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{{Short description|Leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011}}
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{{Use Oxford spelling|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder {{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = ]<br/>]
|honorific-prefix = ]
|name = Muammar al-Gaddafi<br>معمر محمد أبو منيار القذافي | native_name = {{nobold|معمر القذافي}}
| native_name_lang = ar
|honorific-suffix = ]
|image = Muammar al-Gaddafi at the AU summit.jpg | office = ]
| image = Moamer el Gadafi (cropped).jpg<!--Please do not change unless a final consensus has been established.-->
|caption = Gaddafi at an African Union summit in February 2009
| caption = Gaddafi in 1970
|office = ]
| predecessor = ''Himself'' (as Chairman of the RCC)
|president = {{List collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{plain list|
| primeminister = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|''See list''}}
* ]
|]
* ]
|]
* ]
|]
* ]
|Jadallah Azzuz at-Talhi
* ]
* ] |]
|]
* ]
* ] |]
|]
|]
|]
}} }}
| successor = ] (as Chairman of the NTC)
| signature = Muammar al-Gaddafi Signature.svg
| office2 = ]
| predecessor2 = ''Position established''
| primeminister2 = ]
| party = {{ubl|] (1971–1977)|] (1977–2011)}}
| office1 = ]
| predecessor1 = ] (as King of Libya)
| primeminister1 = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|''See list''}}
|]
|]
}} }}
| successor1 = ''Himself'' (as Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution)
|primeminister = {{List collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{plain list|
| successor2 = Abdul Ati al-Obeidi
* ]
| birth_name = Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi
* ]
| birth_date = <!-- His birth date does not appear to have been published in reliable sources. Please discuss on talk page. -->{{circa|1942}}
* ]
| birth_place = ], ]
* ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|10|20|1942|||df=y}}
* ]
| death_place = ], ]
* ]
| resting_place = In an unknown location in the ]
* ]
| spouse = {{Ubl| {{Marriage|]|1969|1970|end=div}} | {{Marriage|]|1970}}}}
* ]
| children = 10
* ]
{{Collapsible list|title=Sons {{nobold|(8)}}
* ]
|]
|]
|]
|] (deceased)
|]
|] (deceased)
|] (deceased)(disputed)
|Milad (adopted)
}} }}
{{Collapsible list|title=Daughters {{nobold|(2)}}
|]
|] (adopted)
}} }}
| residence = ]
|term_start = 1 September 1969
| alma_mater = {{Plain list|
|term_end = 23 August 2011{{#Tag:ref|For purposes of this article, 23 August 2011 is considered to be the date that Gaddafi left office. Other dates might have been chosen.
* ]
* On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments, including the United States, withdrew recognition from Gaddafi's government and recognised the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate government of Libya.<ref name="INDtncofficialgov">{{cite news | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/west-prepares-to-hand-rebels-gaddafis-billions-2314576.html | title=West prepares to hand rebels Gaddafi's billions |work=The Independent|location=London | date=16 July 2011| accessdate=16 July 2011 | first=Justin | last=Vela}}</ref>
* ]
* On 23 August 2011, during the ], Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces.<ref name=liveblog23811>Staff (23 August 2011). . ]. Retrieved 23 August 2011.</ref>
* On 25 August 2011, the ] proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".<ref name=taipeitimmes20110826 />
* On 20 October 2011, Gaddafi was captured and killed near his hometown of Sirte.<ref name=bbc20111021>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |title=Muammar Gaddafi: How he died |publisher=BBC|accessdate=21 October 2011}}</ref>
* In a ceremony on 23 October 2011, officials of the interim National Transitional Council declared, "We declare to the whole world that we have liberated our beloved country, with its cities, villages, hill-tops, mountains, deserts and skies."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/23/libya-declaration-liberation-idUKL5E7LN0P620111023|title=UPDATE 4-Libya declares nation liberated after Gaddafi death|date=23 October 2011|work=Reuters|first=Yasmine|last=Saleh}}</ref>|group=nb}}
|predecessor = ''Position established''
|successor = ''Position abolished''
|office1 = ]
|primeminister1 = {{plain list|
* ]
* ]
* ]
}} }}
| death_cause = ]
|term_start1 = 1 September 1969
| allegiance = {{Plain list|
|term_end1 = 2 March 1977
|predecessor1 = ] <small>(King)</small> * {{flagicon|Libya|1951}} ] (1961–1969)
* {{flagicon|Libya|1969}} ] (1969–1977)
|successor1 = '''Himself''' <small>(])</small>
* {{flagicon|Libya|1977}} ] (1977–2011)
|office2 = ]
|primeminister2 = ]
|term_start2 = 2 March 1977
|term_end2 = 2 March 1979
|predecessor2 = Himself <small>(])</small>
|successor2 = ]
|office3 = ]
|term_start3 = 16 January 1970
|term_end3 = 16 July 1972
|predecessor3 = ]
|successor3 = ]
|office4 = ]
|term_start4 = 2 February 2009
|term_end4 = 31 January 2010
|predecessor4 = ]
|successor4 = ]
|birth_date = c. 1940&ndash;43
|birth_place = ], ]
|death_date = {{death date|2011|10|20}} <small>(aged ''c.''69)</small>
|death_place = ], Libya
|resting_place = Undisclosed
|party = ] <small>(1971–1977)</small>
] <small>(1977–2011)</small>
|spouse = {{plain list|
* Fatiha al-Nuri <small>(1969–1970)</small>
* ] <small>(1970–2011)</small>
}} }}
| branch = ]
|children = {{List collapsed|title=''Sons''|1={{plain list|
| serviceyears = 1961–2011
* ] <small>(born 1970)</small>
| rank = ]
* ] <small>(born 1972)</small>
| commands = ]
* ] <small>(born 1973)</small>
| battles = {{tree list}}
* ] <small>(1974–2011)</small>
* ]
* ] <small>(born 1975)</small>
* ]
* ] <small>(1982–2011)</small>
* ]
* ] <small>(1983–2012)</small>
** ]
* Milad <small>(adopted)</small>
* ]
* ]
* ]
** ]
{{tree list/end}}
| term_start = 2 March 1979
| term_end = 20 October 2011{{Efn|For purposes of this article, 20 October 2011—the date on which Gaddafi died<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |title=Muammar Gaddafi: How He Died |date=31 October 2011 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324201718/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |archive-date=24 March 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>—is considered to be the date he left office. Other dates might have been chosen:
* On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments, including the United States, withdrew recognition from Gaddafi's government and recognized the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate government of Libya.<ref name="INDtncofficialgov" />
* On 23 August 2011, during the ], Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces.<ref name="liveblog23811">Staff (23 August 2011). . ''Libya Live Blog''. ]. Retrieved 23 August 2011.</ref>
* On 25 August 2011, the ] proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".<ref name="taipeitimmes20110826" />
* On 16 September 2011, the ] sat the representatives of the ] as Libya's official delegation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2011/ga11137.doc.htm |title=After Much Wrangling, General Assembly Seats National Transitional Council of Libya as Country's Representative for Sixty-Sixth Session |publisher=United Nations |date=16 September 2011 |access-date=20 October 2020 |archive-date=1 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601170251/https://www.un.org/press/en/2011/ga11137.doc.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| term_start1 = 1 September 1969
| term_end1 = 2 March 1977
| term_start2 = 2 March 1977
| term_end2 = 2 March 1979
| office3 = ]
| status3 = As ]
| term_start3 = 16 January 1970
| term_end3 = 16 July 1972
| predecessor3 = ]
| successor3 = ]
| office4 = 7th ]
| term_start4 = 2 February 2009
| term_end4 = 31 January 2010
| predecessor4 = ]
| successor4 = ]
| nationality = Libyan
}} }}
{{Muammar Gaddafi series}}
}}{{List collapsed|title=''Daughters''|1={{plain list|
'''Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi'''{{#tag:ref| English pronunciation: {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|oʊ|ə|m|ɑr|_|ɡ|ə|ˈ|d|æ|f|i}} {{respell|MOH|ə|mar|_|gə|DAF|ee}} or {{IPAc-en|ɡ|ə|ˈ|d|ɑː|f|i}} {{respell|gə|DAH|fee}}; {{Langx|ar|مُعمّر محمد أبو منيار القذّافي|Muʿammar Muḥammad ʾAbū Minyār al-Qaḏḏāfī}}, {{IPA|arb|muˈʕamːar alqaˈðːaːfi|-|Ar-Muammar al-Qaddafi.ogg|link=yes|small=no}}, {{IPA|ayl|ɡəˈðːaːfiː|link=yes|small=no}} (eastern dialects) {{IPA|ayl|ɡəˈdːaːfiː|label=or|small=no}} (western dialects).<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics |publisher=Brill |volume=3 |year=2008 |pages=52–58 |chapter=Libya |first=Christophe |last=Pereira}}</ref><p>Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been ] in various ways. A 1986 column by '']'' lists 32 spellings known from the US ],<ref>{{cite web |title=How are you supposed to spell Muammar Gaddafi/Khadafy/Qadhafi? |url=https://www.straightdope.com/21341687/how-are-you-supposed-to-spell-muammar-gaddafi-khadafy-qadhafi |url-status=live |website=] |year=1986 |access-date=5 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205230030/http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/513/how-are-you-supposed-to-spell-muammar-gaddafi-khadafy-qadhafi |archive-date=5 February 2017}}</ref> while ] identified 112 possible spellings.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gibson |first=Charles |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/09/how-many-different-ways-can-you-spell-gaddafi.html |title=How Many Different Ways Can You Spell 'Gaddafi' |publisher=] |date=22 September 2009 |access-date=22 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206125143/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2009/09/how-many-different-ways-can-you-spell-gaddafi/ |archive-date=6 February 2012}}</ref></p>A 2007 interview with Gaddafi's son ] confirms that Saif spelled his own name '''Qadhafi'''<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2011/03/01/saif-gaddafi-on-how-to-spell-his-last-name.html |title=Saif Gaddafi on How to Spell His Last Name |newspaper=] |date=1 March 2011 |access-date=1 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006185631/https://www.thedailybeast.com/saif-gaddafi-on-how-to-spell-his-last-name |archive-date=6 October 2017}}</ref> and the passport of Gaddafi's son Mohammed used the spelling '''Gathafi'''.<ref>{{Cite news |website=] |title=Rebel Discovers Qaddafi Passport, Real Spelling of Leader's Name |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/rebel-discovers-qaddafi-passport-real-spelling-of-leaders-name/244077/ |date=24 August 2011 |last=Fisher |first=Max |access-date=6 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405081500/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/rebel-discovers-qaddafi-passport-real-spelling-of-leaders-name/244077/ |archive-date=5 April 2013}}</ref> According to ] the variant '''Qaddafi''' was slightly more widespread, followed by '''Qadhafi''', '''Gaddafi''' and '''Gadhafi'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecogito.net/anil/2011/02/how-do-you-spell-gaddafis-name/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228031945/http://www.ecogito.net/anil/2011/02/how-do-you-spell-gaddafis-name/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2011 |title=How Do You Spell Gaddafi's Name? |author=Anil Kandangath |date=25 February 2011 |website=Doublespeak Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Qaddafi,Gaddafi,Qadhafi,Gadhafi,Khadafi,Khadafy,Qadhdhafi&year_start=1998&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3|title=Google Books Ngram Viewer|website=books.google.com}}</ref> Scientific romanizations of the name are '''Qaḏḏāfī''' (], ], ]) or (rarely used) '''Qadhdhāfī''' (]).|group=pron}}<!------END OF NOTE------> ({{circa|1942}}{{spaced ndash}}20 October 2011) was a Libyan ], politician and political theorist who ruled ] from 1969 until his ] by ] in 2011. He came to power through a ], first becoming ] of the ] from 1969 to 1977 and then the '] of the ] from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to ] and ], Gaddafi later ruled according to his own ].
* ] <small>(born 1976)</small>
* ] <small>(adopted)</small>
}}
}}
|alma_mater = ]
|religion = ] <small>(])</small>
|signature = Muammar al-Gaddafi Signature.svg
|allegiance = {{flagicon image|Flag of Libya (1977-2011).svg}} ]
{{plain list|
* {{flagicon|Libya|1951}} ]<div style="font-size:85%;">(1961–1969)</div>
* {{flagicon|Libya|1972}} ]<div style="font-size:85%;">(1969–1977)</div>
* {{flagicon|Libya|1977}} ]<div style="font-size:85%;">(1977–2011)</div>
}}
|branch = ]
|serviceyears = 1961–2011
|rank = ]
|commands = ]
|battles = {{plain list|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
|awards =
}}
'''Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi'''<ref name="iccwarrant">{{cite web|title=The Prosecutor v. Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi|url=http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Situations+and+Cases/Situations/ICC0111/Related+Cases/ICC01110111/Court+Records/ |work=ICC-01/11-01/11|publisher=]|accessdate=3 September 2011|date=4 July 2011}}</ref> ({{lang-ar|معمر محمد أبو منيار القذافي}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|oʊ|.|ə|m|ɑr|_|ɡ|ə|ˈ|d|ɑː|f|i}} {{Audio|Ar-Muammar al-Qaddafi.ogg|audio}}) ({{circa}} 1942{{spaced ndash}}20 October 2011), commonly known as '''Colonel Gaddafi''',{{#tag:ref|Due to the lack of standardization of ], Gaddafi's name has been ] in various different ways. A 1986 column by '']'' lists 32 spellings known from the U.S. ],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_264b.html |title=How are you supposed to spell Muammar Gaddafi/Khadafy/Qadhafi? |publisher=The Straight Dope |year=1986 |accessdate=5 March 2006}}</ref> while ] and MSNBC identified 112 possible spellings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/09/how-many-different-ways-can-you-spell-gaddafi.html |title=How many different ways can you spell 'Gaddafi' |publisher=ABC News |date=September 2009 |accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite video|person=Chris Matthews|title=Hardball With Chris Matthews|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#44994620|date=21 October 2011|publisher=MSNBC|accessdate=22 October 2011}}</ref> A 2007 interview with Gaddafi's son ] confirms that he used the spelling "Qadhafi",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2011/03/01/saif-gaddafi-on-how-to-spell-his-last-name.html |title=Saif Gaddafi on How to Spell His Last Name |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=1 March 2011 |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref> and Muammar's official passport used the spelling "Al-Gathafi".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Atlantic|title=Rebel Discovers Qaddafi Passport, Real Spelling of Leader's Name|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/rebel-discovers-qaddafi-passport-real-spelling-of-leaders-name/244077/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4g_8zBdwzk |title=Mohamed Al-Gaddafi's Passport August&nbsp;24, 2011 |publisher=YouTube |date=24 August 2011 |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref>|group=nb}} ruled Libya for 42 years, taking power in a 1969 coup d'etat overthrowing King Idris. He was ousted in 2011 in the ]. As a ] revolutionary and politician, he ruled Libya as Revolutionary Chairman of the ] from 1969 to 1977 and then as the "Brother Leader" of the ] from 1977 to 2011. Politically an ] and ], he governed the country according to his own ideology, ], later embracing ] and serving as ] of the ] from 2009 to 2010.


