H. Res. 548 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
September 25, 2007. 
Whereas on February 14, 2005, former Lebanese Prime Min-
ister Rafik Hariri, along with 22 other people, was assas-
sinated by a massive bomb; 
Whereas Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution led to the withdrawal 
of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005, following 
30 years of Syrian military occupation; 
Whereas parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon in 
May and June of 2005 leading to the formation of a gov-
ernment under Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, with a ma-
jority of the parliament and cabinet committed to 
strengthening Lebanon’s independence and the sov-
ereignty of its democratic institutions of government; 
Whereas Lebanese independence and sovereignty are still 
threatened by an ongoing campaign of assassination and 
attempted assassinations of Lebanese political and public 
figures opposed to Syrian interference in Lebanon’s inter-
nal affairs, and terrorist bombings intended to incite eth-
nic and religious hatred, the continuing presence of state- 
sponsored militias and foreign terrorist groups, and the 
ongoing and illegal trans-shipment of weapons and muni-
tions from Iran and Syria into Lebanon;
•HRES 548 EH 
Whereas the democratically-elected and legitimate govern-
ment of Lebanon, in accordance with the mandate of 
United Nations Security Council resolutions and the rel-
evant provisions of the Taif Accords, has made efforts, 
through the internal deployments of the Lebanese Armed 
Forces, to exercise its full sovereignty, so that there will 
be no weapon or authority within Lebanon other than 
that of the Government of Lebanon; 
Whereas the Lebanese Council of Ministers, on November 25, 
2006, approved a statute for the establishment of a tri-
bunal of an international character according to the 
terms negotiated between the Government of Lebanon 
and the United Nations in order to bring to justice all 
those responsible for the terrorist bombing of February 
14, 2005; 
Whereas a majority of Lebanese members of parliament 
sought a vote in favor of ratifying the statute establishing 
a tribunal of an international character, and 70 of Leb-
anon’s then 127 parliamentarians sent a memorandum to 
the United Nations Secretary-General endorsing the es-
tablishment under the United Nations Charter of a Spe-
cial Tribunal to bring to justice all those responsible for 
the terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005; 
Whereas the Lebanese parliament is scheduled to convene on 
September 25, 2007, to begin the process of electing the 
next President of Lebanon; 
Whereas Hezbollah, a United States Department of State- 
designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and their pro- 
Syrian allies have declared the democratically-elected and 
legitimate Government of Lebanon ‘‘unconstitutional’’, 
and are seeking to topple the government through extra- 
legal means, including rioting, continuous street dem-
•HRES 548 EH 
onstrations outside of the Council of Ministers, and ob-
structing traffic in Beirut; 
Whereas the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and fighters 
into Lebanon in contravention of United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1701 (2006), has twice prompted the 
Security Council to issue statements, on April 17, 2007, 
(S/PRST/2007/12) and on June 11, 2007, (S/PRST/ 
2007/17) wherein it expressed deep and serious concern 
at mounting information by Israel and other states of il-
legal movements of arms into Lebanon, and in particular 
across the Lebanese-Syrian border, in violation of Secu-
rity Council Resolution 1701; 
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 
support of the United States, has repeatedly adopted res-
olutions, notably, Resolutions 425 (1978), 520 (1982), 
1559 (2004), 1655 (2006), 1664 (2006), 1680 (2006), 
1701 (2006), and 1757 (2007) that, among other things, 
express the support of the international community for 
the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political 
independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive 
authority of the Government of Lebanon, and demand 
the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon; 
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolutions, nota-
bly, 1595 (2005), 1636 (2005), 1644, (2005), 1664 
(2006), 1748 (2007), and 1757 (2007), underscore the 
importance of the pursuit of justice in response to the 
terrorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and if appro-
priate, other assassinations and assassination attempts 
since October 2004; 
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 
support of the United States, has sought to assist the 
Government of Lebanon in extending its authority over
•HRES 548 EH 
all Lebanese territory, including its sea, land, and air 
borders, through the presence of the United Nations In-
terim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon 
and through technical and personnel assistance; 
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 
support of the United States, has strongly supported the 
demand of the Lebanese people that justice be done to 
those responsible for the terrorist attack of February 14, 
2005, and other terrorist attacks and attempted assas-
sinations since October 2004, establishing and extending 
the mandate of the International Independent Investiga-
tion Commission (IIIC) to investigate terrorist bombings 
of February 14, 2005, and moving toward the creation 
of a Special Tribunal of an international character, ac-
cording to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 
1595 (2005), 1636 (2005), 1644 (2005), 1664 (2006), 
1686 (2006) and 1748 (2007); 
Whereas Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in a letter 
of May 14, 2007, informed the Secretary General of the 
United Nations that, ‘‘the Lebanese Government believes 
that the time has come for the Security Council to help 
make the Special Tribunal for Lebanon a reality. We 
therefore ask you, as a matter of urgency, to put before 
the Security Council our request that the Special Tri-
bunal be put into effect. A binding decision regarding the 
