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SENATE RESOLUTION 494--CONDEMNING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN

FEDERATION FOR PROVIDING WEAPONS TO THE REGIME OF PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-

ASSAD OF SYRIA

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ayotte, Mrs. Gillibrand,

Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Risch, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

\[S. Res. 494\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-resolution/494)

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has an

extensive history of providing weapons and political support

to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, a

country designated by the Secretary of State as a \\\`\\\`state

sponsor of terrorism'';

Whereas, at the Port of Tartus in Syria, the Government of

the Russian Federation maintains for the Russian Navy its

only permanent warm-water naval port outside of the former

Soviet Union, which bolsters the Assad regime;

Whereas the Assad regime responded to the widespread,

peaceful, and sustained calls for political reform that began

in March 2011 in a manner that has caused the deaths of more

than 10,000 people in Syria, mostly civilians, as of June

2012, according to an estimate by the United Nations;

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation remains

the top supplier of weapons to the Government of Syria,

reportedly providing nearly $1,000,000,000 worth of arms to

the Government of Syria in 2011 alone;

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has

unabatedly continued to ship arms to the Government of Syria

during the ongoing popular uprisings;

Whereas, on October 4, 2011, the Russian Federation,

together with the People's Republic of China, vetoed a United

Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned

\\\`\\\`grave and systematic human rights violations'' in Syria and

would have warned the Government of Syria of the actions,

including sanctions, to be considered against it, if

warranted;

Whereas, on January 18, 2012, Foreign Minister of the

Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov criticized \\\`\\\`the sending of

so-called humanitarian convoys to Syria'';

Whereas, on January 19, 2012, Foreign Minister Lavrov

stated that, with regard to the Government of Syria, \\\`\\\`For

us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support

any sanctions.'';

Whereas, on February 4, 2012, the Russian Federation,

together with the People's Republic of China, vetoed a United

Nations Security Council resolution calling for an end to the

violence in Syria, demanding that all parties in Syria cease

all violence and reprisals and implement the plan set out by

the League of Arab States, expressing grave concern for the

deteriorating situation in Syria, and condemning the

widespread gross violations of human rights;

Whereas, on March 13, 2012, Deputy Minister of Defence of

the Russian Federation Anatoly Antonov stated that the

Government of the Russian Federation would not halt arms

shipments to Syria, acknowledging that the Government of the

Russian Federation has military instructors on the ground

training the Syrian Arab Army and stating, \\\`\\\`Russia enjoys

good and strong military technical co-operation with Syria,

and we see no reason to reconsider it. Russian-Syria military

co-operation is perfectly legitimate.'';

Whereas, on May 30, 2012, Permanent Representative of the

United States to the United Nations Susan Rice condemned

recent reports of an arms shipment that arrived in Syria from

the Russian Federation on May 26, 2012, as \\\`\\\`reprehensible,''

stating that \\\`\\\`this is obviously of the utmost concern given

that the Syrian government continues to use deadly forces

against civilians'';

Whereas, on May 31, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary

Clinton stated that the policy of the Government of the

Russian Federation toward the Government of Syria \\\`\\\`is going

to help contribute to a civil war,'' maintaining that Russian

officials \\\`\\\`are just vociferous in their claim that they are

providing a stabilizing influence,'' and stating, \\\`\\\`I reject

that. I think they are, in effect, propping up the regime at

a time when we should be working on a political

transition.'';

Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has thus

far failed to effectively use its influence and relationship

with the Assad regime to halt the murder of civilians in

Syria, including the massacre of over 100 people, many of

them women and children, in Houla on May 25 to 26, 2012;

Whereas Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin

rejected appeals by President of France Francois Hollande for

tougher United Nations sanctions aimed at ending violence in

Syria;

Whereas, on June 5, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton stated

that \\\`\\\`it's pretty clear that we all have to intensify our

efforts to speed a political transition. . . . And we invite

the Russians and the Chinese to be part of the solution of

what is happening in Syria'';

Whereas, on June 7, 2012, Permanent Representative of the

Russian Federation to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin

publicly criticized the Governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar

for supporting the opposition in Syria; and

Whereas, on June 12, 2012, Secretary of State Clinton

stated that \\\`\\\`there are attack helicopters on the way from

Russia to Syria, which will escalate the conflict quite

dramatically'': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) condemns the Government of the Russian Federation for--

(A) its longstanding and ongoing support for the criminal

regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria;

(B) continuing to transfer weapons to the Assad regime,

which cannot be considered legitimate for purposes of self-

defense; and

(C) its troubling opposition to resolutions from the United

Nations Security Council regarding Syria, including those

recently tabled by the United States;

(2) concludes that the actions of the Government of the

Russian Federation--

(A) have enabled the Assad regime to maintain power and

perpetrate mass atrocities against its own people; and

(B) directly undermine the core national security interests

of the United States, as well as the stability of the entire

Middle East; and

(3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to--

(A) immediately end all transfers of weapons to the Assad

regime;

(B) call on the Assad regime to end all violence against

civilians;

(C) support international sanctions against Syria; and

(D) support a peaceful transition of leadership in the

Government of Syria, starting with the early departure of

Bashar al-Assad.

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