Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
of 2003
HR 1828 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1828
To halt Syrian support for terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, stop its development
of weapons of mass destruction, cease its illegal importation of Iraqi oil and illegal
shipments of weapons and other military items to Iraq, and by so doing hold Syria
accountable for the serious international security problems it has caused in the Middle
East, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 12, 2003
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr.
BELL, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr.
CANTOR, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida,
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. FROST, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr.
HOEFFEL, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. JANKLOW, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia,
Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MATSUI, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MICA,
Mr. MOORE, Mr. NADLER, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PENCE, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. ROSS,
Mr. SAXTON, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Mr. VAN
HOLLEN, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WEINER, Mr. WELLER, and Mr. WEXLER) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
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A BILL
To halt Syrian support for terrorism, end its occupation of Lebanon, stop its development
of weapons of mass destruction, cease its illegal importation of Iraqi oil and illegal
shipments of weapons and other military items to Iraq, and by so doing hold Syria
accountable for the serious international security problems it has caused in the Middle
East, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration
Act of 2003'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On September 20, 2001, President George Bush stated at a joint session of Congress
that `[e]very nation, in every region, now has a decision to make . . . [e]ither you are
with us, or you are with the terrorists . . . [f]rom this day forward, any nation that
continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a
hostile regime'.
(2) On June 24, 2002, President Bush stated `Syria must choose the right side in the war
on terror by closing terrorist camps and expelling terrorist organizations'.
(3) United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (September 28, 2001) mandates that all
states `refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or
persons involved in terrorist acts', take `the necessary steps to prevent the commission
of terrorist acts', and `deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit
terrorist acts'.
(4) The Government of Syria is currently prohibited by United States law from receiving
United States assistance because it has repeatedly provided support for acts of
international terrorism, as determined by the Secretary of State for purposes of section
6(j)(1) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)) and other
relevant provisions of law.
(5) Although the Department of State lists Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism and
reports that Syria provides `safe haven and support to several terrorist groups', fewer
United States sanctions apply with respect to Syria than with respect to any other country
that is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.
(6) According to the most recent Department of State Patterns of Global Terrorism Report:
`[Syria] continued in 2001 to provide safehaven and logistics support to a number of
terrorist groups. Ahmad Jibrils Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General
Command (PFLP-GC), the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Abu Musa's Fatah-the-Intifadah,
George Habashs Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and HAMAS continued to
maintain offices in Damascus. Syria provided Hizballah, HAMAS, PFLP-GC, the PIJ, and other
terrorist organizations refuge and basing privileges in Lebanons Bekaa Valley, under
Syrian control.'.
(7) United Nations Security Council Resolution 520 (September 17, 1982) calls for `strict
respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of
Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon through the
Lebanese Army throughout Lebanon'.
(8) More than 20,000 Syrian troops and security personnel occupy much of the sovereign
territory of Lebanon exerting undue influence upon its government and undermining its
political independence.
(9) Since 1990 the Senate and House of Representatives have passed seven bills and
resolutions which call for the withdrawal of Syrian armed forces from Lebanon.
(10) On March 3, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell declared that it is the objective
of the United States to `let Lebanon be ruled by the Lebanese people without the presence
of [the Syrian] occupation army'.
(11) Large and increasing numbers of the Lebanese people from across the political
spectrum in Lebanon have mounted peaceful and democratic calls for the withdrawal of the
Syrian Army from Lebanese soil.
(12) Israel has withdrawn all of its armed forces from Lebanon in accordance with United
Nations Security Council Resolution 425 (March 19, 1978), as certified by the United
Nations Secretary General.
(13) Even in the face of this United Nations certification that acknowledged Israel's full
compliance with Resolution 425, Syria permits attacks by Hizballah and other militant
organizations on Israeli outposts at Shebaa Farms, under the false guise that it remains
Lebanese land, and is also permitting attacks on civilian targets in Israel.
(14) Syria will not allow Lebanon--a sovereign country--to fulfill its obligation in
accordance with Security Council Resolution 425 to deploy its troops to southern Lebanon.