<!--Early life and the republic:--> <!--Early life and the republic-->
The son of an impoverished ] goatherder, Gaddafi became involved in politics while at school in ], subsequently enrolling in the ]. Founding a revolutionary cell within the military, in 1969 they seized power from ] in a ] ]. Becoming Chairman of the governing ] (RCC), he dissolved the monarchy and proclaimed the Republic. ], he implemented measures to remove what he viewed as foreign ] influence from Libya, and strengthened ties to Arab nationalist governments. Intent on pushing Libya toward ], he nationalized the oil industry and used the increased revenues to bolster the military, implement social programs and fund revolutionary militants across the world. In 1973 he initiated a "Popular Revolution" with the formation of ]s (GPCs), a system of ], but retained personal control over major decisions. He outlined his Third International Theory that year, publishing these ideas in '']''. Born near ], ], to a poor ] Arab family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in ], later enrolling in the ]. Within the military, he founded a revolutionary group known as the ] which deposed the ]-backed ] monarchy of ] in a ]. After taking power, Gaddafi converted Libya into a republic governed by his ]. ], he ] and ejected its Western military bases. He strengthened ties to Arab nationalist governments—particularly ]'s Egypt—and unsuccessfully advocated ]. An ], he introduced '']'' as the basis for the legal system and promoted ]. He nationalized the oil industry and used the increasing state revenues to bolster the military, ], and implement social programs emphasizing housebuilding, healthcare and education projects. In 1973, he initiated a "]" with the formation of ], presented as a system of ], but retained personal control over major decisions. He outlined his Third International Theory that year in '']''.


