Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds the following: For decades the Syrian people have suffered under the oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafiz al-Assad. In March 2011, Syrians began peaceful protests against the regime. The regime responded brutally, with murders and mass arrests. During the civil war that ensued, the Assad regime has specifically targeted civilian populations and committed mass atrocities and other war crimes. Over 1,000,000 Syrians have become refugees over the last two years, tens of thousands of others have fled Syria, and more than 2,500,000 are estimated to be displaced within Syria.
More than 70,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict. The replacement of the Assad regime by a democratic government that repudiates terrorism would advance the security of the Syrian people and their neighbors, as well as that of the United States. The prolongation of fighting in Syria is likely to enhance the strength of religious extremist forces, as well as the prospect that such forces will exert significant influence following Assad’s fall. The Governments of Iran and Russia continue to provide the Assad regime with the advanced weapons and support necessary to continue its campaign of slaughter against its own people.
Syria is one of the most hazardous environments in the world for humanitarian aid providers. The Syrian regime has established a pattern of targeting aid distribution points, including bakeries, bread lines, medical facilities, and even employees of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The course of the Syrian transition and its future leadership may depend on what the United States does now to save Syrian lives, alleviate suffering, and help Syrians determine their own future. Syria has been on the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism since the inception of that list in 1979.
Under the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Syria’s continuing provision of material support and safe haven for terrorist organizations make it subject to broad legislatively mandated penalties, including export sanctions and ineligibility to receive most forms of United States aid or to purchase United States military equipment.