[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1061 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1061

   Condemning war crimes committed in Idlib, Syria, by the regime of 
Bashar Al-Assad and its backers and calling for a political solution to 
                         the Syrian civil war.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2020

 Mr. Chabot submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Condemning war crimes committed in Idlib, Syria, by the regime of 
Bashar Al-Assad and its backers and calling for a political solution to 
                         the Syrian civil war.

Whereas the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011 when Syrians peacefully protested 
        against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad to request basic freedoms;
Whereas the regime of Bashar Al-Assad responded to these protests with violence, 
        imprisonment, torture, barrel bombs, and forced displacement;
Whereas the civil war and the brutality of the Assad regime has caused nearly 
        600,000 Syrians to die, 5,000,000 Syrians to flee the country, and 
        6,000,000 to be internally displaced;
Whereas Turkey and Russia concluded the September 2018 Sochi agreement, which 
        included the continuation of a previously negotiated Idlib de-escalation 
        area, which would ensure a ceasefire in Idlib;
Whereas Syrian forces, with the assistance of Russia and Iran, launched an 
        offensive in early 2019 to retake the city of Idlib and surrounding 
        areas, violating the Sochi agreement and causing the worst humanitarian 
        conditions since the beginning of the conflict;
Whereas civilians, hospitals, and schools have been targeted by the Syrian 
        regime, Russia, and Iran;
Whereas the situation has escalated, resulting in an additional 1,000,000 
        internally displaced persons seeking shelter along the Turkish border 
        during the December 2019 to March 2020 period;
Whereas more than 80 percent of the newly displaced are women and children;
Whereas Turkey intervened in Idlib to prevent the Assad regime from forcing 
        these displaced persons into Turkey and destroyed many military assets 
        of the Assad regime including aircraft, ground vehicles, and artillery 
        pieces, as well as air defense systems;
Whereas, on March 3, 2020, in remarks to media while visiting Turkey, Ambassador 
        James F. Jeffrey, Special Representative for Syria Engagement and 
        Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said, ``We will 
        make sure that the equipment is ready. As a NATO partner we share 
        information intelligence . . . and we are going to ensure that they have 
        what they need there.'';
Whereas, on March 5, 2020, Turkey and Russia signed a protocol introducing a 
        ceasefire which includes a security corridor and joint Russian-Turkish 
        patrols along the M4 Highway starting on March 15, 2020;
Whereas that protocol also emphasized that the targeting of civilians and 
        civilian infrastructure cannot be justified, and stressed the importance 
        of protecting civilians, preventing the displacement of the Syrian 
        people, facilitating the safe and voluntary return of refugees and 
        internally displaced persons, and ensuring humanitarian assistance to 
        all Syrians in need;
Whereas, on June 5, 2020, Ambassador Jeffery stated in a public briefing, ``So 
        the Turks are much more involved. The ceasefire is holding. Even the 
        Russians that I've talked to basically agree that they're seeing fewer 
        attacks from the terrorist groups--there are several of them: Hurras al-
        Din, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham--and the Turks are working pretty 
        aggressively against them. They're taking losses and they're inflicting 
        losses to try to keep these people under control, which has been part of 
        this last ceasefire and the early one from September 2018. So that's a 
        good sign. It deprives the regime of an excuse to launch another 
        offensive.'';
Whereas, on July 7, 2020, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian 
        Arab Republic released a report documenting war crimes by the Russian 
        Federation, the Assad regime, and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, between 
        November 2019 and June 2020;
Whereas the Commission Chair, Paulo Pinheiro, said upon release of the report, 
        ``It is completely abhorrent that, after more than 9 years, civilians 
        continue to be indiscriminately attacked, or even targeted, while going 
        about their daily lives'', continuing, ``Children were shelled at 
        school, parents were shelled at the market, patients were shelled at the 
        hospital . . . and entire families were bombarded even while fleeing'', 
        and going on to say, ``What is clear from the military campaign is that 
        pro-government forces and UN-designated terrorists flagrantly violated 
        the laws of war and the rights of Syrian civilians'';
Whereas the United States and Europe stand in strong opposition to the targeting 
        of civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as medical 
        institutions;
Whereas, in July 2020, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China 
        vetoed a resolution supported by the United States and all other members 
        of the United Nations Security Council to renew the authorization of 
        humanitarian access at two border crossings between Turkey and Syria, 
        and forced the Security Council to diminish access to only one such 
        crossing;
Whereas the Syrian refugee crisis has placed tremendous strain on Syria's 
        neighbors, as well as on many countries in Europe;
Whereas it is in the interests of the United States and Europe to support 
        unfettered humanitarian access to Idlib and to support humanitarian 
        efforts within Syria; and
Whereas it is in the United States interest that the ceasefire hold, and the 
        United States continue its efforts to work with NATO allies to ensure 
        that it is extended: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) it condemns the Assad regime, the Russian Federation, 
        and associated forces for repeatedly violating ceasefire 
        agreements and for attacking medical personnel and 
        institutions, targeting civilians, or committing other war 
        crimes and gross violations of human rights;
            (2) the United States and the international community 
        should seek ways to support the ceasefire;
            (3) members of the United Nations Security Council should 
        ensure unfettered cross-border humanitarian access to 
        vulnerable populations in Syria;
            (4) the United States should seek international support, 
        especially among its NATO allies, for Turkey's efforts to 
        ensure civilian security and to combat the operations of 
        extremist groups in northwest Syria to ensure the 
        sustainability of the ceasefire;
            (5) the United States should continue to provide leadership 
        in ensuring effective humanitarian assistance to Syrian 
        refugees and internally displaced people as well as in 
        facilitating the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of 
        refugees; and
            (6) Syria should seek a political solution in accord with 
        United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which promotes 
        a road map for the peace process in Syria.
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