IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 344
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Syria, Lebanon, 
and Iran should be held accountable for the well-being of abducted 
Israeli civilian Elchanan Tannenbaum, provide the International Com-
mittee of the Red Cross access to Elchanan Tannenbaum, and take 
all necessary measures to secure the release of Elchanan Tannenbaum. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2003
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. 
ENGEL, and Mr. CROWLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
Syria, Lebanon, and Iran should be held accountable 
for the well-being of abducted Israeli civilian Elchanan 
Tannenbaum, provide the International Committee of the 
Red Cross access to Elchanan Tannenbaum, and take 
all necessary measures to secure the release of Elchanan 
Tannenbaum.
Whereas on October 15, 2000, Hizballah announced that 
Israeli civilian Elchanan Tannenbaum, missing after 
traveling to Belgium, was being held hostage by 
Hizballah;
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Whereas Elchanan Tannenbaum remains a hostage held by 
Hizballah in Lebanon; 
Whereas on January 5, 2003, Hizballah announced that 
Elchanan Tannenbaum is alive; 
Whereas the taking of hostages or participating as an accom-
plice in the taking of hostages is considered an act of ter-
ror under the International Convention Against the Tak-
ing of Hostages; 
Whereas the Secretary of State has designated Hizballah as 
a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act; 
Whereas the 2002 State Department Report on Foreign Ter-
rorist Organizations stated that Hizballah receives finan-
cial, military, political, diplomatic, and organizational 
support from Iran and from Syria; 
Whereas the 2002 State Department Report Patterns of 
Global Terrorism states that the Lebanese government 
has recognized Hizballah as a legal organization, allows 
Hizballah to maintain offices in Beirut, and has refused 
to freeze the financial assets of Hizballah in Lebanon; 
Whereas Syria, Iran, and Lebanon voted in favor of the Uni-
versal Declaration of Human Rights in the United Na-
tions General Assembly; 
Whereas Elchanan Tannenbaum suffers from several serious 
medical conditions that are potentially life-threatening 
without appropriate medical care; 
Whereas U.N. General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 De-
cember 1988, regarding the protection of all persons 
under any form of detention or imprisonment, requires a 
proper medical examination to be offered to a detained 
or imprisoned person as promptly as possible after his
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admission to the place of detention or imprisonment, and 
thereafter medical care and treatment shall be provided 
whenever necessary; 
Whereas U.N. General Assembly resolution 43/173 of Decem-
ber 9, 1988, requires that the name of the physician and 
the results of such an examination shall be duly recorded 
and access to such records ensured; 
Whereas under the provisions of U.N. General Assembly reso-
lution 43/173 of December 9, 1988, Iran, Syria, and 
Lebanon are obligated to provide medical care for 
Elchanan Tannenbaum; 
Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross has 
been denied access to Elchanan Tannenbaum; and 
Whereas Israel went to extraordinary lengths to assist the 
United States in helping to secure the release of Terry 
Anderson and other American hostages held in Lebanon 
in 1991: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and 
Iran shall be held responsible for the well-being of 
Elchanan Tannenbaum, who is being held hostage in 
Lebanon by the terrorist organization Hizballah; 
(2) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and 
Iran shall immediately and unconditionally provide a 
complete medical accounting of Elchanan Tannen-
baum’s present state of health to the International 
Committee of the Red Cross;
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(3) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and 
Iran shall immediately and unconditionally take all 
necessary measures to provide the International 
Committee of the Red Cross with ongoing access to 
Elchanan Tannenbaum; and 
(4) the Governments of Syria, Lebanon, and 
Iran shall immediately and unconditionally take all 
necessary measures to secure the release of 
Elchanan Tannenbaum from captivity.
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