(15) As a result, the Israeli-Lebanese border and much of southern Lebanon is under the
control of Hizballah which continues to attack Israeli positions, allows Iranian
Revolutionary Guards and other militant groups to operate freely in the area, and
maintains thousands of rockets along Israel's northern border, destabilizing the entire
region.
(16) On February 12, 2003, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet stated the
following with respect to the Syrian-supported Hizballah: `[A]s an organization with
capability and worldwide presence [it] is [al Qaeda's] equal if not a far more capable
organization . . . [T]hey're a notch above in many respects, in terms of in their
relationship with the Iranians and the training they receive, [which] puts them in a
state-sponsored category with a potential for lethality that's quite great.'.
(17) The United States is providing an estimated $36,870,000 in fiscal year 2003 in
assistance to the Lebanese people through private nongovernmental organizations,
$6,180,000 of which is provided to Lebanese-American educational institutions.
(18) In the State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President Bush declared that
the United States will `work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their state
sponsors the materials, technology, and expertise to make and deliver weapons of mass
destruction'.
(19) The Government of Syria continues to develop and deploy short and medium range
ballistic missiles.
(20) According to the December 2001 unclassified Central Intelligence Agency report
entitled `Foreign Missile Developments and the Ballistic Missile Threat through 2015',
`Syria maintains a ballistic missile and rocket force of hundreds of FROG rockets, Scuds,
and SS-21 SRBMs [and] Syria has developed [chemical weapons] warheads for its Scuds'.
(21) The Government of Syria is pursuing the development and production of biological and
chemical weapons and has begun a suspicious nuclear research program.
(22) According to the Central Intelligence Agency's `Unclassified Report to Congress on
the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced
Conventional Munitions', released January 7, 2003: `[Syria] already holds a stockpile of
the nerve agent sarin but apparently is trying to develop more toxic and persistent nerve
agents. Syria remains dependent on foreign sources for key elements of its [chemical
weapons] program, including precursor chemicals and key production equipment. It is highly
probable that Syria also is developing an offensive [biological weapons] capability.'.
(23) On May 6, 2002, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security,
John Bolton, stated: `The United States also knows that Syria has long had a chemical
warfare program. It has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin and is engaged in research
and development of the more toxic and persistent nerve agent VX. Syria, which has signed
but not ratified the [Biological Weapons Convention], is pursuing the development of
biological weapons and is able to produce at least small amounts of biological warfare
agents.'.
(24) According to the Central Intelligence Agency's `Unclassified Report to Congress on
the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced
Conventional Munitions', released January 7, 2003: `Russia and Syria have approved a draft
cooperative program on cooperation on civil nuclear power. In principal, broader access to
Russian expertise provides opportunities for Syria to expand its indigenous capabilities,
should it decide to pursue nuclear weapons.'.
(25) Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (21 UST 483), which
entered force on March 5, 1970, and to which Syria is a party, Syria has undertaken not to
acquire or produce nuclear weapons and has accepted full scope safeguards of the
International Atomic Energy Agency to detect diversions of nuclear materials from peaceful
activities to the production of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
(26) Syria is not a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention or the Biological Weapons
Convention, both of which entered into force on March 26, 1975.
(27) United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 (August 6, 1990) and subsequent
relevant resolutions restrict the sale of oil and other commodities by Iraq, except to the
extent authorized by other relevant resolutions.
(28) Syria, a nonpermanent United Nations Security Council member, has been receiving
between 150,000 and 200,000 barrels of oil per day from Iraq at a substantial discount per
barrel in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 and subsequent
resolutions. Recent estimates indicate that as much as 230,000 barrels of oil per day were
shipped from Iraq to Syria in March 2003, or up to 60,000 barrels per day more than in
February 2003.
(29) Syria's illegal imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil have earned Syria $50,000,000
or more per month as Syria continues to sell its own Syrian oil at market prices.
(30) Syria's illegal imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil have earned Iraq
approximately $2,000,000 per day.
(31) Syrian President Bashar Assad promised Secretary of State Powell in February 2001 to
end violations of Security Council Resolution 661 but this pledge has not been fulfilled.
