Robert Menendez, the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said options included "an internationally recognised no-fly zone, providing lethal assistance to vetted opposition forces, and sanctioning the transfer of arms to the regime".
But if passed, they believe it will put pressure on countries involved in the export or transfer of arms to scrutinise more rigorously both the potential use of weapons and what the consequences of their use might be, such as breaches of human rights.