<!--Jamahiriya and downfall:--> <!--Jamahiriya and downfall-->
In 1977, he dissolved the Republic and created the '']'', a "state of the masses" part-governed by GPCs. Officially adopting a symbolic role in governance, he retained power as military commander-in-chief and head of the Revolutionary Committees responsible for policing and suppressing opponents. Overseeing unsuccessful border conflicts with Egypt and Chad, Gaddafi's support for foreign militants led to Libya's label of "international pariah"; a particularly hostile relationship developed with the United States and United Kingdom. From 1999, Gaddafi encouraged economic privatization, pan-African integration, and sought better relations with the West. In 2011, an anti-Gaddafist uprising led by the ] (NTC) broke out, resulting in civil war. ] ] on the side of the NTC, resulting in the government's downfall. Retreating to ], Gaddafi was captured and killed by NTC militia. In 1977 Gaddafi transformed Libya into a new ] called a '']'' ("state of the masses"). He officially adopted a symbolic role in governance but remained head of both the military and the Revolutionary Committees responsible for policing and suppressing dissent. During the 1970s and 1980s, Libya's unsuccessful border conflicts with ] and ], support for foreign militants, and alleged responsibility for bombings of ] and ] left it increasingly isolated on the world stage. A particularly hostile relationship developed with Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom, resulting in the ] and United Nations–imposed economic sanctions. From 1999, Gaddafi shunned pan-Arabism, and encouraged ] and rapprochement with ]; he was ] from 2009 to 2010. Amid the 2011 ], protests against widespread corruption and unemployment broke out in eastern Libya. The situation descended into ], in which ] ] on the side of the anti-Gaddafist ] (NTC). Gaddafi's government was overthrown; he retreated to Sirte only to be captured, tortured and killed by NTC militants.


<!--Legacy and assessment:--> <!--Legacy and assessment:-->
Gaddafi was a controversial and highly divisive world figure. Supporters lauded his anti-imperialist stance and work in unifying Africa and the Arab world, and he was decorated with various awards. Conversely, he was internationally condemned as a dictator and autocrat whose authoritarian administration ] and supported international ]. A highly divisive figure, Gaddafi dominated Libya's politics for four decades and was the subject of a pervasive ]. He was decorated with various awards and praised for his ] stance, support for Arab—and then African—unity, as well as for significant development to the country following the discovery of oil reserves. Conversely, many Libyans strongly opposed Gaddafi's social and economic reforms; he was accused of various human rights violations. He was condemned by many as a dictator whose ] administration systematically violated ] and financed global ] in the region and abroad.

{{TOC limit|3}} {{TOC limit|3}}


==Early life== ==Early life and career==


===Childhood: 1942/43&ndash;1950=== ===Childhood: 1940s to 1950===
Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi<ref name="iccwarrant">{{cite web |title=The Prosecutor v. Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi |url=http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/situations%20and%20cases/situations/icc0111/related%20cases/icc01110111/Pages/icc01110111.aspx |work=ICC-01/11-01/11 |publisher=International Criminal Court |access-date=5 December 2013 |date=11 November 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113152832/https://www.icc-cpi.int/libya/gaddafi?ln=en |archive-date=13 November 2016 }}</ref> was born near ], a rural area outside the town of ] in the deserts of ], Italian western Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=33|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} Gaddafi was the only son of his parents and the youngest of four siblings. His family came from a small, relatively uninfluential tribe called the ],{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=33|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3p=170|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=9}} who were ] in heritage. His mother was named Aisha bin Niran (died 1978), and his father, Mohammad Abdul Salam bin Hamed bin Mohammad, was known as Abu Meniar (died 1985); the latter earned a meager subsistence as a goat and camel herder.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=33|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=9}}
] tribe.]]
Muammar Gaddafi was born in a tent near ], a rural area outside the town of ] in the deserts of western Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=33|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} His family came from a small, relatively unimportant tribal group called the ],{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=33|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9}} who were ] in heritage.{{sfn|Harriss|1986|p=45}} His father, Mohammad Abdul Salam bin Hamed bin Mohammad, was known as Abu Meniar (died 1985), and his mother was named Aisha (died 1978); Abu Meniar earned a subsistence as a goat and camel herder.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=33|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9}} Nomadic ], they were illiterate and kept no birth records; as such, Gaddafi's date of birth is not known with certainty, and sources have set it in 1942 or in the spring of 1943, although biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that it could have been pre-1940.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=35|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} His parents' only surviving son, he had three older sisters.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=35|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} Gaddafi's upbringing in Bedouin culture influenced his personal tastes for the rest of the life. He repeatedly expressed a preference for the desert to the city, and retreated to the desert to meditate.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=9|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=135}}


Like other contemporary nomadic ] tribes, the family were illiterate and did not keep any birth records.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=35|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} His birthday is not known with certainty and sources have set it in 1942 or the spring of 1943,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=35|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} although his biographers ] and ] noted that it could have been pre-1940.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=35}} His parents' only surviving son, he had three older sisters.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=35|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=135}} Gaddafi's upbringing in Bedouin culture influenced his personal tastes for the rest of his life; he preferred the desert over the city and would retreat there to meditate.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=9|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=135}}
At the time of his birth, Libya was ], witnessing the conflict between Italian and British troops as a part of the ] of ]; as a result, Gaddafi was aware of the involvement of European colonialists in his country from childhood.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=35&ndash;37|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=135}} According to later claims, Gaddafi's paternal grandfather, Abdessalam Bouminyar, was killed by the Italian Army during the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1p=4|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=37|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=4}} At World War II's end in 1945, British and French forces had taken control of Libya, and although intending on dividing the nation between themselves, the ] declared that the country be granted political independence. In 1951, the UN created the ], a federal state under the leadership of a pro-western monarch, ], who banned political parties and established an ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=38&ndash;39|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=7&ndash;9, 14|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=108}}

From childhood, Gaddafi was aware of the involvement of European colonial powers in Libya; his nation was ], and during the ] of the ] it witnessed conflict between Italian and British forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=35–37|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=135}} According to later claims, Gaddafi's paternal grandfather, Abdessalam Bouminyar, was killed by the Italian Army during the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1p=4|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=37|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=4}} At the end of the Second World War in 1945, Libya was occupied by British and French forces. Britain and France considered dividing the nation between their empires, but the ] of the United Nations (UN) decided that the country was to be granted political independence,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=38–39|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=7–9, 14|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=108}} and in 1951 created the ], a federal state under the leadership of a pro-Western monarch, ], who banned political parties and centralized power in his own hands.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=38–39|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=7–9, 14|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=108}}


===Education and political activism: 1950–1963=== ===Education and political activism: 1950–1963===


Gaddafi's earliest education was provided by a local tribal teacher, comprising largely of the traditional Islamic teachings which influenced him throughout his life.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1p=5|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=135–136}} Subsequently moving to nearby Sirte to attend elementary school, he progressed through six grades in four years. Education in Libya was not free, but his father thought it would greatly benefit his son, despite the fact that paying for it strained the impoverished family's resources. During the week Gaddafi slept in the local ], and at weekends walked 20 miles to visit his parents. Bullied for being a Bedouin, he nevertheless was proud of his identity and encouraged other Bedouin children to think the same.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1pp=5&ndash;6, 8&ndash;9|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=39|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=10|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} From Sirte, he and his family moved to the market town of ] in ], south-central Libya. Here, his father worked as the caretaker for a local tribal leader while Muammar attended secondary school, something neither parent had done.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=39|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=10&ndash;11|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}} Gaddafi was popular at the school; some friends made there would receive significant jobs in his later administration, most notably his best friend, ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=39&ndash;40|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=11}} Gaddafi's earliest education was of a religious nature, imparted by a local Islamic teacher.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1p=5|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=135–136}} Subsequently, moving to nearby Sirte to attend elementary school, he progressed through six grades in four years.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1pp=5–6, 8–9|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=39|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=10|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} Education in Libya was not free, but his father thought it would greatly benefit his son despite the financial strain. During the week Gaddafi slept in a mosque, and only at weekends and holidays walked {{convert|20|miles|km}} to visit his parents. Even though Gaddafi's father was not educated, he made great sacrifices to send his son to school.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1pp=5–6, 8–9|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=39|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3p=170|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=10|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=136}} As an impoverished Bedouin, he faced bullying and discrimination from his city-dwelling classmates. However, he had many Egyptian teachers who informed him of the dramatic events occurring in their homeland.{{sfnm|1a1=Bianco|1y=1975|1pp=5–6, 8–9|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=39|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=10|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} From Sirte, he and his family moved to the market town of ] in ], south-central Libya, where his father worked as a caretaker for a tribal leader while Muammar attended secondary school, something neither parent had done.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=39|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2pp=170–171|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=10–11|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} Gaddafi was popular at this school; some friends made there received significant jobs in his later administration, most notably his best friend, ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=39–40|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=11}}