(32) United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 (August 6, 1990) and subsequent
relevant Security Council resolutions restrict the sale or supply of `weapons or any
military equipment' to Iraq.
(33) The Government of Syria has utilized the railway network linking Mosul, Iraq, to
Aleppo, Syria, to transfer a wide range of weaponry and weapon systems to Iraq.
(34) On March 28, 2003, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned: `[W]e have
information that shipments of military supplies have been crossing the border from Syria
into Iraq, including night-vision goggles . . . These deliveries pose a direct threat to
the lives of coalition forces. We consider such trafficking as hostile acts, and will hold
the Syrian government accountable for such shipments.'.
(35) According to Article 23(1) of the United Nations Charter, members of the United
Nations are elected as nonpermanent members of the United Nations Security Council with
`due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of members of
the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to other
purposes of the Organization'.
(36) Despite Article 23(1) of the United Nations Charter, Syria was elected on October 8,
2001, to a 2-year term as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council
beginning January 1, 2002, and served as President of the Security Council during June
2002.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of Syria should immediately and unconditionally halt support for
terrorism, permanently and openly declare its total renunciation of all forms of
terrorism, and close all terrorist offices and facilities in Syria, including the offices
of Hamas, Hizballah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine--General Command;
(2) the Government of Syria should immediately declare its commitment to completely
withdraw its armed forces, including military, paramilitary, and security forces, from
Lebanon, and set a firm timetable for such withdrawal;
(3) the Government of Lebanon should deploy the Lebanese armed forces to all areas of
Lebanon, including South Lebanon, in accordance with United Nations Security Council
Resolution 520 (September 17, 1982), in order to assert the sovereignty of the Lebanese
state over all of its territory, and should evict all terrorist and foreign forces from
southern Lebanon, including Hizballah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards;
(4) the Government of Syria should halt the development and deployment of medium and long
range surface to surface ballistic missiles and cease the development and production of
biological and chemical weapons;
(5) the Government of Syria should halt illegal imports and transshipments of Iraqi oil
and illegal sales and supplies of weapons and military-related equipment to Iraq and come
into full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 and subsequent
relevant resolutions;
(6) the Governments of Lebanon and Syria should enter into serious unconditional bilateral
negotiations with the Government of Israel in order to realize a full and permanent peace;
(7) the United States should continue to provide humanitarian and educational assistance
to the people of Lebanon only through appropriate private, nongovernmental organizations
and appropriate international organizations, until such time as the Government of Lebanon
asserts sovereignty and control over all of its territory and borders and achieves full
political independence, as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution 520;
and
(8) being in violation of several key United Nations Security Council resolutions and
pursuing policies which undermine international peace and security, Syria should not have
been permitted to join the United Nations Security Council or serve as the Security
Council's President, and should be removed from the Security Council.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States that--
(1) Syria will be held responsible for attacks committed by Hizballah and other terrorist
groups with offices or other facilities in Syria, or bases in areas of Lebanon occupied by
Syria;
(2) the United States shall impede Syria's ability to support acts of international
terrorism and efforts to develop or acquire weapons of mass destruction;
(3) the Secretary of State will continue to list Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism
until Syria ends its support for terrorism, including its support of Hizballah and other
terrorist groups in Lebanon and its hosting of terrorist groups in Damascus, and comes
into full compliance with United States law relating to terrorism and United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1373 (September 28, 2001);
(4) efforts against Hizballah will be expanded given the recognition that Hizballah is
equally or more capable than al Qaeda;
(5) the full restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty, political independence, and territorial
integrity is in the national security interest of the United States;
(6) Syria is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 520 (September 17,
1982) through its continued occupation of Lebanese territory and its encroachment upon its
political independence;
(7) Syria's obligation to withdraw from Lebanon is not conditioned upon progress in the
Israeli-Syrian or Israeli-Lebanese peace process but derives from Syria's obligation under
Security Council Resolution 520;
(8) Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs
threaten the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United
States;
(9) Syria is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 661 (August 6,
1990) and subsequent relevant resolutions through its continued purchase of oil from Iraq
and shipments of weapons and other military equipment to Iraq;
(10) Syria will be held accountable for any harm to Coalition armed forces of Operation
Iraqi Freedom caused by shipments of military supplies from Syria to Iraq; and
(11) the United States will not provide any assistance to Syria and will oppose
multilateral assistance for Syria until Syria withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon,
halts the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction and medium and long
range surface to surface ballistic missiles, and complies with Security Council Resolution
661 and subsequent relevant resolutions.
