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Royce, Engel call for withdrawing recognition of Assad government

The non-binding House resolution conditions recognition of the Syrian government on its full cooperation on humanitarian relief, while allowing “negotiations with Assad’s regime” to continue.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C) arrives with Committee Chairman U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) (L) and ranking member Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) (R) to testify on agreements over Iran's nuclear programs, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst    (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX16CKP

Reps. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., unveiled a non-binding resolution on Friday that “urges the Administration and allies of the United States to formally withdraw their recognition of Bashar al-Assad’s regime as the rightful Government of Syria, unless and until the Assad regime and its supporting militias discontinue their barbaric slaughter, systematic starvation, and other grave human rights abuses and are granted full and unfettered access for deliveries of humanitarian assistance, even as other negotiations with Assad’s regime may continue.”

The resolution is one of several efforts bubbling up in Congress to address the crisis as the Syrian uprising approaches its third anniversary next week.

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