] was Gaddafi's political hero.]]
Many teachers at Sabha were Egyptian, and for the first time Gaddafi had access to pan-Arab newspapers and radio broadcasts, most notably the ]-based '']''.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=40|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=11&ndash;12|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}} Growing up, Gaddafi witnessed significant events rock the ], including the ], the ], the ] of 1956, and the short-lived existence of the ] between 1958 and 1961.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=136}} Gaddafi took an active interest in the political changes being implemented in the ] under the presidency of ] of the ], who had ascended to power in 1956. An advocate of ], Nasser argued for greater unity within the Arab world, the rejection of Western ], ], and ], and a transition from ] to ]. Such ideas inspired Gaddafi, who viewed Nasser as a hero.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1pp=10|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=11&ndash;12|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}} Nasser's book, '']'', was a key influence on Gaddafi; outlining how to initiate a coup, it has been described as "the inspiration and blueprint of revolution."{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=40}} Becoming actively involved in politics, Gaddafi helped organize demonstrations and distribute posters criticizing the monarchy.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=42&ndash;43|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=11&ndash;12|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}}


Many teachers at Sabha were Egyptian, and for the first time, Gaddafi had access to pan-Arab newspapers and radio broadcasts, especially the ]-based '']''.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=40|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=11–12|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} Growing up, Gaddafi witnessed significant events severely disturb the ], including the ], the ], the ] of 1956, and the short-lived existence of the ] (UAR) between 1958 and 1961.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=136}} Gaddafi admired the political changes implemented in the ] under his hero, President ]. Nasser argued for ]; the rejection of Western ], ], and ]; and a transition from ] to ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=40|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=10|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=11–12|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=136}} Gaddafi was influenced by Nasser's book, ''Philosophy of the Revolution'', which outlined how to initiate a coup.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=40|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2p=171}} One of Gaddafi's Egyptian teachers, Mahmoud Efay, was reportedly sympathetic towards the youth's political ideas, and advised him that a successful revolution would need the support of the army.{{sfn|Simons|1996|p=171}}
In October 1961, Gaddafi led a local demonstration in protest at Syria's secession from the United Arab Republic. During the protest he led an attack on a local hotel accused of serving alcohol, breaking several windows. As a result he caught the authorities' attention, who expelled him from the school and ordered his family to leave Sabha.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=42&ndash;43|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=11|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}} Intent on finishing his secondary education, Gaddafi moved to ], where he attended Misrata Secondary School.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=44|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=11|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=137}} Maintaining his interest in Arab nationalist activism, he refused to join any of the banned political parties then active in the city – including the ], the ], and the ] – claiming he rejected factionalism.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=137}} He read voraciously, including everything that he could find on the subjects of Nasser and the ], as well as the works of Syrian political theorist ] and biographies of ], ], and ].{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=137}}

Gaddafi organized demonstrations and distributed posters criticizing the monarchy.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=42–43|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=11–12|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=136}} In October 1961, he led a demonstration protesting against Syria's secession from the UAR and raised funds to send cables of support to Nasser. Twenty students were arrested as a result of the disorder. Gaddafi and his companions also broke windows in a local hotel that was ]. To punish Gaddafi, the authorities expelled him and his family from Sabha.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=42–43|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3pp=171–172|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=11|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=136}} Gaddafi moved to ], there attending Misrata Secondary School.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=58|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=44|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3p=172|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=11|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=137}} Maintaining his interest in Arab nationalist activism, he refused to join any of the banned political parties active in the city—including the ], the ], and the ]—claiming that he rejected factionalism.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=137}} He read voraciously on the subjects of Nasser and the ] of 1789, as well as the works of the Syrian political theorist ] and biographies of ], ], and ].{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=137}}


===Military training: 1963–1966=== ===Military training: 1963–1966===
Deciding to study History at the ] in ], Gaddafi soon dropped out to join the military.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1pp=46&ndash;47|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=138}} Despite his police record, in 1963 he began training at the ], Benghazi, alongside several friends from Misrata who shared his political views. The armed forces offered the only good opportunity for upward social mobility for Libyans from underprivileged backgrounds such as himself, and was an obvious instrument of political change, having the potential for ousting Idris' absolute monarchy.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=45|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=12|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=138}} Libya's armed forces were trained by the British military, angering Gaddafi, who viewed the British as imperialists; he refused to learn English, was rude to the British officers, and failed his exams.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=45}} The British trainers reported him for insubordination and abusive behaviour, stating their suspicion that he was directly involved in the assassination of the military academy's commander in 1963. Such reports were ignored and Gaddafi quickly progressed through the course.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=46, 48&ndash;49}} Gaddafi briefly studied history at the ] in ] before dropping out to join the military.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1pp=46–47|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=138}} Despite his police record, in 1963 he began training at the ], Benghazi, alongside several like-minded friends from Misrata. The armed forces offered the only opportunity for upward social mobility for underprivileged Libyans, and Gaddafi recognized it as a potential instrument of political change.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=45|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=12|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=138}} Under Idris, Libya's armed forces were trained by the British military; this angered Gaddafi, who viewed the British as imperialists, and accordingly, he refused to learn English and was rude to the British officers, ultimately failing his exams.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=45}} British trainers reported him for insubordination and abusive behaviour, stating their suspicion that he was involved in the assassination of the military academy's commander in 1963. Such reports were ignored, and Gaddafi quickly progressed through the course.{{Contradictory inline |reason=contradicts statement a few sentences earlier that he ultimately failed his exams|date=September 2023}}{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=46, 48–49|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2p=173}}


With a group of loyal cadres, in 1964, Gaddafi established the Central Committee of the Free Officers Movement, a revolutionary group named after Nasser's ]. Led by Gaddafi, they met secretively and were organized into a ], pooling their salaries into a single fund.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=47–48|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2p=173|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=12–13}} Gaddafi travelled around Libya collecting intelligence and developing connections with sympathizers, but the government's intelligence services ignored him, considering him little threat.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=13}} Graduating in August 1965,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=138}} Gaddafi became a communications officer in the army's signal corps.{{sfnm|1a1=Simons|1y=1996|1p=174|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=138}}
]


In April 1966, he was assigned to the United Kingdom for further training; over nine months he underwent an English-language course at ], Buckinghamshire, an ] signal instructors course in ], Dorset, and an infantry signal instructors course at ], Kent.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=49–50|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2p=174|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=13|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=138}} Despite later rumours to the contrary, he did not attend the ].{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=13}} The Bovington signal course's director reported that Gaddafi successfully overcame problems learning English, displaying a firm command of voice procedure. Noting that Gaddafi's favourite hobbies were reading and playing ], he thought of him as an "amusing officer, always cheerful, hard-working, and conscientious".{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=138–139}} Gaddafi disliked England, claiming ] officers had racially insulted him and finding it difficult adjusting to the country's culture; asserting his Arab identity in London, he walked around ] wearing traditional Libyan robes.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=49–50|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2p=174|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=13|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=139}} He later related that while he travelled to England believing it more advanced than Libya, he returned home "more confident and proud of our values, ideals and social character".{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=49–50|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=13|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=139}}
With a group of loyal cadres, in 1964 Gaddafi founded the Central Committee of the Free Officers Movement, named after ] founded in 1949 by Nasser, devoting themselves to the revolutionary cause. Led by Gaddafi, they met clandestinely and were organised into a ], offering their salaries into a single fund.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=47&ndash;48|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=12&ndash;13}} Gaddafi travelled around Libya when he could, gathering intelligence and developing connections with those sympathetic to his cause; the government's intelligence services failed to pay much attention, considering him of little threat due to his poor background.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=13}} Gaddafi graduated in August 1965,{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=138}} becoming commissioned as a communications officer in the Libyan Army's signal corps.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=138}}

