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HRES 688 IH

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the creation of federal regions in Iraq.

September 27, 2007

Mr. GALLEGLY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the creation of federal regions in Iraq.

Whereas Iraq continues to experience a self-sustaining cycle of sectarian violence;

Whereas the ongoing sectarian violence presents a threat to regional and world peace, and the long-term security interests of the United States are best served by an Iraq that is stable, not a haven for terrorists, and not a threat to its neighbors;

Whereas the central focus of al Qaeda in Iraq has been to turn sectarian divisions in Iraq into sectarian violence through a concentrated series of attacks, the most significant being the destruction of the Golden Dome of the Shia al-Askariyah Mosque in Samarra in February 2006;

Whereas Iraqis must reach a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement in order to achieve stability and reduce violence;

Whereas Article One of the Constitution of Iraq declares Iraq to be a `single, independent federal state';

Whereas Section Five of the Constitution of Iraq declares that the `federal system in the Republic of Iraq is made up of a decentralized capital, regions, and governorates, and local administrations' and enumerates the expansive powers of regions and the limited powers of the central government and establishes the mechanisms for the creation of new federal regions;

Whereas the federal system created by the Constitution of Iraq would give Iraqis local control over their police and certain laws, including those related to employment, education, religion, and marriage;

Whereas the Constitution of Iraq recognizes the administrative role of the Kurdistan Regional Government in three northern Iraqi provinces, known also as the Kurdistan region;

Whereas the Kurdistan region, recognized by the Constitution of Iraq, is largely stable and peaceful;

Whereas the Iraqi Parliament approved a federalism law on October 11, 2006, which establishes procedures for the creation of new federal regions and will go into effect 18 months after approval;

Whereas despite their differences, Iraq's sectarian and ethnic groups support the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq; and

Whereas Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stated on November 27, 2006, `[t]he crisis is political, and the ones who can stop the cycle of aggravation and bloodletting of innocents are the politicians': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of House of Representatives that--

(1) the United States should actively support a political settlement in Iraq based on the final provisions of the Constitution of Iraq that create a federal system of government and allow for the creation of federal regions, consistent with the wishes of the Iraqi people and their elected leaders;

(2) the active support referred to in paragraph (1) should include--

(A) calling on the international community, including countries with troops in Iraq, the permanent five members of the United Nations Security Council, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Iraq's neighbors--

(i) to support an Iraqi political settlement based on federalism;

(ii) to acknowledge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq; and

(iii) to fulfill commitments for the urgent delivery of significant assistance and debt relief to Iraq, especially those made by the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council;

(B) further calling on Iraq's neighbors to pledge not to intervene in or destabilize Iraq and to agree to related verification mechanisms; and

(C) convening a conference for Iraqis to reach an agreement on a comprehensive political settlement based on the federalism law approved by the Iraqi Parliament on October 11, 2006;

(3) the United States should urge the Government of Iraq to quickly agree upon and implement a law providing for the equitable distribution of oil revenues, which is a critical component of a comprehensive political settlement based upon federalism;

(4) the steps described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) could lead to an Iraq that is stable, not a haven for terrorists, and not a threat to its neighbors; and

(5) nothing in this resolution should be construed in any way to infringe on the sovereign rights of the nation of Iraq.