NY Times forgets: UN resolution calls for disarming of Hezbollah

New York Times Amends Piece 

After CAMERA informed journalists of the issues detailed here, the New York Times updated its piece to note UNSCR 1701's disarmament requirements. See below for a detailed update.

A New York Times story about a United Nations resolution on Lebanon neglects to tell readers of a key provision of the resolution.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, about which the piece is focused, calls broadly for the disarming of Lebanese militias including Hezbollah, the terror group and Iranian proxy currently battling Israel. 

But the Times piece, "U.S. Aims to Revive Failed U.N. Plan for Lebanon War" by Michael Crowley, though generally informative, fails to let readers know about this call for total disarmament. 

The paper could have asked Michael Levitt, an expert on Hezbollah already quoted in the piece, who a few years ago put it most succinctly: "We’re all clear that UNSCR 1701 calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, right?"

Or they could have turned to a more formal account by Ban Ki-moon, who as United Nations secretary general released periodic reports on the implementation of the resolution. His February 2015 report, for example, states that "The maintenance of arms by Hizbullah and other groups outside the control of the State continues to pose a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and stability, and contradicts the country’s obligations under resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006)." The report also refers to "The maintenance of arms by Hizbullah and other groups outside the control of the Lebanese State, in violation of resolutions 1559 (2004), 1680 (2006) and 1701 (2006)." Similar language appears, for example, in Ban’s previous report of November 2014.

And of course there is the text of the resolution itself. Resolution 1701 calls for

full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of 27 July 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State,” and refers elsewhere to implementation of “the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), including disarmament.

(The referenced Taif Accords call for "disbanding of all … militias" and delivery of their weapons to the state; resolution 1559 "Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias"; resolution 1680 "call[s] for the full implementation of all requirements of resolution 1559" and welcomes "efforts to disband and disarm all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias"; and Lebanon's July 2006 cabinet decision calls for the government to extend its authority "over its territory through its own legitimate armed forces, so that there will be no weapons or authority other than that of the Lebanese State.")

CAMERA has called on editors to update the piece so that it makes clear that resolution 1701 requires the total disarming of Hezbollah, and not merely “an area free of any armed personnel” south of the Litani, as the paper currently suggests.

After CAMERA informed New York Times editors of UNSCR 1701's provision that Hezbollah fully disarm, the newspaper inserted language that allows readers more fully understand the requirements of the key UN resolution. The added language reads: 

Resolution 1701 also called for “the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon,” not only in the country’s south. That implies demilitarizing Hezbollah entirely — an even mightier task.