A concurrent resolution affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States for Syria.

Bill: 118-sconres-45
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]
Introduced: 2024-12-18
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S7183-7184)

Summaries:

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. CON. RES. 45 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 18 (legislative day, December 16), 2024 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen , Mr. Durbin , Ms. Duckworth , Mr. Merkley , and Mr. Van Hollen ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Affirming the nature and importance of the support of the United States for Syria.

Whereas, in December 2024, following decades of pressure and sacrifice by the Syrian people and from international condemnation, the al Assad family’s era of heinous war crimes and authoritarian rule ended and Bashar Assad fled to Moscow, where Putin granted him political asylum; Whereas, as a result of the opportunity his departure has presented to the Syrian people, the United States reaffirms its support to all the Syrian people, and urges an inclusive and peaceful transition by Syrians, for Syria. Whereas national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples, including Alawites, Armenians, Druze, Yezidis, Kurds, Shabak, Turkmen, and historic Christian communities (including Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian, and Melkite peoples) among others, have been integral components of the long cultural lineage of Syria; Whereas these same religious and ethnic minorities have made, and continue to make, invaluable and significant contributions to the social, economic, and political fabric of societies across the Middle East and the world, including the United States; Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (referred to in this preamble as ISIS ) is responsible for carrying out a brutal campaign of violence against members of all faiths in Syria and Iraq; Whereas ethnic and religious minorities were subjected to innumerable atrocities by ISIS, including forced religious conversion, kidnapping, slavery, human trafficking, unlawful forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, torture, sexual violence, and sex trafficking, among other crimes; Whereas the Secretary of State declared on March 17, 2016, and on August 15, 2017, that ISIS is responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and other atrocities against religious and ethnic minority groups in Syria and Iraq, including Shia Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis, among other religious and ethnic groups; Whereas the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–300 ) affirms that it is the policy of the United States to ensure that assistance for religious and ethnic minorities is directed towards those who— (1) have the greatest need, including minorities who the Secretary of State declared were targeted for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes; and (2) have been identified as being at risk of persecution, forced migration, genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes; Whereas members of these religious and ethnic minority communities continue to face daily insecurity, discrimination, hardship, and violence from state and non-state actors; Whereas Syrian opposition forces have repeatedly signaled their intent to respect the rights and dignity of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria, but there have been incidents of members of such minorities fleeing their homes while there is documented violence and expulsions against Kurdish communities by elements of the Syrian National Army; Whereas the restoration and stabilization of all regions of Syria will provide an opportunity for its longstanding diverse ethnic and religious communities to flourish; Whereas the Syrian Democratic Forces (referred to in this preamble as the SDF ) has been a critical partner to United States and allied counter-ISIS and broader counterterrorism efforts in Syria, and the United States should continue to support and partner with the SDF; Whereas the SDF has played a critical role in securing and maintaining ISIS detention facilities and ensuring that ISIS terrorists do not pose a renewed threat to the region or United States allies or partners; Whereas the search continues for Austin Bennett Tice, an American journalist, who was kidnapped in Syria on August 14, 2012; and Whereas the Syrian Democratic Council— (1) serves as the civil administration for much of northeast Syria; and (2) has provided critical public services and maintained civilian infrastructure in that region throughout the Syrian conflict: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1) commits to protecting and upholding the internationally recognized human rights of members of all religious and ethnic minority communities in Syria; (2) calls for an inclusive and peaceful political transition process in Syria that preserves and protects the rights and livelihoods of all Syria communities, including its religious and ethnic minority communities; (3) supports the preservation, documentation, and restoration of— (A) religious and cultural heritage sites in Syria; and (B) community buildings of religious and ethnic minority communities in the region; (4) calls upon all state and non-state actors— (A) to cease any and all support for, or commission of, all current violence in Syria; and (B) to refrain from future violence and acts of reprisal or repression against all Syrians, including religious and ethnic minority communities in Syria; (5) encourages the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development— (A) to advocate for the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria; and (B) to engage in appropriate steps, including targeted sanctions relief and development programming to support humanitarian needs, development, and reconstruction in Syria, including in religious and ethnic minority communities; and (6) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to finding and securing the release of Austin Tice.