Mathaba News Agency
Encyclopedia
The Mathaba News Agency also called the Anti-Imperialism Center (AIC), is an alternative news agency created by the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
in 1982 to further world-revolutionary and anti-imperialist goals. It has organized a number of conferences in Tripoli
, attended by leftist or anti-Western leaders including Robert Mugabe
of Zimbabwe
's ZANU-PF, Daniel Ortega
of the FSLN in Nicaragua
, Raul Reyes
of Colombia
's FARC, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
of Brazil
.
It is affiliated with the International Green Charter Movement (IGCM), based on Gaddafi's Green Book and the political philosophy it espouses, known as Jamahiriya
. It also hosts a forum and a private microblogging
service. Mathaba refers to itself as "the first stateless news organization in history" with the stated goal of offering readers "a better understanding of public issues and positive development".
message purportedly to Gaddafi himself.
Mathaba's content is a mixture of original and republished articles along with various blog
posts and videos, as well as excerpts from speeches. The site's official disclaimer
states that the site's content "should be treated simply as a catalog of information of real significance" and that not all articles are necessarily endorsed by Mathaba itself. The commentary of controversial figures such as David Duke
and Louis Farrakhan
have been among those selected for publication on the site. Conspiracy theories
are a common fixture of Mathaba's content, including claims that Osama bin Laden
had been dead for years before he was reported killed; that the AIDS virus
was created by the World Health Organization
to reduce the populations of nonwhite African countries; and that Zionists
control the media and were behind the Kennedy assassination
, the September 11 attacks, and the wars in Iraq
and Libya
. It accused Hilary Clinton of leading "banker jewish zionist-elite gangsters" and called Google
"a company owned by Zionist Jews". The agency denies any accusations of anti-Semitism
, saying, "we have regular Jewish contributors and analysts, we are not against ANY religion," but that it would report on statistical anomalies it deemed newsworthy such as "the fact that all 5 directors of the U.S. money supply (Federal Reserve Bank
) are Jewish" and inviting readers to "draw their own conclusions".
, Mathaba featured articles and republished blog
posts from a pro-Gaddafi perspective, including reporting on Hugo Chavez
's support for the Gaddafi government, while it also reported on Western opposition to the NATO military intervention
, citing articles by Dennis Kucinich
, among others. Frontline reports were regularly published summarizing each day's events, with claims of many battlefield victories by Gaddafi loyalists. On 16 August 2011, three months after rebels had defeated
Gaddafi forces in Misrata, the news agency reported that "Misrata has been liberated by loyalist volunteers of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan Defence Forces." It further reported on 25 August 2011, that news reports showing Tripoli
in the hands of the rebels were "fake footage from Qatar
" made using a "replica of Tripoli in Qatar ... used to spread fake media reports on Jazeera
, CNN
and the BBC
world wide." As late as 1 September 2011, with the opposition in control of most of the country, the agency claimed that Gaddafi still had "massive support among an estimated 95% of the population."
On 13 October 2011, Mathaba reported that 80% of both Tripoli and Benghazi were controlled by Gaddafi loyalists, as well as 90-100% of the southern portion of the country. When NATO declared after the announcement of Gaddafi's death
on 20 October that it would soon cease its military operations in the country, Mathaba stated that NATO had "surrendered". The agency also insisted that the video and images of Gaddafi's capture and body were faked and that he was "not captured and not killed" but "very much alive in more ways than one", and though he "does not need to speak... in the future if the time is right... he may choose to address us again". Readers were instructed to continue to spread the Green Charter in the meantime.