In April 1966, he was assigned to the ] for further training; over nine months he underwent an English-language course at ], ], a ] signal instructors course in ], ], and an infantry signal instructors course at ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=49&ndash;50|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=13|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=138}} Despite later rumours to the contrary, he did not attend the ].{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=13}} The director of the Bovington signal course put together a report noting that Gaddafi successfully overcame early problems with learning English, displaying a firm command of voice procedure. Noting that Gaddafi's favourite hobbies were reading and playing ], he thought him an "amusing officer, always cheerful, hard-working, and conscientious."{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|pp=138&ndash;139}} Gaddafi disliked his time in England, claiming British Army officers racially insulted him and finding it difficult adjusting to the country's culture; asserting his Arab identity in ], he walked around ] wearing traditional Libyan robes. He later related that while he travelled to England believing it more advanced than Libya, he returned home "more confident and proud of our values, ideals and social character."{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=49&ndash;50|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=13|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=139}}


==Libyan Arab Republic== ==Libyan Arab Republic==
{{Further|History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi}}


===Coup d'etat: 1969=== ===Coup d'état: 1969===
{{Main|1969 Libyan coup d'état}}
King Idris' government had become increasingly unpopular by the latter 1960s. In 1963 they had begun the export of the country's oil, providing a huge boost to the country's economy. Attempting to make the industry as profitable as possible, they replaced the federal system with a centralized one, causing problems in a country that was deeply divided along regional, ethnic and tribal lines.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=14|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=52|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=15–16}} Within the oil industry, corruption was widespread, with entrenched systems of patronage.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=51|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=136}} Arab nationalism was becoming increasingly popular, and protests flared up in 1967 following Egypt's defeat in the ] with Israel; being allies with the western powers, Idris' administration was seen as favourable to Israel. Anti-western riots broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi, while Libyan workers shut down the oil terminals in solidarity with Egypt.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=16–17}} By 1969, the U.S. ] was expecting segments of Libya's armed forces to institute a coup d'etat. Although claims have been made that they knew about Gaddafi's Free Officers Movement, they have since claimed ignorance, instead stating that they were monitoring a separate revolutionary group known as the Black Boots, led by Abdul Aziz Shalhi.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=53|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=19|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3pp=139&ndash;140}}


{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=People of Libya! In response to your own will, fulfilling your most heartfelt wishes, answering your most incessant demands for change and regeneration, and your longing to strive towards these ends: listening to your incitement to rebel, your armed forces have undertaken the overthrow of the corrupt regime, the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all. At a single blow our gallant army has toppled these idols and has destroyed their images. By a single stroke it has lightened the long dark night in which the Turkish domination was followed first by Italian rule, then by this reactionary and decadent regime which was no more than a hotbed of extortion, faction, treachery and treason.|salign=right |source=—Gaddafi's radio speech after seizing power, 1969{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=54|2a1=Simons|2y=1996|2pp=178–179}} }}
] of the Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1977).]]


Idris' government was increasingly unpopular by the latter 1960s; it had exacerbated Libya's traditional regional and tribal divisions by ] the country's ] to take advantage of the country's oil wealth.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=14|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=52|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=15–16}} Corruption and entrenched systems of patronage were widespread throughout the oil industry.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=51|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=136}} Arab nationalism was increasingly popular, and protests flared up following Egypt's 1967 defeat in the ] with Israel; Idris' administration was seen as pro-Israeli due to its alliance with the Western powers.{{sfnm|1a1=Simons|1y=1996|1p=175|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2006|2p=70|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=16–17}} Anti-Western riots broke out in ] and Benghazi, while Libyan workers shut down oil terminals in solidarity with Egypt.{{sfnm|1a1=Simons|1y=1996|1p=175|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2006|2p=70|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=16–17}} By 1969, the US ] (CIA) was expecting segments of Libya's armed forces to launch a coup. Although claims have been made that they knew of Gaddafi's ], they have since claimed ignorance, stating that they were instead monitoring ]'s Black Boots revolutionary group.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=53|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=19|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=139–140}} Shalhi, who effectively served as Idris' chief of staff, and his brother Omar were the sons of Idris' former chief advisor Ibrahim Shalhi, who had been murdered by ]'s nephew in the fall of 1954.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1955-07-04 |title=LIBYA: Family Troubles |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,807255,00.html |access-date=2023-02-10 |issn=0040-781X |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210080151/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,807255,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After their father's assassination, they became the favorites of Idris.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qaddafi – The Man and His Rise to Power – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training |url=https://adst.org/2013/08/qaddafi-the-man-and-his-rise-to-power/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=adst.org |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210074629/https://adst.org/2013/08/qaddafi-the-man-and-his-rise-to-power/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In mid-1969, King Idris travelled abroad to spend the summer in Turkey and Greece. Gaddafi's Free Officers recognized this as their chance to overthrow the monarchy, initiating a plan that they called "Operation Jerusalem".{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=18}} On 1 September, they occupied airports, police depots, radio stations and government offices in Tripoli and Benghazi. Gaddafi took control of the Berka barracks in Benghazi, while ] occupied the Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the anti-aircraft batteries around the city. ] was sent to the royal palace in order to arrest crown prince ], and force him to relinquish any claim to the throne.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=14|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=57&ndash;59|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=18}} They did not meet any serious resistance, and wielded little violence against the monarchists.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=18}}


In mid-1969, Idris travelled abroad to spend the summer in Turkey and Greece amid widespread rumors of an abdication or a British-backed coup by the Shalhi brothers on 5 September.<ref name=":7" /> Gaddafi's Free Officers, recognizing this as their last chance to preempt the Shelhis in overthrowing the monarchy, initiated "Operation Jerusalem".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=52|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18}} If Gaddafi's Free Officers had not preempted the Shelhis, they would have almost certainly been defeated by the combined forces of Abdul Aziz Shelhi, the deputy commander of Libya's army, and the prominent families in ] that supported the Shelhi family.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fathali, `Umar Ibrahim |first1=`Umar Ibrahim |title=Political Development and Social Change in Libya |last2=Palmer |first2=Monte |publisher=] |year=1980 |location=Lexington, Massachusetts |pages=40}}</ref> On 1 September, Gaddafi's Free Officers occupied airports, police depots, radio stations, and government offices in Tripoli and Benghazi. Gaddafi took control of the Berka barracks in Benghazi, while ] occupied Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the city's anti-aircraft batteries. ] took over the Tripoli radio station and was sent to arrest crown prince ] and force him to relinquish his claim to the throne.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=14|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=57–59|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3pp=177–178|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=18}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ash |first=Nigel |date=2015-07-27 |title=Qaddafi collaborator Khuwaildi Al-Hamidi dies of heart attack |url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/qaddafi-collaborator-khuwaildi-al-hamidi-dies-of-heart-attack/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=LibyaHerald |language=en-US |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210014017/https://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/qaddafi-collaborator-khuwaildi-al-hamidi-dies-of-heart-attack/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They met no serious resistance and wielded little violence against the monarchists.{{sfnm|1a1=Simons|1y=1996|1p=178|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18}}
Having overthrown and abolished the monarchy, Gaddafi proclaimed the foundation of the ].{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=15}} He addressed the populace by radio, proclaiming an end to the old "reactionary and corrupt" regime, "the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all."{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=14|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=59&ndash;60|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=18}} Due to the bloodless nature of the coup, it was initially labelled the "White Revolution", although later became known as the "One September Revolution" after the date on which it occurred.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=134}} Gaddafi was insistent that the Free Officers' ascent to power represented not just a coup but a revolution, marking the start of a widespread change in the socio-economic and political nature of Libyan society.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=159}} He would proclaim that the revolution meant "freedom, ], and unity" for Libya, and over the coming years would implement measures to achieve this.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=15|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=64|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=148}}

Once Gaddafi removed the monarchical government, he announced the foundation of the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=55|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=15|3a1=Simons|3y=1996|3p=179}} Addressing the populace by radio, he proclaimed an end to the "reactionary and corrupt" regime, "the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=54|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=14|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3pp=59–60|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=18}} Due to the coup's bloodless nature, it was initially labelled the "White Revolution", although was later renamed the "One September Revolution" after the date on which it occurred.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=134}} Gaddafi insisted that the Free Officers' coup represented a revolution, marking the start of widespread change in the socio-economic and political nature of Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=472|2a1=Bearman|2y=1986|2p=56|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=159}} He proclaimed that the revolution meant "freedom, socialism, and unity", and over the coming years implemented measures to achieve this.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=62|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=15|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3p=64|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=148}}


