Sec. 501. Lethal and increased non-lethal support for the vetted opposition

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Subject to subsection (b), the President is authorized, notwithstanding any other provision of law that restricts military, non-military, or economic assistance to Syria, to provide defense articles, defense services, and military training to specific members of the Syrian Supreme Military Council, particular units of the Free Syrian vetted elements of the Syrian Supreme Military Council, the Free Syrian Army, and other Syrian entities opposed to the government of Bashar al-Assad, with funds made available for foreign assistance.

Not later than 15 days before obligating funds, otherwise providing any assistance, or otherwise making any commitment to provide the assistance described in subsection (a), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— a certification that— assistance to any individual, unit, or entities unit or entity will be provided consistent with section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2378d ); the individual to whom assistance is being provided or is planned to be provided, or leader or leaders of any unit or entity, including all senior members of such unit or entity, to which assistance is being provided or is planned to be provided, are, based on the information available to the United States Government— the unit or entity to which assistance is being provided or is planned to be provided and the senior leaders of such unit or entity, are, based on the information available to the United States Government— not an organization or person that has been designated, or is affiliated with any or an associated force of an organization or person that has been designated, as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1189 ) or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 (66 Fed. Reg. 49079); committed to rejecting terrorism and extremist ideologies;

(iii)opposed to the carrying out of sectarian violence and revenge killings; 13224 (66 Fed. Reg. 49079), and has been screened through all relevant terrorist databases, including the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE); committed to rejecting terrorism and extremist ideologies; opposed to the carrying out of sectarian violence, revenge killings, and other abuses of the laws of armed conflict, including international human rights and humanitarian law, and committed to an inclusive political transition; committed to civilian rule, including subordinating the military to civilian authority, and the rule of law for Syria; committed to cooperating with international counterterrorism and nonproliferation efforts; and supporting regional stability and avoiding interference in the affairs of neighboring countries;

(C)any military education and training there is significant international support from key European and Middle Eastern partners for providing the assistance referenced in this title, and United States efforts to provide this assistance are being coordinated with these partners;

(D)any military education and training should include information and training on appropriate leadership and command skills, protection of critical infrastructure, observance of and respect for applicable laws of armed conflict, respect for the rule of law, and the importance of civilian control of the military , including the capability to maintain a chain of custody of assistance being provided under this section , and, when appropriate, on securing chemical weapons sites and other important sites; and

(D)assistance provided sites; according to chain of custody criteria established and promulgated by the Department of State, the unit or entity to whom assistance is being provided can maintain a reasonable chain of custody of weapons consisting of a reasonable capability to document, account, and physically control the transfer, custody, and disposition of assistance being provided under this section; and

(F)assistance provided under this section to any specific individual or entity unit or entity shall immediately be terminated if the United States Government receives information that indicates that the individual or entity unit or entity is not in compliance with the terms laid out in subparagraph (B); and a written policy justification, budget, execution plan and timeline, and anticipated completion date for the planned activity. Except as provided under paragraph (2), no anti-aircraft defensive systems may be transferred as part of the assistance authorized under this section. The President may waive the restriction under paragraph

(1)if— it is in the vital national security interest to do so; the President notifies Congress not later than 15 days before exercising such waiver; not later than 15 days before exercising such waiver, the President transmits to the appropriate congressional committees a report described in subsection

(f), together with the certification required under subsection (b)(1) specifically with respect to anti-aircraft defensive systems; the President certifies that— the systems provided have been equipped with appropriate tracking, disabling, or anti-tamper devices; or effective end use monitoring, including appropriate disposition of systems, is in place; and

(E)the President certifies that the United States has consulted with regional allies regarding the systems provided. place; the President certifies that the United States has consulted with regional allies regarding the systems provided; and the President submits a strategy to implement an accelerated global program to secure or eliminate stocks of anti-aircraft defense systems and related equipment and facilities that pose a proliferation threat immediately after the cessation of violence. The United States Government shall encourage any entity receiving assistance pursuant to subsection

(a)to commit to a code of conduct that includes respect for applicable laws of armed conflict, respect for the rule of law, and a commitment to refrain from sectarian violence and revenge killings.

(e)Reporting requirement.— In the event that includes— respect for applicable laws of armed conflict; respect for the rule of law; a commitment to refrain from sectarian violence and revenge killings; and a commitment to cooperate with transitional authorities in the establishment of special weapons storage sites and efforts to shift security functions to the transitional government. The United States Government shall encourage any entity receiving assistance pursuant to subsection

(a)to commit to a Syria that is free of weapons of mass destruction, including any chemical, biological, or nuclear WMD-related programs.

(f)Reporting requirement.— In the event that the President exercises the authority in subsection (a), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees every 90 days thereafter until such time as the authority is no longer being exercised, a detailed report on— the education, training or assistance provided; a rationale for why the assistance is being provided;

(3)the vetting conducted to satisfy the certification requirement in subsection (b)(1);

(4)steps taken to encourage the development of a code of conduct outlined in subsection

(d);

(5)an assessment of the current military capacity of opposition forces receiving assistance;

(6)an assessment of the ability of opposition forces inside and outside of Syrian to establish military activities impacting Syria, together with a practicable timetable for accomplishing these objectives;

(7)an assessment of the ability of opposition groups to establish effective military control over Syria; and Syria;

(8)a description of the financial and materiel resources currently available to opposition forces. forces; the criteria for chain of custody certification and the adherence by the Syrian opposition to chain of custody requirements; and a strategy for securing the lethal assistance being provided in the aftermath of the conflict.

(g)Unless specifically renewed, the authority described in subsection

(a)shall terminate on September 30, 2015.

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