S.Res. 538 — Agreed to in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 538 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 9, 2014 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Expressing the condolences of the Senate to the families of James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and condemning the terrorist acts of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Whereas James Foley and Steven Sotloff were highly respected journalists whose integrity and dedication were a credit to their profession; Whereas James Foley and Steven Sotloff embodied the spirit of our Nation’s First Amendment liberties, including the freedom of the press; Whereas James Foley and Steven Sotloff made significant contributions to our Nation through their courageous reporting of events in Libya, Syria, and elsewhere; Whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a terrorist organization responsible for committing barbaric acts against United States citizens; Whereas ISIL continues to hold hostages in blatant contravention of international law; Whereas ISIL has committed despicable acts of violence against Iraqi Christians, forcing many to flee their ancient homeland; Whereas ISIL has committed despicable acts of violence against Muslims who do not subscribe to ISIL’s depraved, violent, and oppressive ideology; Whereas ISIL has threatened to decimate the ancient Yazidi population of Iraq while abducting Yazidi women and children and subjecting them to rape, forced marriage, and slavery; Whereas ISIL has targeted many other religious and ethnic minority groups, including Turkmen populations; and Whereas ISIL threatens to conduct terrorist attacks internationally: Now, therefore, be it 1. Sense of the Senate The Senate— (1) strongly condemns the terrorist acts of ISIL, including the barbaric and deplorable murders of James Foley and Steven Sotloff; (2) mourns the deaths of James Foley and Steven Sotloff and expresses its condolences to their families; (3) salutes James Foley and Steven Sotloff for their unwavering and courageous pursuit of journalistic excellence under the most difficult and dangerous of conditions; (4) supports efforts to vigorously pursue and bring to justice those responsible for the murders of James Foley and Steven Sotloff; (5) demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages being held by ISIL; and (6) calls on the United States and the international community, working in partnership with the governments and citizens of the Middle East, to address the threat posed by ISIL. 2. Rule of construction Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as a declaration of war or authorization to use force.