===Consolidating leadership: 1969–1973=== ===Consolidating leadership: 1969–1973===
The 12-member central committee of the Free Officers proclaimed themselves the ] (RCC), the government of the new republic.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=63|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=134}} Lieutenant Gaddafi became RCC chairman, and therefore the ''de facto'' head of state, also appointing himself to the rank of ] and becoming commander-in-chief of the armed forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=15|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=64|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=134}} Jalloud became Prime Minister,{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=91–92}} while a civilian Council of Ministers headed by Sulaiman Maghribi was founded to implement RCC policy.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=17|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=63}} Libya's administrative capital was moved from ] to Tripoli.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=71}}
]

Setting up a new government, the 12 member central committee of the Free Unionist Officers proclaimed themselves the ] (RCC), wielding control over the new republic.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=63|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=9|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2011|3p=134}} Captain Gaddafi promoted himself to the rank of Colonel, and was recognized as both RCC Chairman and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, becoming the ''de facto'' head of state,{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=15|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=64|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=134}} while Jalloud became Prime Minister.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=91&ndash;92}} Created to oversee the implementation of RCC policy was a civilian Council of Ministers, headed by ].{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=17|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=63}} Although the RCC was theoretically a collegial body that operated through discussion and consensus building, from the start it was dominated by the opinions and decisions of Gaddafi,{{sfn|Bruce St John|2011|p=134}} although some of the others attempted to constrain what they saw as his excesses.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=20}} Gaddafi remained the public face of the government, with the identities of the other RCC members only being publicly revealed in the ''Official Gazette'' on 10 January 1970. {{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=9|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=134}} All of them were young men, from (typically rural) working and middle-class backgrounds, and none had university degrees; in this way they were all distinct from the wealthy, highly educated conservatives who had previously governed the country.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=38||2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=10|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=20}}
]

Although theoretically a collegial body operating through consensus building, Gaddafi dominated the RCC.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=134}} Some of the others attempted to constrain what they saw as his excesses.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=20}} Gaddafi remained the government's public face, with the identities of the other RCC members only being publicly revealed on 10 January 1970.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2006|1p=79|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=134}} All young men from (typically rural) working and middle-class backgrounds, none had university degrees; in this way they were distinct from the wealthy, highly educated conservatives who previously governed the country.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=38|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2006|2p=79|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=10|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=20}}

The coup completed, the RCC proceeded with their intentions of consolidating the revolutionary government and modernizing the country.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=134}} They purged monarchists and members of Idris' ] clan from Libya's political world and armed forces; Gaddafi believed this elite were opposed to the will of the Libyan people and had to be expunged.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=11|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=21–23}} ] were founded to try various monarchist politicians and journalists, many of whom were imprisoned, although none executed. Idris was sentenced to execution '']''.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=71|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=16|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3p=62}} Three months after Gaddafi came to power, the army minister and interior minister, both of whom were from the eastern ] region, tried to overthrow him in a failed ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reuters Archive Licensing |url=https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/194993 |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Reuters Archive Licensing |language=en |archive-date=19 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719153903/https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/194993 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1970, Idris' great nephew ] tried to instigate another coup against Gaddafi; the ] was foiled in August and Ahmed was sentenced to death (commuted in 1988 and pardoned by Gaddafi in 2001).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stock |first=Jonathan |date=2011-03-13 |title=Gaddafi-Opfer Al-Senussi: "Gott entscheidet, was mit dir passiert" |language=de |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/gaddafi-opfer-al-senussi-gott-entscheidet-was-mit-dir-passiert-a-750656.html |access-date=2023-02-10 |issn=2195-1349 |archive-date=31 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831122008/http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,750656,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-23 |title=Arm us to save us: Libyan ex-prisoner appeals - Univision Wires |url=http://wires.univision.com/english/article/2011-03-13/arm-us-to-save-us |access-date=2023-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323161343/http://wires.univision.com/english/article/2011-03-13/arm-us-to-save-us |archive-date=23 March 2012 }}</ref>


In May 1970, the Revolutionary Intellectuals Seminar was held to bring intellectuals in line with the revolution,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=17}} while that year's Legislative Review and Amendment united secular and religious law codes, introducing '']'' into the legal system.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=16}} ], the RCC maintained the monarchy's ban on political parties, in May 1970 banned trade unions, and in 1972 outlawed workers' strikes and suspended newspapers.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=17|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=63–64|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=11|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=153}} In September 1971, Gaddafi resigned, claiming to be dissatisfied with the pace of reform, but returned to his position within a month.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=91–92}} In July 1972, amid widespread speculation that Gaddafi had been ousted or jailed by his political opponents, a new 18-man cabinet was formed with only two of them, Jalloud and ], being military men; the rest were civilian ] per Gaddafi's insistence.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1972-07-17 |title=COUNCIL IN LIBYA FORMS A CABINET |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/17/archives/council-in-libya-forms-a-cabinet-qaddafi-not-member-but-he-is.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=12 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212224158/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/17/archives/council-in-libya-forms-a-cabinet-qaddafi-not-member-but-he-is.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1972-07-18 |title=New Cabinet Meets |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/18/archives/new-cabinet-meets.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=6 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306053807/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/18/archives/new-cabinet-meets.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 1973, Gaddafi resigned again, once more returning the following month.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=85}}
The coup completed, the RCC proceeded with their intentions of consolidating the revolutionary government and modernizing the country.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=134}} They began to purge monarchists and members of Idris' ] clan from Libya's political world and armed forces; Gaddafi believed that this elite were opposed to the will of the Libyan people and had to be expunged.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=11|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=21&ndash;23}} "People's Courts" were founded to try various monarchist politicians and journalists, and though many were imprisoned, none were executed. Idris was sentenced to execution ''in absentia'', but remained in Egypt.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=16|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=62}} In May 1970, the Revolutionary Intellectuals Seminar was held to bring intellectuals and academics in line with the revolution,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=17}} while that year's Legislative Review and Amendment united secular and religious law codes, thereby introducing elements of '']'' law into the legal system.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=16}}
], the RCC maintained the previous administration's ban on political parties, in May 1970 banned ]s, and in 1972 outlawed workers' strikes and suspended the publication of newspapers.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=17|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=63&ndash;64|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008|3p=11|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=153}} In September 1971, Gaddafi resigned, claiming to be dissatisfied with the pace of reform, but had returned to his position within a month.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=91&ndash;92}} In February 1973, Gaddafi resigned again, once more returning the following month.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=85}}


====Economic and social reform==== ====Economic and social reform====
With ] being the country's primary export, Gaddafi sought to improve the position of the Libyan oil sector. In October 1969, he proclaimed that the current trade terms were unfair, benefiting foreign oil corporations more than the Libyan state, and in December Prime Minister Jalloud oversaw successful talks to increase the price at which they sold their country's oil by threatening to reduce production. In 1970, other ] states followed suit, leading to a global increase in the price of crude oil.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=66&ndash;67|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=145&ndash;146}} The RCC followed this with further talks with the oil companies operating in Libya, known as the Tripoli Agreement, in which they secured income tax, back-payments and better pricing; these measures would bring Libya an estimated $1 billion in additional revenues in its first year.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=15|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=147}} Further increasing state control over the oil sector, the RCC began a program of ], starting with the expropriation of ]'s share of the British Petroleum-N.B. Hunt Sahir Field in December 1971. In September 1973, this was followed by the announcement that all foreign oil producers active in the country were to be nationalized under state control. For Gaddafi, this was an important step towards establishing socialism.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=68|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=147}} It proved an economic success; while gross domestic product had been $3.8 billion in 1969, it had risen to $13.7 billion in 1974, and $24.5 billion in 1979.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=107}} In turn, the Libyans' standard of life greatly improved over the first decade of Gaddafi's administration, and by 1979 the average per-capita income was at $8,170, up from $40 in 1951; this was above the average of many industrialized countries like Italy and the U.K.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=107}}


]. Gaddafi sits in military uniform in the middle, surrounded by Egyptian President ] (left) and Syrian President ] (right).]]
], Muammar Gaddafi and ] signing in 1971 the federation agreement of the three countries within the Union of Arab Republics.]]


