I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4483
To halt Syrian support for terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, stop
its development of weapons of mass destruction, cease its illegal importa-
tion of Iraqi oil, and by so doing hold Syria accountable for the serious
international security problems it has caused in the Middle East, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 18, 2002
Mr. ARMEY (for himself and Mr. ENGEL) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on International Relations
A BILL
To halt Syrian support for terrorism, end its occupation
of Lebanon, stop its development of weapons of mass
destruction, cease its illegal importation of Iraqi oil, and
by so doing hold Syria accountable for the serious inter-
national security problems it has caused in the Middle
East, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Syria Accountability
Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On September 20, 2001, President George
Bush stated at a joint session of Congress that
‘‘[e]very nation, in every region, now has a decision
to make . . . [e]ither you are with us, or you are
with the terrorists . . . [f]rom this day forward, any
nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism
will be regarded by the United States as a hostile re-
gime’’.
(2) United Nations Security Council Resolution
1373 (September 28, 2001) mandates that all states
‘‘refrain from providing any form of support, active
or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist
acts’’, take ‘‘the necessary steps to prevent the com-
mission of terrorist acts’’, and ‘‘deny safe haven to
those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist
acts’’.
(3) The Government of Syria is currently pro-
hibited by United States law from receiving United
States assistance because it is listed as state sponsor
of terrorism.
(4) Although the Department of State lists
Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism and reports
that Syria provides ‘‘safe haven and support to sev-
eral terrorist groups’’, fewer United States sanctions
apply with respect to Syria than with respect to any
other country that is listed as a state sponsor of ter-
rorism.
(5) Terrorist groups, including Hizballah,
Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Pal-
estine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine—General 
Command 
maintain 
offices,
training camps, and other facilities on Syrian terri-
tory and operate in areas of Lebanon occupied by
the Syrian armed forces and receive supplies from
Iran through Syria.
(6) United Nations Security Council Resolution
520 (September 17, 1982) calls for ‘‘strict respect of
the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and polit-
ical independence of Lebanon under the sole and ex-
clusive authority of the Government of Lebanon
through the Lebanese Army throughout Lebanon’’.
(7) More than 20,000 Syrian troops and secu-
rity personnel occupy much of the sovereign territory
of Lebanon exerting undue influence upon its gov-
ernment and undermining its political independence.
(8) Since 1990 the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives have passed seven bills and resolutions
which call for the withdrawal of Syrian armed forces
from Lebanon.
(9) Large and increasing numbers of the Leba-
nese people from across the political spectrum in
Lebanon have mounted peaceful and democratic
calls for the withdrawal of the Syrian Army from
Lebanese soil.
(10) Israel has withdrawn all of its armed
forces from Lebanon in accordance with United Na-
tions Security Council Resolution 425 (March 19,
1978), as certified by the United Nations Secretary
General.
(11) Even in the face of this United Nations
certification that acknowledged Israel’s full compli-
ance with Resolution 425, Syria permits attacks by
Hizballah and other militant organizations on Israeli
outposts at Shebaa Farms, under the false guise
that it remains Lebanese land, and is also permit-
ting attacks on civilian targets in Israel.
(12) Syria will not allow Lebanon—a sovereign
country—to fulfill its obligation in accordance with
Security Council Resolution 425 to deploy its troops
to southern Lebanon.
(13) As a result, the Israeli-Lebanese border
and much of southern Lebanon is under the control
of Hizballah which continues to attack Israeli posi-
tions and allows Iranian Revolutionary Guards and
other militant groups to operate freely in the area,
destabilizing the entire region.
(14) The United States provides $40,000,000
in assistance to the Lebanese people through private
nongovernmental organizations, $7,900,000 of which
is provided to Lebanese-American educational insti-
tutions.
(15) In the State of the Union address on Jan-
uary 29, 2002, President Bush declared that the
United States will ‘‘work closely with our coalition to
deny terrorists and their state sponsors the mate-
rials, technology, and expertise to make and deliver
weapons of mass destruction’’.
(16) The Government of Syria continues to de-
velop and deploy short and medium range ballistic
missiles.
