Chairman Menendez on the Third Anniversary of Syrian Civil War

Statement

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the third anniversary of the Syrian civil war:

"This week we mark the third anniversary of the peaceful uprising of Syrian citizens calling on their government for change. Their hopes for reform and a government responsive to the legitimate aspirations of its citizens have been destroyed. Instead, Bashar al Assad lashed out with horrific violence, launching a civil war, inflaming sectarian tensions across the region, and making Syria a magnet for foreign fighters and extremists from across the globe. Assad and his patrons, especially Russia and Iran, are responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 men, women and children, the displacement of more than 6 million people, and a regional humanitarian disaster.

"Over the last year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has demonstrated clear bipartisan support for robust U.S. leadership to end the conflict in Syria. Last May, both parties came together to approve the Syria Transition Support Act of 2013, which authorized proactive steps to empower the moderate, U.S.-backed Syrian opposition and establish a comprehensive Syria strategy to end the conflict. Last September, my Committee provided the Administration with Authorization for Use of Military Force in Syria, paving the way for a deal to remove Syria's chemical weapons stockpile. Unfortunately, despite the Committee's actions, Assad has stalled on the timeline he committed to for removing Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, further underscoring that he is not capable of leading Syria.

"After three years of war, it is clear that there is no place for Assad in Syria's future. A comprehensive, proactive strategy is needed that establishes a framework for ending the violence and empowering those moderate opposition voices that would lead a representative and inclusive transition to rebuild Syria. I am not optimistic that Assad will adhere to his commitments to remove and destroy Syria's chemical weapons arsenal, nor that he will comply with the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2139 to permit access for humanitarian assistance, demilitarize schools and hospitals, and stop the bombing campaign against civilians. Should he fail to do so, we must be prepared to respond. I call on all who oppose extremism and violence to reinvigorate efforts to build a stable, representative Syria and bring an end to this catastrophe. The Syrian people deserve better."

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