House demands White House acknowledge ISIL genocide, Syrian war crimes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Kevin Brady, (R-TX) released the following statement on the passage of two House Resolutions to identify the actions of ISIL as a genocide and highlight the atrocities committed by the Assad regime in Syria.

“Countless innocents and Christians are being slaughtered across the world. It is time Mr. President that you call these terrorist’s actions what they are and denounce it. The House is ready to say this, it is time that your Administration follows – these are war crimes, and this is genocide.”

Background:

H. Con. Res. 75: The resolution recognizes that the atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It also condemns indiscriminate violence of the Assad regime and acknowledges its part in the growth of the terrorist organization. The Obama Administration faces a legislatively-mandated deadline of March 17, 2016 to determine whether ISIL’s brutality constitutes genocide.

H. Con. Res. 121: The resolution calls for a Syrian War Crimes Tribunal while highlighting and condemning the atrocities committed by the Government of Syria.

For more information, please visit the House Foreign Affairs Committee webpage.