The RCC's early economic policy has been characterized as being ] in orientation.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=124}} Many initiatives were established to aid entrepreneurs and develop a Libyan bourgeoisie.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=123}} Seeking to expand the cultivatable acreage in Libya, in September 1969 the government launched a "Green Revolution" to increase agricultural productivity so that Libya could rely less on imported food.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=128}} The hope was to make Libya self-sufficient in food production.{{sfn|El-Khawas|1984|p=34}} All land that had either been expropriated from Italian settlers or which was not in use was repossessed and redistributed.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=129}} Irrigation systems were established along the northern coastline and around various inland oases.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=130–132}} Production costs often surpassed the value of the produce and thus Libyan agricultural production remained in deficit, relying heavily on state subsidies.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=132}}
The RCC attempted to suppress regional and tribal affiliation in the country, replacing it with a unified pan-Libyan identity. In doing so, they tried to discredit tribal leaders, tying them to the old colonial regime, and in August 1971 a military court was assembled in Sebha to put many of them on trial for counter-revolutionary activity.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=154}} Long-standing administrative boundaries were re-drawn, crossing tribal boundaries, while pro-revolutionary modernizers were brought in to replace traditional leaders, but the communities that they served often rejected them for more established figures.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|pp=154&ndash;155}} Realizing the failures of the modernizers, on 11 June 1971, Gaddafi proclaimed the creation of the ] (ASU), a mass mobilization ] of which he would be president. The ASU recognized the RCC as its "Supreme Leading Authority", and was designed to further revolutionary enthusiasm throughout the country.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=91|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=11|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=155}}


With ] as the country's primary export, Gaddafi sought to improve Libya's oil sector.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=66–67|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=145–146}} In October 1969, he proclaimed the current trade terms unfair, benefiting foreign corporations more than the Libyan state, and threatened to decrease production. In December Jalloud successfully increased the price of Libyan oil.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=80–88|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=66–67|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=145–146}} In 1970, other ] states followed suit, leading to a global increase in the price of crude oil.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=66–67|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=145–146}} The RCC followed with the Tripoli Agreement of 20 March 1971, in which they secured income tax, back-payments and better pricing from the oil corporations; these measures brought Libya an estimated $1&nbsp;billion in additional revenues in its first year.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=15|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=147}}
The RCC also implemented measures for social reform, adopting ''sharia'' law as a basis. The consumption of alcohol was banned, night clubs and Christian churches were shut down, traditional Libyan dress was encouraged, while Arabic was decreed as the only language permitted in official communications and road signs.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=64|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=31|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=21|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=134}} From 1969 to 1973, the government introduced social welfare programs, funded with oil money, which led to house-building projects and improved healthcare; education remained a lesser priority. In doing so, they greatly expanded the ], providing employment for thousands.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=23|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=149}} These early social programs proved popular within Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=22|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=149}} This popularity was in part due to Gaddafi's personal charisma, virility, youth and underdog status, as well as his rhetoric emphasizing his role as the successor to the anti-Italian fighter and national hero ].{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|pp=31&ndash;32|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=22}}

Increasing state control over the oil sector, the RCC began a program of ], starting with the expropriation of ]'s share of the British Petroleum-N.B. Hunt Sahir Field in December 1971.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=90|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=68|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=147}} In September 1973, it was announced that all foreign oil producers active in Libya were to see 51 per cent of their operation nationalized, including the stake of ], son of ], who had played a key role in the discovery of oil in Libya.<ref name="Libya">{{Cite book| last = Greenwood| first = C. J.| title = International Law Reports| publisher = Cambridge University Press| year = 1984| volume = 66| page = 340| isbn = 0-521-46411-0}}</ref> Among the companies that were partially nationalized was ]'s ].<ref>{{Cite news|date=29 November 1981|title=The Riddle of Armand Hammer|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/29/magazine/the-riddle-of-armand-hammer.html|access-date=3 February 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=17 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217222637/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/29/magazine/the-riddle-of-armand-hammer.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=8 February 1974|title=Occidental-Libya Exploration Pact Set|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/08/archives/occidentallibya-exploration-pact-set.html|access-date=3 February 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011054821/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/08/archives/occidentallibya-exploration-pact-set.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For Gaddafi, this was an essential step towards socialism.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=91|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=68|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3p=116|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=147}} It proved an economic success; while gross domestic product had been $3.8&nbsp;billion in 1969, it had risen to $13.7&nbsp;billion in 1974, and $24.5&nbsp;billion in 1979.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=107}} In turn, the Libyans' standard of life greatly improved over the first decade of Gaddafi's administration, and by 1979 the average per-capita income was at $8,170, up from $40 in 1951; this was above the average of many industrialized countries like Italy and the UK.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=107}} In 1969, the government also declared that all foreign owned banks must either close down or convert to joint-stock operations.{{sfn|El-Khawas|1984|p=28}}

], Libya's Gaddafi and Syria's ] signed an agreement ]. The agreement never materialized into a federal union between the three Arab states.]]

The RCC implemented measures for social reform, adopting ''sharia'' as a basis.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=64|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=31|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=21|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=134}} The consumption of alcohol was prohibited, night clubs and ] were shut down, traditional Libyan dress was encouraged, and Arabic was decreed as the only language permitted in official communications and on road signs.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=72|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=64|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=31|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=21|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=134}} The RCC doubled the ], introduced statutory price controls, and implemented compulsory rent reductions of between 30 and 40 per cent.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=73}} Gaddafi also wanted to combat the strict social restrictions that had been imposed on women by the previous regime, establishing the ] to encourage reform.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=196}} In 1970, a law was introduced affirming equality of the sexes and insisting on wage parity.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=198}} In 1971, Gaddafi sponsored the creation of a Libyan General Women's Federation.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=197}} In 1972, a law was passed criminalizing the marriage of any females under the age of sixteen and ensuring that a woman's consent was a necessary prerequisite for a marriage.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=198}} Gaddafi's regime opened up a wide range of educational and employment opportunities for women, although these primarily benefited a minority in the urban middle-classes.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=198}}

From 1969 to 1973, it used oil money to fund social welfare programs, which led to housebuilding projects and improved healthcare and education.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=23|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=149}} House building became a major social priority, designed to eliminate homelessness and to replace the ]s created by Libya's growing urbanization.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=73}} The health sector was also expanded; by 1978, Libya had 50 per cent more hospitals than it had in 1968, while the number of doctors had increased from 700 to over 3000 in that decade.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=74}} ] was eradicated, and ] and ] greatly curtailed.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=74}} Compulsory education was expanded from 6 to 9 years, while adult literacy programs and free university education were introduced.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=38}} ] was founded, while ] and ] were expanded.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=38}} In doing so, the government helped to integrate the poorer strata of Libyan society into the education system.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=74–75}} Through these measures, the RCC greatly expanded the ], providing employment for thousands.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=23|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=149}} These early social programs proved popular within Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=22|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=149}} This popularity was partly due to Gaddafi's personal charisma, youth and underdog status as a Bedouin, as well as his rhetoric emphasizing his role as the successor to the anti-Italian fighter ].{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1pp=31–32|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=22}}

To combat the country's strong regional and tribal divisions, the RCC promoted the idea of a unified pan-Libyan identity.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=154}} In doing so, they tried discrediting tribal leaders as agents of the old regime, and in August 1971 a Sabha military court tried many of them for counter-revolutionary activity.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=154}} Long-standing administrative boundaries were re-drawn, crossing tribal boundaries, while pro-revolutionary modernizers replaced traditional leaders, yet the communities they served often rejected them.{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=154–155}} Realizing the failures of the modernizers, Gaddafi created the ] (ASU) in June 1971, a mass mobilization ] of which he was president.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=136–137|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=91|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2006|3p=83|4a1=Vandewalle|4y=2008b|4p=11|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=155}} The ASU recognized the RCC as its "Supreme Leading Authority", and was designed to further revolutionary enthusiasm throughout the country.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=91|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=11|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=155}} It remained heavily bureaucratic and failed to mobilize mass support in the way Gaddafi had envisioned.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=138}}