(17) The Government of Syria is pursuing the
development and production of biological and chem-
ical weapons.
(18) United Nations Security Council Resolu-
tion 661 (August 6, 1990) and subsequent relevant
resolutions restrict the sale of oil and other commod-
ities by Iraq, except to the extent authorized by
other relevant resolutions.
(19) Syria, a non-permanent United Nations
Security Council member, is receiving between
150,000 and 200,000 barrels of oil from Iraq in vio-
lation of Security Council Resolution 661 and subse-
quent relevant resolutions.
(20) Syrian President Bashar Assad promised
Secretary of State Powell in February 2001 to end
violations of Security Council Resolution 661 but
this pledge has not been fulfilled.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the Government of Syria should imme-
diately and unconditionally halt support for ter-
rorism, permanently and openly declare its total re-
nunciation of all forms of terrorism, and close all
terrorist offices and facilities in Syria, including the
offices of Hamas, Hizballah, the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command;
(2) the Government of Syria should imme-
diately declare its commitment to completely with-
draw its armed forces, including military, para-
military, and security forces, from Lebanon, and set
a firm timetable for such withdrawal;
(3) the Government of Lebanon should deploy
the Lebanese armed forces to all areas of Lebanon,
including South Lebanon, in accordance with United
Nations Security Council Resolution 520 (September
17, 1982), in order to assert the sovereignty of the
Lebanese state over all of its territory, and should
evict all terrorist and foreign forces from southern
Lebanon, including Hizballah and the Iranian Revo-
lutionary Guards;
(4) the Government of Syria should halt the de-
velopment and deployment of short and medium
range ballistic missiles and cease the development
and production of biological and chemical weapons;
(5) the Government of Syria should halt illegal
imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil and come
into full compliance with United Nations Security
Council Resolution 661 and subsequent relevant res-
olutions;
(6) the Governments of Lebanon and Syria
should enter into serious unconditional bilateral ne-
gotiations with the Government of Israel in order to
realize a full and permanent peace; and
(7) the United States should continue to pro-
vide humanitarian and educational assistance to the
people of Lebanon only through appropriate private,
nongovernmental 
organizations 
and 
appropriate
international organizations, until such time as the
Government of Lebanon asserts sovereignty and con-
trol over all of its territory and borders and achieves
full political independence, as called for in United
Nations Security Council Resolution 520.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It should be the policy of the United States that—
(1) the United States will continue its campaign
against international terror to all places where ter-
rorism exists;
(2) Syria will be held responsible for all attacks
committed by Hizballah and other terrorist groups
with offices or other facilities in Syria, or bases in
areas of Lebanon occupied by Syria;
(3) the United States will work to deny Syria
the ability to support acts of international terrorism
and efforts to develop or acquire weapons of mass
destruction;
(4) the Secretary of State will continue to list
Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism until Syria
ends its support for terrorism, including its support
of Hizballah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon
and its hosting of terrorist groups in Damascus, and
comes into full compliance with United States law
relating to terrorism and United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1373 (September 28, 2001);
(5) the full restoration of Lebanon’s sov-
ereignty, political independence, and territorial in-
tegrity is in the national security interest of the
United States;
(6) Syria is in violation of United Nations Se-
curity Council Resolution 520 (September 17, 1982)
through its continued occupation of Lebanese terri-
tory and its encroachment upon its political inde-
pendence;
(7) Syria’s obligation to withdraw from Leb-
anon is not conditioned upon progress in the Israeli-
Syrian or Israeli-Lebanese peace process but derives
from Syria’s obligation under Security Council Reso-
lution 520;
(8) Syria’s acquisition of weapons of mass de-
struction and ballistic missile programs threaten the
security of the Middle East and the national security
interests of the United States;
(9) Syria is in violation of United Nations Se-
curity Council Resolution 661 (August 6, 1990) and
subsequent relevant resolutions through its contin-
ued purchase of oil from Iraq; and
(10) the United States will not provide any as-
sistance to Syria and will oppose multilateral assist-
ance for Syria until Syria withdraws its armed
forces from Lebanon, halts the development and de-
ployment of weapons of mass destruction and bal-
listic missiles, and complies with Security Council
Resolution 661 and subsequent relevant resolutions.
