[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3498 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3498
To provide humanitarian assistance and support a democratic transition
in Syria, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 2, 2012
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide humanitarian assistance and support a democratic transition
in Syria, 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 Humanitarian Support and
Democratic Transition Assistance Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In March 2011, peaceful demonstrations in Syria began
against the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad. The regime
responded with terrible violence against the citizens of Syria,
including the use of weapons of war, torture, extrajudicial
killings, arbitrary executions, sexual violence, and
interference with access to medical treatment.
(2) In December 2011, the Government of Syria agreed to
allow an Arab League observer group into the country to assess
the humanitarian and political situation on the ground.
However, on January 28, 2012, the League officially ended its
observer mission, citing escalating violence and the
intransigence of the Assad regime.
(3) In February 2012, the group Friends of the Syrian
People met in Tunis and issued a declaration demanding, among
other things, that the Syrian regime ``allow free and unimpeded
access by the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out a full
assessment of needs''.
(4) On March 16, 2012, United Nations and League of Arab
States Special Envoy Kofi Annan presented a six-point peace
plan for Syria that called on the Government of Syria to, among
other things--
(A) commit to stop the fighting and urgently
achieve a United Nations-supervised cessation of
violence;
(B) cease military activity in and around civilian
population centers;
(C) work with the Envoy in an inclusive Syrian-led
political process;
(D) ensure timely provision of humanitarian
assistance;
(E) release arbitrarily detained persons;
(F) ensure freedom of movement for journalists; and
(G) respect the freedom of association and the
right to demonstrate peacefully.
(5) In March 2012, the United Nations Refugee Agency
(UNHCR) appealed for $84,100,000 to assist approximately 30,000
Syrian refugees living outside the country. Panos Moumtzis was
appointed Regional Refugee Coordinator for Syria by UNHCR,
indicating the importance of responding to the growing needs of
Syrian refugees.
(6) In April 2012, the group Friends of the Syrian People
met in Istanbul and committed to increase pressure on the Assad
regime, provide greater humanitarian relief to people in need,
and support the Syrian opposition as it works toward an
inclusive democratic transition.
(7) As of July 2012, the London-based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights estimated that more than 20,000 people have
been killed as a result of the violence in Syria, while the
United Nations has reportedly stopped keeping track of casualty
numbers due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate information
from inside Syria.
(8) As a result of the violence, the United Nations
estimates that 1,500,000 people are in need of humanitarian
assistance, including access to food, water, shelter, and
medical care. Basic services such as health care, education,
and electricity have also been cut off in some parts of the
country.
(9) Syria faces growing food insecurity, as wheat harvests
have declined due to drought. The United Nations expects aid
agencies to provide food aid to 850,000 Syrians in July 2012,
up from 500,000 the previous month.
(10) Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have fled the country
due to escalating violence. According to the United Nations,
there are more than 100,000 Syrian refugees registered in
Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq, and even more who are
unregistered. According to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,
hundreds of thousands of Syrians are displaced within the
country. More than three-quarters of refugees and internally
displaced persons are women and children, who are particularly
vulnerable to economic and physical insecurity.
(11) In June 2012, UNHCR more than doubled its appeal for
assistance for Syrian refugees to $193,000,000, reflecting the
significant increase in the number of refugees in need of
assistance.
(12) The United Nations requested an additional
$189,000,000 to meet humanitarian needs inside Syria. According
to a United Nations spokesperson, only about 20 percent of
these appeals have been funded. In July 2012, John Ging,
Director of Operations for the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, ``If we don't get
more money, people will die.''
(13) The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued an
urgent appeal for $20,000,000 to meet the emergency needs of
children and young people who have fled the violence in Syria.
UNICEF estimates that it will need to provide humanitarian
support and basic services to approximately 90,000 Syrian
children between July and December 2012. As of July 2012,
UNICEF has received less than $6,000,000 to provide support and
protection to the most vulnerable victims of the crisis in
Syria.
