Questioning witnesses during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday on the status of events in Syria, Senator Coons called for sustained efforts to hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable for violence against Syrian civilians and urged swift action to address worsening humanitarian conditions.
“While I am glad that we were able to find a way to avert the need for military action last month following this committee’s strong approval of an authorization of the use of force, in my view we cannot forget, should not forget, that Assad has murdered more than 100,000 of his own people, and this unconscionable violence continues to this day,” Senator Coons said at Thursday’s hearing.
“I am pleased that some real progress is being made in the removal of the means of delivering chemical weapons and that we are in the process of exhausting diplomatic alternatives to military force,” Senator Coons said. “But I find it jarring that eight weeks ago we sat in the same room and approved a strong policy, directed by President Obama, of holding Assad accountable for his crimes and continuing to stand with the Syrian people, yet do not seem to be making progress on a number of those shared commitments.”
The hearing was convened to update Foreign Relations Committee members on the status of ongoing efforts to eliminate the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile, the potential for negotiations, and the ongoing humanitarian crises. Witnesses included U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Thomas Countryman, and USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg.
Questioning Assistant Administrator Lindborg about steps USAID is taking to ensure delivery of U.S. aid to Syrian refugees, Senator Coons discussed meeting with Syrian refugees in Jordan earlier this year, noting that those he met “expressed anger and disappointment about the delays of promised U.S.-delivered assistance and support.” He expressed concern that months later, assistance continued to be delayed.
Lindborg noted that because many Syrian refugees are living with families in host communities, rather than in camps, USAID is focusing its efforts on development aid aimed at relieving the added stress placed on local water infrastructure, electrical systems, schools, and clinics. More work must be done to ensure we are maximizing our resources, Lindborg said.
Addressing Ambassador Ford, Senator Coons also expressed his concerns about “the very deep sense of abandonment felt by the Syrian opposition,” and emphasized the need for continued support for the Syrian opposition.
Ambassador Ford agreed, calling demonstrated solidarity with Syrian opposition “vital.” Ford pledged that the State Department would deliver on a statement issued last week by foreign ministers from 11 countries assuring Syrians that “Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands will have no role” when a transition government is established in Syria.