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
in 1982 to further world-revolutionary and anti-imperialist goals. It has organized a number of conferences in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, attended by leftist or anti-Western leaders including Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
's ZANU-PF, Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
of the FSLN in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Raul Reyes
Raúl Reyes
Luis Edgar Devia Silva , better known by his nom de guerre Raúl Reyes, was a Secretariat member, spokesperson, and advisor to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-EP...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
's FARC, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
It is affiliated with the International Green Charter Movement (IGCM), based on Gaddafi's Green Book and the political philosophy it espouses, known as Jamahiriya
Jamahiriya
Jamahiriya may refer to:* a concept in the Political philosophy of Muammar Gaddafi* the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ruled by Gaddafi * a Savage Republic album, see Jamahiriya Democratique et Populaire de Sauvage-See also:...
. It also hosts a forum and a private microblogging
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
service. Mathaba refers to itself as "the first stateless news organization in history" with the stated goal of offering readers "a better understanding of public issues and positive development".
Content
At the time of a 2002 report in the New York Times, Mathaba represented the closest thing to an online outlet for foreigners to engage the Libyan government, even inviting visitors to send an SMSSMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
message purportedly to Gaddafi himself.
Mathaba's content is a mixture of original and republished articles along with various blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
posts and videos, as well as excerpts from speeches. The site's official disclaimer
Disclaimer
A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship...
states that the site's content "should be treated simply as a catalog of information of real significance" and that not all articles are necessarily endorsed by Mathaba itself. The commentary of controversial figures such as David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
and Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
have been among those selected for publication on the site. Conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
are a common fixture of Mathaba's content, including claims that Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
had been dead for years before he was reported killed; that the AIDS virus
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
was created by the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
to reduce the populations of nonwhite African countries; and that Zionists
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
control the media and were behind the Kennedy assassination
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
, the September 11 attacks, and the wars in Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and Libya
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. It accused Hilary Clinton of leading "banker jewish zionist-elite gangsters" and called Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
"a company owned by Zionist Jews". The agency denies any accusations of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, saying, "we have regular Jewish contributors and analysts, we are not against ANY religion," but that it would report on statistical anomalies it deemed newsworthy such as "the fact that all 5 directors of the U.S. money supply (Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
) are Jewish" and inviting readers to "draw their own conclusions".
2011 Libyan civil war
In the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, Mathaba featured articles and republished blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
posts from a pro-Gaddafi perspective, including reporting on Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
's support for the Gaddafi government, while it also reported on Western opposition to the NATO military intervention
2011 military intervention in Libya
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which was taken in response to events during the 2011 Libyan civil war...
, citing articles by Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
, among others. Frontline reports were regularly published summarizing each day's events, with claims of many battlefield victories by Gaddafi loyalists. On 16 August 2011, three months after rebels had defeated
Battle of Misrata
The Battle of Misrata was a battle of the 2011 Libyan civil war between pro-Gaddafi loyalists and anti-Gaddafi forces, which held Misrata, the third largest city in Libya...
Gaddafi forces in Misrata, the news agency reported that "Misrata has been liberated by loyalist volunteers of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan Defence Forces." It further reported on 25 August 2011, that news reports showing Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in the hands of the rebels were "fake footage from Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
" made using a "replica of Tripoli in Qatar ... used to spread fake media reports on Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
world wide." As late as 1 September 2011, with the opposition in control of most of the country, the agency claimed that Gaddafi still had "massive support among an estimated 95% of the population."
On 13 October 2011, Mathaba reported that 80% of both Tripoli and Benghazi were controlled by Gaddafi loyalists, as well as 90-100% of the southern portion of the country. When NATO declared after the announcement of Gaddafi's death
Death of Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya, died on 20 October 2011 during the 2011 Libyan civil war. Gaddafi was captured alive after his convoy was attacked by NATO warplanes as Sirte fell on 20 October 2011. He was then beaten and killed by NTC forces...
on 20 October that it would soon cease its military operations in the country, Mathaba stated that NATO had "surrendered". The agency also insisted that the video and images of Gaddafi's capture and body were faked and that he was "not captured and not killed" but "very much alive in more ways than one", and though he "does not need to speak... in the future if the time is right... he may choose to address us again". Readers were instructed to continue to spread the Green Charter in the meantime.