Congress: 105 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: neutral
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for HCONRES 68.
Sponsor: Rahall, Nick J., II (D-WV)
Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to preserve the territorial integrity, unity, sovereignty, and full independence of Lebanon. Commends the President for hosting the "Friends of Lebanon" conference on December 16, 1996, and urges the President to take further steps to assist Lebanon's reconstruction. Calls for: (1) the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon; (2) the President to consider resolving the presence of non-Lebanese forces in Lebanon without relying exclusively upon a comprehensive peace in the region; (3) the security of Lebanon from interference from its neighbors; (4) the President to negotiate directly with officials of the Government of Lebanon on issues pertaining to Lebanon; (5) Lebanon to assert more independence to assure the international community that it has the political will and military capability to guarantee security along its borders for itself and its neighbors and disarm all militias; (6) Lebanon to respect freedom of the press, human rights, judicial due process, political freedom, the right of association, and freedom of assembly; and (7) the President to use such guidelines in formulating U.S. policy toward Lebanon. Commends the Lebanese Government for its determination to hold municipal elections for the first time since 1963.
This resolution expresses Congress's support for Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. It calls on the President to work toward withdrawing all non-Lebanese military forces from Lebanon, support Lebanon's reconstruction, encourage Lebanon to disarm militias and secure its borders, and press Lebanon to uphold press freedom and democratic rights. The resolution commends Lebanon's plan to hold municipal elections.
The bill addresses foreign military presence in Lebanon (historically Israel and Syria) without singling out either country by name, framing the issue around Lebanese sovereignty rather than taking sides in regional conflicts. This even-handed stance, combined with calls for militia disarmament and security guarantees for all neighbors, reflects a position focused on Lebanese independence rather than pro-Israel or pro-Palestine advocacy.