SEC. 5. PENALTIES AND AUTHORIZATION.
(a) PENALTIES.—Until the President makes the de-
termination that Syria meets the requirements described
in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (c) and cer-
tifies such determination to Congress in accordance with
such subsection—
(1) the President shall prohibit the export to
Syria of any item, including the issuance of a license
for the export of any item, on the United States Mu-
nitions List or Commerce Control List of dual-use
items in the Export Administration Regulations (15
C.F.R. part 730 et seq.);
(2) the President shall prohibit United States
Government assistance, including loans, credits, or
other financial assistance, to United States busi-
nesses with respect to investment or other activities
in Syria;
(3) the President shall prohibit the conduct of
programs of the Overseas Private Investment Cor-
poration and the Trade and Development Agency in
or with respect to Syria; and
(4) the President shall impose two or more of
the following sanctions:
(A) Prohibit the export of products of the
United States (other than food and medicine)
to Syria.
(B) Prohibit United States businesses from
investing or operating in Syria.
(C) Restrict Syrian diplomats in Wash-
ington, D.C., and at the United Nations in New
York City, to travel only within a 25-mile ra-
dius of Washington, D.C., or the United Na-
tions headquarters building, respectively.
(D) Prohibit aircraft of any air carrier
owned or controlled by Syria to take off from,
land in, or overfly the United States.
(E) Reduce United States diplomatic con-
tacts with Syria (other than those contacts re-
quired to protect United States interests or
carry out the purposes of this Act).
(F) Block transactions in any property in
which the Government of Syria has any inter-
est, by any person, or with respect to any prop-
erty, subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States.
(b) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica-
tion of either paragraph (2) or (3) (or both) of subsection
(a) if the President determines that it is in the national
security interest of the United States to do so.
(c) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA
AND LEBANON.—If the President—
(1) makes the determination that Syria meets
the requirements described in paragraphs (1)
through (4) of subsection (d) and certifies such de-
termination to Congress in accordance with such
subsection;
(2) determines that substantial progress has
been made both in negotiations aimed at achieving
a peace agreement between Israel and Syria and in
negotiations aimed at achieving a peace agreement
between Israel and Lebanon; and
(3) determines that the Government of Syria is
strictly respecting the sovereignty, territorial integ-
rity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon
under the sole and exclusive authority of the Govern-
ment of Lebanon through the Lebanese army
throughout Lebanon, as required under paragraph
(4) of United Nations Security Council Resolution
520 (1982), then the President is authorized not-
withstanding any other provision of law to provide
assistance to Syria and Lebanon under chapter 1 of
Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (relat-
ing to development assistance).
(d) CERTIFICATION.—A certification under this sub-
section is a certification transmitted to the appropriate
congressional committees of a determination made by the
President that—
(1) the Government of Syria does not provide
support for international terrorist groups and does
not allow terrorist groups, such as Hamas,
Hizballah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine—General Command to maintain facili-
ties in Syria;
(2) the Government of Syria has withdrawn all
Syrian military, intelligence, and other security per-
sonnel from Lebanon;
(3) the Government of Syria has ceased the de-
velopment and deployment of ballistic missiles and
has ceased the development and production of bio-
logical and chemical weapons; and
(4) the Government of Syria is no longer in vio-
lation of United Nations Security Council Resolution
661 and subsequent relevant resolutions.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and every 12 months there-
after until the conditions described in paragraphs (1)
through (4) of section 5(c) are satisfied, the Secretary of
State shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on—
(1) Syria’s progress toward meeting the condi-
tions described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of sec-
tion 5(c); and
(2) connections, if any, between individual ter-
rorists and terrorist groups which maintain offices,
training camps, or other facilities on Syrian terri-
tory, or operate in areas of Lebanon occupied by the
Syrian armed forces, and the attacks against the
United States that occurred on September 11, 2001,
and other terrorist attacks on the United States or
its citizens, installations, or allies.
(b) FORM.—The report submitted under subsection
(a) shall be in unclassified form but may include a classi-
fied annex.
SEC. 7. DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES.
In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on International Relations
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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