2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

SYRIA-LEBANON
Syria: Undermining Peace
and Stability
The Assad regime’s oppression, torture and mass killing of the Syrian people,
support of terrorism, cooperation with Iran, and interference in Lebanon
undermine U.S. interests in the region.
KEY POINTS
• Syria’s government is brutally persecuting its own people, killing more than 60,000, creating
more than 500,000 refugees, and wounding tens of thousands since March 2011.
• The Syrian regime has the largest stockpile of chemical and biological weapons in the Middle
East. U.S. and Israeli officials are increasingly concerned that they could fall into the hands of
terrorists if the regime falls.
• The Assad regime has supported Hizballah and has helped supply the terorrist group with
increasingly sophisticated rockets and missiles that threaten Israel.
• Though its support for Hizballah, and frequent use of assassinations of Lebanese opposition
leaders, the Syrian regime continues to threaten and intimidate the government of Lebanon.
The Important Role That Congress Can Play
Congress should continue to press for the expansion of sanctions against the Syrian government
to pressure Damascus to stop the killing of its own people and its other destabilizing policies,
including its alliance with Hizballah and Iran. Congress should ensure that the United States
works with Israel and other international partners to prevent Syria’s chemical and biological
weapons from falling into the hands of anti-Western terrorist groups.
Congress can also press for a full investigation into the Syrian nuclear program, which violates
Syria’s obligations as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
157