(14) An agreement between the United Nations and the Syrian
regime to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in
the country has allowed aid workers greater access to victims
of the conflict. However, staff of the International Committee
of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent cite security
concerns as a major obstacle to aid distribution. The
Government of Syria is also refusing to grant visas for aid
workers from countries that have criticized the regime,
including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and
France.
(15) In July 2012, Human Rights Watch reported widespread
torture and mistreatment of political prisoners being held in
detention facilities managed by intelligence agencies of the
Government of Syria. The report cites overcrowding, denial of
adequate food and medical assistance, and the routine use of a
wide range of torture methods. The report also raised concerns
that authorities in Syria could choose to kill detainees rather
than allow them to be released in the event of a political
transition.
(16) As of July 2012, the United States Government has
pledged $52,000,000 in humanitarian and non-lethal assistance
to Syria.
(17) According to the Unclassified Report to Congress on
the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass
Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions Covering 1
January to 31 December 2011, ``Syria has had a [chemical
weapons] program for many years and has a stockpile of CW
agents, which can be delivered by aerial bombs, ballistic
missiles, and artillery rockets.'' In a hearing before the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate in March 2012,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey
testified that the magnitude of Syria's chemical weapons
arsenal was ``100 times more than we experienced in Libya''.
The Government of Syria's stockpiles are thought to include
mustard, sarin, and VX gases.
(18) There are concerns about the existence of numerous
rebel militias and their role in Syria during a post-transition
period. On June 30, 2012, during an international meeting on
Syria in Geneva, Special Envoy Kofi Annan said, ``A transition
must be implemented in a climate of safety for all, stability
and calm, including completion of withdrawals and the
disarming, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups.''
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to strongly condemn the ongoing violence and widespread
human rights violations perpetrated against the Syrian people
by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad;
(2) to promote the protection of civilians and innocent
victims of the conflict in Syria, particularly women and
children who are displaced and vulnerable to physical
exploitation;
(3) to assist the people of Syria in meeting basic needs,
including access to food, health care, shelter, and clean
drinking water;
(4) to support efforts of democratically oriented political
opposition groups in Syria to agree upon a political transition
plan that is inclusive and reflects the democratic aspirations
of all minority ethnic groups in the country;
(5) to work with the international community, including
multilateral organizations and host countries, to support
Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq;
(6) to support efforts to identify, recover, and dispose of
chemical weapons and other conventional and unconventional
weapons stockpiled in Syria; and
(7) to help ensure that, once a stable transitional
government is established in Syria, it is committed to
multiparty democracy, open and transparent governance, respect
for human rights and religious freedom, promoting peace and
stability with its neighbors, enhancing the rule of law, and
rehabilitating and reintegrating former combatants.
SEC. 4. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA.
(a) Appointment of Special Envoy.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint a
Special Envoy for Syria to coordinate United States engagement with the
country and to ensure that the United States Government supports
efforts to bring about a democratic transition in Syria.
(b) Duties.--The Special Envoy for Syria should be given a clear
mandate--
(1) to direct United States Government efforts to provide
assistance to civilians and innocent victims of the conflict in
Syria;
(2) to provide detailed assessments of challenges and
progress on the ground in Syria with regard to providing
humanitarian relief, supporting an inclusive political
transition, assisting internally displaced persons and
refugees, reintegrating former combatants, and securing
conventional and unconventional weapons; and
(3) to pursue a peaceful, inclusive democratic future for
Syria that protects the rights of all ethnic and religious
minorities.
(c) Staffing and Resources.--The Special Envoy for Syria should be
provided with appropriate resources, including adequate staffing in the
region and in Washington, District of Columbia.
SEC. 5. BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA.
