•HRES 1165 IH 
cure movement of humanitarian personnel, and has used 
chemical weapons against the Syrian people on numerous 
occasions; 
Whereas since the introduction of Russian forces into Syria 
in September 2015, Russia has deployed over 68,000 
Russian personnel to help sustain the Assad regime, and 
has reportedly transferred the S–300 surface-to-air mis-
sile system to Syria, giving Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and 
other Iranian-backed militias additional cover for their 
activities in Syria; 
Whereas Iran is estimated to have deployed over 3,000 Is-
lamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regular 
Iranian military advisers to Syria and approximately 
20,000 militia fighters, including ’Asaib ahl al-Haqq, 
Harakat 
Hezbollah 
al-Nujaba, 
Fatimeyoun, 
and 
Zainabiyoun, which continue to expand their presence in 
Syria; 
Whereas Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats has 
stated ‘‘it’s unlikely Russia has the will or capability to 
fully implement and counter Iranian decision and influ-
ence’’ in Syria; 
Whereas Iran’s positions in Syria, which Iran has used to 
launch rockets and drones toward Israel, are critical to 
Iran’s efforts to create a ‘‘land bridge’’ from Iran 
through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon so that it can arm 
Hezbollah in Lebanon with rockets and missiles, and in-
crease the accuracy of Hezbollah’s munitions; 
Whereas Iranian-backed militias have demolished civilian 
areas, implemented sieges, and evicted civilian residents 
throughout Syria in a campaign of forced displacement, 
where Iranian-funded reconstruction plans to sell housing 
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•HRES 1165 IH 
developments to foreign militias risk establishing a per-
manent Iranian presence and obstacle for return of thou-
sands of Syrian families who fled Syria; and 
Whereas the Syrian Government has reportedly signed agree-
ments with Iran and IRGC controlled companies with re-
spect to military cooperation: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports a political solution to the conflict 
which will result in the air space of Syria no longer 
being utilized by the Assad regime or Russia to tar-
get civilians, an end to the sieges carried out by 
Assad, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iranian- 
backed militias, and the release of all political pris-
oners; 
(2) opposes international reconstruction funds 
from supporting projects in Syria in areas controlled 
by the Assad regime as long as the Assad regime re-
mains in power; 
(3) condemns the Assad regime, the Govern-
ment of the Russian Federation, the Government of 
Iran, and Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed mili-
tias for their continued support of war crimes and 
crimes against humanity in Syria, including the 
widespread use of torture, summary executions, pro-
longed sieges, forced relocations, and indiscriminate 
targeting of civilians and humanitarian actors; 
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•HRES 1165 IH 
(4) recognizes that as long as the Assad regime 
remains in power, it will continue to oppress the 
Syrian people, the Russian Federation will continue 
to expand its influence in the Middle East, and Iran 
will remain entrenched in Syria; 
(5) calls upon the President and Secretary of 
State to work towards a sustainable political transi-
tion in Syria that results in a government in Syria 
that is not a danger to its own people, abandons its 
chemical weapons program, allows for the safe, dig-
nified, and voluntary return of displaced persons, 
and does not provide Iran with a platform to threat-
en Syria’s neighbors; 
(6) urges the President and the Secretary of 
State develop a strategy to prevent a permanent Ira-
nian presence in Syria, understanding that the Rus-
sia Federation has not proven to be a viable partner 
to help in this effort; 
(7) urges the Secretary of State to investigate 
and determine whether the forced displacement of 
Syrian civilians from their homes through brutal 
sieges, starvation, and indiscriminate targeting of ci-
vilians, and repopulation with foreign fighters con-
stitutes sectarian or ethnic cleansing; and 
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•HRES 1165 IH 
(8) calls on the President and Secretary of 
State to determine whether militias operating in 
Syria under the command of the Islamic Revolu-
tionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Harakat 
Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Fatemiyoun, Zainabioun, and 
’Asaib ahl al-Haq are terrorist organizations and 
meet the criteria for sanctions pursuant to Executive 
Order 13460 or 13582. 
Æ 
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