House decries ISIS violence as genocidal

WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives voted today with unanimous consent to label Islamic State (ISIS) attacks on Christians as genocide—pressuring the executive branch to make a historic declaration.

“It is my sincere hope that this trans-partisan resolution will further compel the State Department to join the building international consensus in calling the horrific ISIS violence against Christians, Yazidis, and others by its proper name: ‘genocide’” said Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., who introduced the resolution last fall.

The 393-0 vote comes three days before the deadline for Sectary of State John Kerry to make an official determination. If Kerry agrees with the House, it would mark only the second time an administration recognized genocide amid ongoing conflict.

Fortenberry’s resolution unanimously passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. And Monday’s vote with the full House further demonstrated the consensus.

Passing the resolution will not force Kerry and President Barack Obama to assert genocide in Iraq and Syria, but it does place on them a heavy burden. Refusing to call ISIS violence genocide will now contradict a unanimous congressional resolution on top of other international agreement.

Last month, the European Parliament confirmed ISIS atrocities to be genocide and so did the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Pope Francis and even Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have also said ISIS attacks are genocidal.

Lawmakers inserted into last year’s spending bill a requirement for the State Department to declare one way or another by March 17.

Kerry testified before a House subcommittee late last month that he feels a “huge sense of revulsion” over the acts against religious minorities in ISIS territories. But he did not call it genocide. He instead emphasized the State Department’s careful review of legal standards and precedents to make a judgment.

“I will make a decision on this,” Kerry told House members. “I understand how compelling it is.”

But many still feel obligated to further convince Kerry and the Obama administration.

The Catholic organization Knights of Columbus partnered with In Defense of Christians to create a 278-page report for the State Department. The document identifies the names of 1,131 Christians killed by ISIS militants. The report also details 125 churches destroyed in Iraq over the last decade.

The Knights of Columbus presented its evidence to the State Department last week. And to go along with the report, it helped create an online petition urging the Obama administration to label ISIS attacks as genocide. As of this evening, the petition had more than 106,000 signatures.

“This resolution today condemns the gross violation of international law,” said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., on the House floor before the vote. “It is time to show the people who are committing these war crimes that there will be a tribunal and they will be held personally accountable.”

But even with broad agreement to declare genocide, Kerry still might miss his Thursday deadline. Officials close to Kerry said a legal review is still and a decision by the deadline is unlikely.

After the Holocaust, the United Nations defined genocide in 1948 as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group,” which Kerry wants to confirm is the case for Christians, Yazidis, and other religious groups in ISIS territories.

But lawmakers are questioning the hesitation, claiming they have all the evidence they need to meet those criteria.

“This is genocide, the systematic attempt to exterminate an entire set of peoples because of their beliefs,” Fortenberry said in a statement this week.

In 2004, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell made the first and only determination of genocide by the United States for atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region. Powell contradicted State Department lawyers who feared a moral and legal obligation to directly intervene after making the claim.

The executive branch now faces similar pressures. Obama has authorized numerous airstrikes against ISIS militants, but a genocide determination could compel the U.S. to take further action.

Monday’s undisputed agreement on Fortenberry’s resolution sends a clear message that Congress is ready for the next step and will place the ball in the administration’s court. The House also voted on a second resolution, Monday to declare violations of international law amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity by the government of Syria and its allies. That resolution passed 392-3.

“We need to recognize these atrocities with clear eyes,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., “The Obama administration is still not ready. … We are.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.