born 7 June 1942), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi , is a Libyan military officer, who seized power in a military coup in 1969. He abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951, and adopted laws based on his political ideology. His nearly-42 years in power have made him the fourth longest-ruling non-royal leader since 1900, as well as the longest-ruling Arab leader.
After seizing power, Gaddafi proceeded to eliminate any opposition and severely restricted lives of ordinary Libyans. Gaddafi's ideology was termed the Third International Theory and it was described in the Green Book. Gaddafi's family took over much of the economy. Gaddafi used billions of his rising oil revenues on international projects. He started several wars, had role in others, and spent on acquiring both chemical and nuclear weapons. More discreetly, he directed the country's revenues to sponsor terror and other political activities around the world. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. In the 1980s Gaddafi's support for terror led countries around the world to establish sanctions against Gaddafi Gaddafi succeeded to get rid of sanctions in the 1990s and 2000s.
In the wake of Arab Spring in February 2011, a movement demonstrating against Gaddafi spread across the country. Gaddafi responded by dispatching the military and plainclothes armed men on streets to attack demonstrators; however, many switched sides. Gaddafi went into a civil war with the movement. Since then he has lost control of most of eastern Libya. In August 2011, Gaddafi lost much of Tripoli to the uprising. Gaddafi's forces continue warfare in some locations.
Gaddafi's current location is unknown. He faces prosecution by the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity. Billions of dollars of his assets have been frozen around the world.
After seizing power, Gaddafi proceeded to eliminate any opposition and severely restricted lives of ordinary Libyans. Gaddafi's ideology was termed the Third International Theory and it was described in the Green Book. Gaddafi's family took over much of the economy. Gaddafi used billions of his rising oil revenues on international projects. He started several wars, had role in others, and spent on acquiring both chemical and nuclear weapons. More discreetly, he directed the country's revenues to sponsor terror and other political activities around the world. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. In the 1980s Gaddafi's support for terror led countries around the world to establish sanctions against Gaddafi Gaddafi succeeded to get rid of sanctions in the 1990s and 2000s.
In the wake of Arab Spring in February 2011, a movement demonstrating against Gaddafi spread across the country. Gaddafi responded by dispatching the military and plainclothes armed men on streets to attack demonstrators; however, many switched sides. Gaddafi went into a civil war with the movement. Since then he has lost control of most of eastern Libya. In August 2011, Gaddafi lost much of Tripoli to the uprising. Gaddafi's forces continue warfare in some locations.
Gaddafi's current location is unknown. He faces prosecution by the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity. Billions of dollars of his assets have been frozen around the world.
Given the overwhelming aerial superiority that NATO enjoyed, it clearly marked the beginning of the endgame for the desert fox, who had survived an amazing 41 years at the top, marking him as the longest-serving Arab despot (other than from a royal family).
And although the man whom Ronald Reagan christened “the mad dog of the Middle East” has survived several assassination attempts in these 41 years, and been subjected a succession of military strikes and economic coercion for his active involvement in terrorist strikes targeting the West, his cardinal mistake was giving up his nuclear weapons as part of a “rapprochement” with the West in 2003-04.
And although the man whom Ronald Reagan christened “the mad dog of the Middle East” has survived several assassination attempts in these 41 years, and been subjected a succession of military strikes and economic coercion for his active involvement in terrorist strikes targeting the West, his cardinal mistake was giving up his nuclear weapons as part of a “rapprochement” with the West in 2003-04.
Bodies of Kadafi loyalists lie outside the Libyan leader’s Bab Azizia compound in Tripoli, which rebels captured a day earlier. The Central Hospital morgue is filled with dozens of corpses, and doctors report at least 50 civilian deaths in recent days. (Zohra Bensemra, Reuters / August 25, 2011)
Libya dictator Moammar Gadhafi
Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed, the country's rebel government claimed Oct. 20. The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and a stronghold of his supporters. (ABC News)
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