Political Quotes

“this is a sense of Congress resolution that given Syria's extremist and dangerous policies, that I firmly believe the time has come for the U.S. to consider applying to Syria sanctions which are currently enforced against Iran and Libya in the Iran-Libya Oil Sanctions Act of 1996. The fact is that these penalties ought to be applied to Syria because Syria remains in a state of war with Israel and maintains large numbers of heavily armed forces near the border with Israel. Syria occupies Lebanon with almost 40,000 troops and maintains undue influence on all aspects of the Lebanese government and society to the detriment of the Lebanese people. Syria continues to provide safe haven and support for several groups that engage in terrorism. According to the State Department's patterns of global terrorism report for 1996, the fact that Syria is one of the nations that support terrorism is undisputed, and that is why there are restrictions upon U.S. citizens' travel to Syria. Syria was also listed by the U.S. State Department as a country that does not cooperate in the war on drugs, and indeed the problem that we have here in the United States with regards to drug addiction, much of it can be laid at the doorstep of Syria. Syria, moreover, has not signed the Weapons Convention, and numerous reports indicate that Syria has increased the production and level of sophistication of chemical weapons.”