syria for crimes against 

humanity, and for other purposes. 

Whereas, on December 22, 2010, the Senate passed S. Con. 

Res. 71 (111th Congress), a bipartisan resolution recognizing that it is in the national interest of the United 

States to prevent and mitigate acts of genocide and other 

mass atrocities against civilians; 

Whereas, since the uprisings in Syria began in January 2011, 

the Government of Syria has manifestly failed in its responsibility to protect its people; 

Whereas, on August 4, 2011, President Barack Obama 

issued Presidential Study Directive/PSD–10, stating, 

‘‘Preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core naVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:04 Apr 20, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR428.IS SR428

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•SRES 428 IS 

tional security interest and a core moral responsibility of 

the United States.’’; 

Whereas, on November 23, 2011, the United Nations-appointed Independent International Commission of Inquiry 

on the Syrian Arab Republic expressed grave concern 

that ‘‘crimes against humanity of murder, torture, rape 

or other forms of sexual violence of comparable gravity, 

imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty, enforced disappearances of persons and other inhumane 

acts of a similar character have occurred in different locations in Syria since March 2011’’ and that ‘‘the Syrian 

Arab Republic bears responsibility for these crimes and 

violations’’; 

Whereas, on February 3, 2012, Syria security forces began 

using indiscriminate sniper fire and shelling of the densely populated neighborhoods of Homs with heavy weaponry; 

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, President Obama stated that 

President Assad ‘‘has no right to lead Syria and has lost 

all legitimacy with his people and the international community’’; 

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the United States co-sponsored a draft United Nations Security Council resolution 

condemning ‘‘the continued widespread and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the 

Syrian authorities such as the use of force against civilians, arbitrary executions, killing and persecution of 

protestors and members of the media, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with access to 

medical treatment, torture, sexual violence, and ill-treatment, including against children’’; 


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•SRES 428 IS 

Whereas, on February 17, 2012, the Senate passed S. Res. 

379 (112th Congress), stating that 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’’; 

Whereas, on February 22, 2012, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic found in a subsequent report that ‘‘[a] reliable 

body of evidence exists that, consistent with other verified 

circumstances, provides reasonable grounds to believe 

that particular individuals, including commanding officers 

and officials at the highest levels of Government, bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross 

human rights violations’’ and that ‘‘children continue to 

be arbitrarily arrested and tortured while in detention’’; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2012, the United Nations Security 

Council was informed that over 7,500 people in Syria 

have been killed, an estimated 100 more are killed each 

day in attacks directed against the civilian population, 

and there are between 100,000 and 200,000 internally 

displaced persons in Syria; 

Whereas, on February 28, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary 

Clinton testified before the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 

concerning President Assad, stating that ‘‘based on the 

definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, 

there would be an argument to be made that he would 

fit into that category’’; 

Whereas, on March 1, 2012, Assistant Secretary of State for 

Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman testified before the 

Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that 


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•SRES 428 IS 

‘‘large numbers of Syrians are living every day under 

siege, deprived of basic necessities including food, clean 

water and medical supplies, and women and children are 

wounded and dying for lack of treatment’’; 

Whereas, on March 8, 2012, Ambassador Susan Rice, the 

United States Permanent Representative to the United 

Nations, stated that the United States ‘‘remain[s] determined to hasten the day when the brave people of Syria 

can shake off the yoke of bondage and tyranny’’; 

Whereas, on March 27, 2012, United States Ambassador to 

Syria Robert Ford, in testimony before the Tom Lantos 

Human Rights Commission, cited massive human rights 

violations that, ‘‘may amount to crimes against humanity’’; and 

Whereas, with the intent and knowledge of the highest level 

of the Government of Syria, including commanding officers of the Syria security forces and the President of the 

Syrian Arab Republic, Bashir Assad, members of the 

Syria security forces have reportedly committed a widespread and systematic pattern of gross human rights violations, including use of force against civilians, torture, 

extra judicial killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, the execution of defectors, and interference with 

medical treatment and other humanitarian assistance: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the Government of Syria, Syria 

3 security forces, and the President of the Syrian Arab 

4 Republic for widespread and systematic attacks 

5 against the civilian population of Syria; 


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1 (2) commends the President for the vote of the 

2 United States at the United Nations Security Coun3 cil to condemn the continued widespread and gross 

4 violations of human rights and fundamental free5 doms by the authorities in Syria; 

6 (3) urges the President to use his authority to 

7 collect information on incidents in Syria that may 

8 constitute crimes against humanity under section 

9 2113 of the ADVANCE Democracy Act of 2007 

10 (title XXI of Public Law 110–53; 22 U.S.C. 8213) 

11 and take action to ensure that the Government of 

12 Syria, its leaders, and senior officials who are re13 sponsible for crimes against humanity are brought to 

14 account for such crimes in an appropriately con15 stituted tribunal; 

16 (4) urges the President to formally establish the 

17 Atrocities Prevention Board established by Presi18 dential Study Directive–10 in August 2011, and for 

19 the Board to provide recommendations to the Presi20 dent concerning the prevention of mass atrocities in 

21 Syria; 

22 (5) urges the international community, working 

23 with the people of Syria to review legal processes 

24 available to hold officials of the Government of 

25 Syria, Syria security forces, and the President of the 


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1 Syrian Arab Republic accountable for crimes against 

2 humanity and gross violations of human rights; and 

3 (6) expresses solidarity and support for the peo4 ple of Syria as they seek to exercise universal rights 

5 and pursue peaceful democratic change. 

Æ 


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