Free Syria Act of 2013

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.

the United States should increase its humanitarian support for individuals affected by the brutal conflict in Syria—refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and others—and should urge its friends and allies to do likewise;

Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon should be commended for keeping their borders open and providing other support to individuals fleeing the violence and upheaval in Syria and for allowing them to seek international protection;

the President should urge countries in the region to keep their borders open to refugees and to comply with international humanitarian and refugee law;

the President should urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to expedite protection and resettlement of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees;

in view of the violence and bloodshed in Syria, the President should provide temporary immigration relief measures, including renewal of Temporary Protected Status, expedited requests for change or extension of nonimmigrant status, expedited processing of immigrant petitions for Syrians in the United States, and granting humanitarian parole to Syrian nationals with approved immigrant petitions waiting abroad;

to the extent feasible, the United States should coordinate its assistance to Syrian refugees and to individuals inside Syria with the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s Assistance Coordination Unit;

the Assad regime has committed manifold war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the individuals responsible must be brought to justice;

the United States should pursue appropriate mechanisms to hold accountable individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria;

United States military assistance should be provided only to groups that demonstrate a commitment to—

the United States should work in cooperation with its friends and allies to provide non-lethal military equipment, such as helmets and body armor, to friendly Syrian opposition military forces;

all countries, and especially Iraq, should deny use of their airspace to Syrian-bound Iranian aircraft, unless those aircraft have first been forced to land, are thoroughly inspected, and found to be weapons-free; and

the United States and its international partners should take concrete steps to ensure that women are full and equal participants in all negotiations regarding the future of Syria and in all transitional and future government institutions.

the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

the term economic assistance means foreign assistance other than assistance provided to or for the benefit of foreign security forces;

the term entity means any association, partnership, body, organization, unit, or group;

the term foreign terrorist organization means an organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a));

the terms humanitarian assistance and humanitarian accounts include—

the term post-Assad Government of Syria means a government of Syria that meets the requirements specified in section 301(a);

the terms defense article, defense information, defense service, military education and training, and value have the meanings given such terms in section 644 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2403);

the term Administrator means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development; and

the term Secretary means the Secretary of State.