(a) Authority.--The President should--
(1) provide enhanced support for humanitarian activities
taking place in and outside Syria, including the provision of
food, water, and medical supplies;
(2) support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the
conflict in Syria as well as the establishment of an inclusive
representative form of government in Syria;
(3) continue to encourage the participation of all groups,
including women, business leaders, civil society organizations,
traditional and religious leaders, and minority groups in
efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and political
transition in Syria;
(4) encourage the Arab League and other international
bodies to insist that transitional and future governments are
committed to multiparty democracy, open and transparent
governance, respect for human rights and religious freedom,
ending the violence throughout the country, promoting peace and
stability with Syria's neighbors, enhancing the rule of law and
combating corruption, and rehabilitating and reintegrating
former combatants;
(5) contribute to future capacity building for governing
institutions after a political transition takes place in Syria;
and
(6) support post-transition efforts, including programs for
demobilizing and reintegrating former combatants.
(b) Funding.--
(1) Fiscal years 2013 and 2014.--Of the amounts made
available to carry out the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, such sums
as may be necessary should be allocated for bilateral
assistance programs in Syria.
(2) Future funding.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Department of State should submit a budget request for fiscal
year 2014 that contains an appropriate increase in bilateral
and multilateral assistance for Syria based on progress by the
Government of Syria toward accomplishing the policy objectives
described in section 3.
(3) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under paragraphs (1) and (2)--
(A) are authorized to remain available until
expended; and
(B) are in addition to funds otherwise available
for such purposes.
(c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United States
should work with other donor nations, on a bilateral and multilateral
basis, to increase international contributions to the people of Syria
and accomplish the policy objectives described in section 3.
SEC. 6. INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE THROUGH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
The President should instruct the United States permanent
representative or executive director, as the case may be, to the United
Nations voluntary agencies, including the World Food Program, the
United Nations Development Program, and the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, and other appropriate international
organizations to use the voice and vote of the United States to support
additional humanitarian and development assistance for the people of
Syria in order to accomplish the policy objectives described in section
3.
SEC. 7. INCREASING BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES THAT HOST SYRIAN
REFUGEES.
(a) Authority.--The President should increase bilateral funding to
countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, that have
experienced an influx of refugees from Syria.
(b) Funding for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014.--Of the amounts made
available to carry out the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151 et seq.) for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, such sums as may be
necessary should be allocated for bilateral refugee assistance programs
in the countries surrounding Syria.
SEC. 8. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SYRIA.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall instruct the Secretary of
State to work with the appropriate United Nations agencies, regional
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the broader
international community to establish an international donors group to
maximize resources and efficiently provide humanitarian assistance to
the people of Syria.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the donors group shall be to
coordinate resources for the following activities in Syria and the
region:
(1) Providing humanitarian relief to civilians impacted by
the violence in Syria and Syrian refugees in surrounding
countries.
(2) Supporting inclusive post-transitional governance and
the establishment of the rule of law.
(3) Supporting disarmament, demobilization, and
reintegration of combatants and members of militias.
(c) Annual Report.--The Department of State shall submit a report
on the specific programs, projects, and activities carried out by the
donors group during the preceding year, including an evaluation of the
results of such programs, projects, and activities.
SEC. 9. SECURING UNCONVENTIONAL WEAPONS IN SYRIA.
(a) Transition Plan.--The United States should work with regional
partners to develop a plan, to be implemented in the event of a
political transition, to--
(1) identify and secure conventional and unconventional
weapons stockpiles in Syria;
(2) recover and dispose of all unconventional weapons
stockpiled in Syria, with particular attention to chemical
weapons; and
(3) prevent the illicit sale or transfer of conventional
and unconventional weapons out of Syria in order to preclude
regional weapons proliferation.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Department of State should submit a budget request for fiscal year 2014
that contains an increase in bilateral nonproliferation, demining, and
anti-terrorism assistance for Syria toward accomplishing the policy
objectives described in this section.
SEC. 10. REPORT ON HUMANITARIAN AND STABILIZATION EFFORTS IN SYRIA.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to Congress a
detailed report on the implementation of this Act, including a
description of--
(1) progress made as a result of humanitarian and
stabilization efforts, including refugee assistance in Syria;
(2) progress made toward establishing an inclusive,
democratic government that protects the rights of all Syrians;
and
(3) key challenges, gaps, and obstacles to further
enhancing stability and peace in Syria, including between Syria
and its neighbors.
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