SEC. 5. PENALTIES AND AUTHORIZATION.
(a) PENALTIES- Until the President makes the determination that Syria meets the
requirements described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (d) and certifies such
determination to Congress in accordance with such subsection--
(1) the President shall prohibit the export to Syria of any item, including the issuance
of a license for the export of any item, on the United States Munitions List or Commerce
Control List of dual-use items in the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. part
730 et seq.); and
(2) the President shall impose two or more of the following sanctions:
(A) Prohibit the export of products of the United States (other than food and medicine) to
Syria.
(B) Prohibit United States businesses from investing or operating in Syria.
(C) Restrict Syrian diplomats in Washington, D.C., and at the United Nations in New York
City, to travel only within a 25-mile radius of Washington, D.C., or the United Nations
headquarters building, respectively.
(D) Prohibit aircraft of any air carrier owned or controlled by Syria to take off from,
land in, or overfly the United States.
(E) Reduce United States diplomatic contacts with Syria (other than those contacts
required to protect United States interests or carry out the purposes of this Act).
(F) Block transactions in any property in which the Government of Syria has any interest,
by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States.
(b) WAIVER- The President may waive the application of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) for
one or more 6-month periods if the President determines that it is in the vital national
security interest of the United States to do so and transmits to Congress a report that
contains the reasons therefor.
(c) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA AND LEBANON- If the President--
(1) makes the determination that Syria meets the requirements described in paragraphs (1)
through (4) of subsection (d) and certifies such determination to Congress in accordance
with such subsection;
(2) determines that substantial progress has been made both in negotiations aimed at
achieving a peace agreement between Israel and Syria and in negotiations aimed at
achieving a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon; and
(3) determines that the Government of Syria is strictly respecting the sovereignty,
territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and
exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon through the Lebanese army throughout
Lebanon, as required under paragraph (4) of United Nations Security Council Resolution 520
(1982),
then the President is authorized to provide assistance to Syria and Lebanon under chapter
1 of Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (relating to development assistance).
(d) CERTIFICATION- A certification under this subsection is a certification transmitted to
the appropriate congressional committees of a determination made by the President that--
(1) the Government of Syria does not provide support for international terrorist groups
and does not allow terrorist groups, such as Hamas, Hizballah, the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine--General
Command to maintain facilities in Syria;
(2) the Government of Syria has withdrawn all Syrian military, intelligence, and other
security personnel from Lebanon;
(3) the Government of Syria has ceased the development and deployment of medium and long
range surface to surface ballistic missiles and has ceased the development and production
of biological and chemical weapons; and
(4) the Government of Syria is no longer in violation of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 661 and subsequent relevant resolutions.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
(a) REPORT- Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every
12 months thereafter until the conditions described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of
section 5(c) are satisfied, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on--
(1) Syria's progress toward meeting the conditions described in paragraphs (1) through (4)
of section 5(d);
(2) connections, if any, between individual terrorists and terrorist groups which maintain
offices, training camps, or other facilities on Syrian territory, or operate in areas of
Lebanon occupied by the Syrian armed forces, and the attacks against the United States
that occurred on September 11, 2001, and other terrorist attacks on the United States or
its citizens, installations, or allies; and
(3) how the United States is increasing its efforts against Hizballah given the
recognition that Hizballah is equally or more capable than al Qaeda.
(b) FORM- The report submitted under subsection (a) shall be in unclassified form but may
include a classified annex.
SEC. 7. DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.
In this Act, the term `appropriate congressional committees' means the Committee on
International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate.
END