Tribunal on the part of the Security Council will be fully 
consistent with the importance the United Nations has 
attached to this matter from the outset, when the inves-
tigation commission was established. Further delays in 
setting up the Tribunal would be most detrimental to 
Lebanon’s stability, to the cause of justice, to the credi-
•HRES 548 EH 
bility of the United Nations itself and to peace and secu-
rity in the region.’’; 
Whereas the United Nations Security Council, with the full 
support of the United States, adopted Resolution 1757, 
establishing on June 10, 2007, a Special Tribunal to try 
all those found responsible for the terrorist bombing of 
February 14, 2005, and if appropriate, both prior and 
subsequent attacks in Lebanon, unless the Government of 
Lebanon has provided notice that such a tribunal has 
been established under its own laws; 
Whereas the United States Congress has appropriated emer-
gency economic and military assistance to Lebanon at 
levels far greater than the amounts of bilateral assistance 
provided in recent fiscal years; and 
Whereas it is manifestly in the interests of the United States 
and the international community to support the full sov-
ereignty and political independence of Lebanon, its demo-
cratically-elected and legitimate government, and to insist 
that justice be done concerning the terrorist bombing of 
February 14, 2005, and both prior and subsequent politi-
cally-inspired assassinations and assassination attempts: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the attempts by Hezbollah and other 
pro-Syrian groups to undermine and intimidate the 
democratically-elected and legitimate Government of 
Lebanon by extra-legal means; 
(2) condemns the campaign of attempted and suc-
cessful assassinations targeting members of parliament 
and public figures in favor of Lebanese independence
•HRES 548 EH 
and sovereignty and opposed to Syrian interference in 
Lebanon, and bombings in civilian areas intended to in-
timidate the Lebanese people; 
(3) calls on the Lebanese parliament to elect a new 
President in accordance with the processes and timetable 
established by Lebanon’s constitution; 
(4) declares that the association of political parties 
with terrorist organizations, militias, and other elements 
retaining armed operational capabilities outside of the 
official military and security institutions of the Govern-
ment of Lebanon hinders the emergence of a fully-demo-
cratic Lebanon; 
(5) confirms the strong support of the United 
States for United Nations Security Council resolutions 
concerning Lebanon, and the clear and binding mandate 
of the international community for the arms embargo 
and disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, and 
particularly, Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Leb-
anon; 
(6) condemns Syria and Iran for their ongoing roles 
in providing arms to terrorist organizations, Lebanese 
militias, and other militias operating in Lebanon, in bla-
tant contravention of United Nations Security Council 
Resolution 1701;
•HRES 548 EH 
(7) declares that the United States should consider 
Syria’s obstructive role in Lebanon when assessing the 
status and nature of United States bilateral relations 
with Syria; 
(8) expresses its strong appreciation to Belgium, 
China, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, 
Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, 
Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Luxemburg, Ma-
laysia, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, 
Qatar, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, and 
Turkey for their contributions of military personnel to 
serve in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 
(UNIFIL), now manned with 13,251 troops of the 
15,000 troops authorized in United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1701; 
(9) urges the Government of Lebanon to request 
UNIFIL’s assistance to secure the Lebanese-Syrian bor-
der against the entry of illicit arms or related material 
under paragraphs 11(f) and 14 of United Nations Secu-
rity Council Resolution 1701, and pledges earnest Amer-
ican support for this action, should the Government of 
Lebanon choose to do so; 
(10) calls on the international community to further 
support the mission of UNIFIL and efforts by the 
United Nations Secretary-General to improve the moni-
•HRES 548 EH 
toring of the Lebanese border in order to effectively im-
plement the arms embargo on armed groups in Lebanon 
required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 
1701; 
(11) affirms strongly United States support for ef-
forts to bring to justice those responsible for the ter-
rorist bombing of February 14, 2005, and both prior 
and subsequent politically inspired assassinations, and 
for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon established by the 
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1757; 
(12) endorses prompt action by the Special Tri-
bunal for Lebanon for the terrorist bombing of February 
14, 2005, and both prior and subsequent politically-in-
spired assassinations, under Chapter VII of the United 
Nations Charter; 
(13) pledges continued support for the democrat-
ically-elected and legitimate Government of Lebanon and 
the Lebanese people against the campaign of intimida-
tion, terror, and murder directed at the Lebanese people 
and at political and public figures opposing Syrian inter-
ference in Lebanon; 
(14) commends the many Lebanese who continue to 
adhere steadfastly to the principles of the Cedar Revolu-
tion and support the democratically-elected and legiti-
mate Government of Lebanon;
•HRES 548 EH 
(15) applauds the Government of Lebanon’s efforts 
to fully extend Lebanon’s sovereignty over the entire 
country through the internal deployments of the Leba-
nese Armed Forces, including direct action against the 
Fatah al Islam group, and encourages the Government 
of Lebanon to intensify these efforts; and 
(16) re-affirms its intention to continue to provide 
financial and material assistance to support the sov-
ereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political inde-
pendence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive au-
thority of the Government of Lebanon. 
Attest: 
Clerk.