,,iii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bai ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #i1 #bjac ,mr4 ,cardin submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,calling for ,syrian ,president ,bashar al-,assad and others to be tried before the ,international ,criminal ,court for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity4 ,whereas the ,united ,states intelligence community assessed with high confidence that the ,government of ,syria carried out a chemical weapons attack in the ,damascus suburbs on ,august #ba1 #bjac1 killing #a1dbi ,syrians2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations estimates that1 since the uprising in ,syria began in ,march #bjaa1 more than #ajj1jjj people1 mainly civilians1 have been killed2 ,whereas ,syria and neighboring countries are facing a growing humanitarian crisis1 with #b1jjj1jjj ,syrians having fled the country1 and millions more being displaced internally2 ,whereas1 under the command of ,president ,bashar al-,assad1 ,syrian government forces and shabiha forces have been accused of gross human rights violations1 including heavy shelling of civilian areas1 widespread pillaging and the burning of homes1 denial of basic human needs such as food1 water1 and medical care1 mass torture and arrests1 unlawful detention1 and brutal execution-style killings2 ,whereas terrorist groups operating in ,syria have reportedly engaged in kidnapping for ransom1 violence1 summary executions1 torture1 and other gross human rights violations against civilians2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has implemented a series of sanctions through five ,executive orders pertaining to the situation in ,syria2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,human ,rights ,council has held four special sessions1 issued four reports of the ,independent ,international ,commission of ,inquiry on the ,syrian ,arab ,republic1 and adopted seven resolutions devoted to the situation in ,syria2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,security ,council has adopted three resolutions authorizing an advance team to monitor the ceasefire in ,syria and a short-lived ,united ,nations ,supervision ,mission in ,syria 7,,unsmis72 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly has adopted five resolutions regarding human rights and the situation in ,syria2 ,whereas the situation in ,syria continues to deteriorate despite such actions by the international community2 ,whereas ,united ,nations ,security ,council ,resolution #aedj 7#bjjd7 prohibits all ,united ,nations member states1 including ,syria1 from providing any form of support to non-state actors that attempt to develop1 acquire1 possess1 transfer1 or use chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction1 and it reaffirms that weapon of mass destruction proliferation constitutes a threat to international peace and security2 ,whereas1 on ,february #bb1 #bjab1 the ,united ,nations ,independent ,international ,commission of ,inquiry on the ,syrian ,arab ,republic found in its second report that1 after further review1 a reliable body of evidence exists that1 consistent with other verified circumstances1 provides reasonable grounds to believe that particular individuals1 including commanding officers and officials at the highest levels of ,government1 bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations2 ,whereas1 on ,february #e1 #bjac1 the ,united ,nations ,independent ,international ,commission of ,inquiry on the ,syrian ,arab ,republic found in its report that ,syrian forces and affiliated militia committed crimes against humanity1 war crimes1 and gross violations of international human rights and that anti-government forces committed war crimes2 ,whereas the ,february #e1 #bjac1 ,united ,nations ,independent ,international ,commission of ,inquiry on the ,syrian ,arab ,republic found that government forces1 affiliated militia1 and anti-government forces have violated the rights of children and that government forces and affiliated militia have committed widespread sexual violence2 ,whereas the report recommends that the ,united ,nations ,security ,council take appropriate action and commit to human rights and the rule of law by means of referral to justice1 possibly to the ,international ,criminal ,court1 bearing in mind that1 in the context of the ,syrian ,arab ,republic1 only the ,security ,council is competent to refer the situation to the ,court2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations conducted an investigation into the alleged ,august #ba1 #bjac1 chemical weapons attack in the ,damascus suburbs2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights has repeatedly called on the ,united ,nations ,security ,council to consider referring the situation of ,syria to the ,international ,criminal ,court2 and ,whereas the ,international ,criminal ,court is an independent body whose mission is to investigate and prosecute individuals for crimes within its jurisdiction1 including crimes against humanity1 war crimes1 and genocide3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 strongly condemns the ongoing violence1 the use of chemical weapons1 and the systematic gross human rights violations carried out by ,syrian government forces under direction of ,president ,bashar al-,assad as well as abuses committed by other groups involved in the civil war in ,syria2 7#b7 expresses its support for the people of ,syria seeking peaceful democratic change2 and 7#c7 calls on the ,united ,nations ,security ,council1 based on evidence that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been perpetrated in ,syria1 to refer the situation of ,syria to the ,international ,criminal ,court4