====Foreign relations==== ====Foreign relations====
{{Further|Foreign relations of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi}}
]
On its ascendancy to power, the influence of Nasser's Arab nationalism over the RCC was clearly apparent.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=9|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=137}} The new administration was immediately recognized by four neighbouring states with Arab nationalist governments: Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Sudan,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=60|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18}} while Egypt sent experts in various fields to aid the RCC, who were unanimously inexperienced in governance.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=62&ndash;63|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18}} Gaddafi propounded Pan-Arab ideas, proclaiming the need for a single Arab state stretching across North Africa and the Middle East; in December 1969, Libya founded the ] with Egypt and Sudan as a step towards political unification, and the following year, Syria stated its intention to join.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=75|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=65|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=186}} After Nasser died in November 1970, his successor, ], suggested that rather than a unified state, they create ], implemented in April 1971; in doing so, Egypt, Syria and Sudan got large grants of Libyan oil money.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=65|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2pp=151&ndash;152}} In February 1972, Gaddafi and Sadat signed an unofficial charter of merger between Libya and Egypt, but it was never implemented as relations broke down the following year. Sadat became increasingly wary of Libya's radical direction, and the September 1973 deadline for implementing the Federation passed by with no action taken, leaving it defunct.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=66|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=182}}


]
Straight after the 1969 coup, representatives of the ] – France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union – were called to meet with members of the RCC.<ref name="Bruce St John 140">]. p. 140.</ref> The U.K. and U.S. quickly extended diplomatic recognition to the RCC, hoping to secure the position of their military bases in the country and fearing further instability. Hoping to ingratiate themselves with Gaddafi's administration, in early 1970 the U.S. informed the Libyan regime of at least one planned counter-coup.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=65|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3pp=140&ndash;141}} Such attempts to form a working relationship with the RCC failed; Gaddafi was determined to reassert Libyan national sovereignty and expunge foreign colonial and imperialist influences. The new administration insisted that the U.S. and U.K. remove their military bases from Libya, with Gaddafi proclaiming that "the armed forces which rose to express the people's revolution tolerate living in their shacks while the bases of imperialism exist in Libyan territory." The Western powers complied, with the British leaving in March and the Americans in June 1970.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=61|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=19|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3pp=141&ndash;143}}
The influence of Nasser's Arab nationalism over the RCC was immediately apparent.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2006|1pp=79–80|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=9|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=137}} The administration was instantly ] by the neighbouring Arab nationalist regimes in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan,{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=55|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=60|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=18}} with Egypt sending experts to aid the inexperienced RCC.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=62–63|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18}} Gaddafi propounded ] ideas, proclaiming the need for a single Arab state stretching across North Africa and the Middle East.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=96|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=75|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=65|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=186}} In December 1969, Libya signed the Tripoli Charter alongside Egypt and Sudan. This established the Arab Revolutionary Front, a pan-national union designed as a first step towards the eventual political unification of the three nations.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=64|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=75|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=65|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=186}} In 1970 Syria declared its intention to join.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=96}}


Nasser died unexpectedly in September 1970, with Gaddafi playing a prominent role at his funeral.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=66}} Nasser was succeeded by ], who suggested that rather than creating a unified state, the Arab states should create ], implemented in April 1971; in doing so, Egypt, Syria, and Sudan received large grants of Libyan oil money.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=97|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=87|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=65|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=151–152}} In July 1971, Gaddafi sided with Sadat against the Soviet Union in the ] and dispatched Libyan fighter jets to force down a ] jetliner carrying the leading coup plotters, ] and Babikir al-Nour. They were extradited back to ], where they were promptly executed by Sudanese leader ].<ref name="Korn 88">{{cite book |last=Korn |first=David A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NDcwB0LusBEC&q=Hashem+al-Atta&pg=PA87 |title=Assassination in Khartoum |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=1993 |isbn=0253332028 |page=88 |access-date=5 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180303/https://books.google.com/books?id=NDcwB0LusBEC&q=Hashem+al-Atta&pg=PA87 |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 1972, Gaddafi and Sadat signed an unofficial charter of merger, but it was never implemented because relations broke down the following year. Sadat became increasingly wary of Libya's radical direction, and the September 1973 deadline for implementing the Federation passed by with no action taken.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=66|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=182}}
] including interview with Gaddafi about his support for foreign militants.]]
Moving to reduce Italian influence, in October 1970 all Italian-owned assets were expropriated and the 12,000-strong ] expelled from Libya; the day became a ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=64|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=21&ndash;22|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=142}} The Catholic cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was converted into the ], while a smaller number of Jews were also expelled.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=64}} Aiming to reduce the power of the ] (NATO) in the Mediterranean, in 1971 Libya requested that ] cease to allow NATO to use its land for a military base, in turn offering to provide them with large amounts of foreign aid. Ultimately, the Maltese government continued to allow NATO to use the island for their activity, but only on the condition that they would not use it for launching an attack on any Arab country.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|pp=150–151}} Orchestrating a military build-up, Gaddafi's RCC began purchasing weapons from France and the Soviet Union; the commercial relationship with the latter led to an increasingly strained relationship with the U.S., who were then engaged in the ] with the Soviets.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|pp=144–145}}


After the 1969 coup, representatives of the ]—France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the ]—were called to meet RCC representatives.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=140}} The UK and the US quickly extended diplomatic recognition, hoping to secure the position of their military bases in Libya and fearing further instability. Hoping to ingratiate themselves with Gaddafi, in 1970 the US informed him of at least one planned counter-coup.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=65|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=18|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=140–141}} Such attempts to form a working relationship with the RCC failed; Gaddafi was determined to reassert national sovereignty and expunge what he described as foreign colonial and imperialist influences. His administration insisted that the US and the UK remove their military bases from Libya, with Gaddafi proclaiming that "the armed forces which rose to express the people's revolution tolerate living in their shacks while the bases of imperialism exist in Libyan territory." The British left in March and the Americans in June 1970.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=76–77|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=61|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=19|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=141–143}}
Gaddafi was especially critical of the U.S. due to their support for Israel; Gaddafi supported the ] in the ], viewing the 1948 creation of Israel as an oppressive indignity forced on the Arab world by Western colonialists.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=70&ndash;71|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=34|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=64|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4pp=150&ndash;152}} Calling on the Arab states to wage "continuous war" against Israel, in 1970 he initiated a Jihad Fund to finance anti-Israeli militants,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=71|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=185}} and in a 11 June 1972 speech, announced the creation of the First Nasserite Volunteers Centre to train guerrillas in tactics against the ] state.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=37|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=151}} His relationship with Palestinian leader ] of ] was strained, with Gaddafi considering him too moderate and calling for more violent action.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=69&ndash;70|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=37|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=178}} Instead he supported more extremist militants, including the ], ], the ], ], the ], and the ].{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=150}} He funded the ] group who perpetrated the 1972 ] of Israeli athletes in ], and had the militants' bodies flown to Libya for a hero's funeral.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=78|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=38|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=178}}


Moving to reduce Italian influence, in October 1970 all Italian-owned assets were expropriated, and the 12,000-strong ] was expelled from Libya alongside the smaller community of ]. The day became a ] known as "Vengeance Day".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=72|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=64|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=21–22|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=142}} Italy complained that this was in contravention of the 1956 Italo-Libyan Treaty, although no UN sanctions were forthcoming.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=72}} Aiming to reduce ] power in the Mediterranean, in 1971 Libya requested that ] cease allowing NATO to use its land for a military base, in turn offering Malta foreign aid. Compromising, Malta's government continued allowing NATO to use the island, but only on the condition that NATO would not use it for launching attacks on Arab territory.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=475|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2pp=87–88|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=150–151}} Over the coming decade, Gaddafi's government developed stronger political and economic links with ]'s Maltese administration, and under Libya's urging Malta did not renew the UK's airbases on the island in 1980.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=117}} Orchestrating a military build-up, the RCC began purchasing weapons from France and the Soviet Union.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1987|1pp=74–75|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=144–145}} The commercial relationship with the latter led to an increasingly strained relationship with the US, which was then engaged in the ] with the Soviets.{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=144–145}}
Using Libya's oil wealth, Gaddafi financially supported other militant groups across the world, including the ] and ] in the U.S., the ] in the U.K., ] in France, ] in Spain, the ] in Italy, the ] in West Germany, the ] in Armenia, ] in Uruguay, the ] in Colombia, the ] in Nicaragua, the ] in Japan, the ] in Indonesia and the ] in the Philippines. Gaddafi remained indiscriminate in the causes he funded, sometimes switching from supporting one side in a conflict to the other, as in the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=78&ndash;81, 150, 185|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=34&ndash;35, 40&ndash;53|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=151}} Throughout the rest of the 1970s, these groups received financial support from Libya, which came to be seen as a leader in the ]'s struggle against colonialism and neocolonialism.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=78&ndash;81, 150|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=34&ndash;35, 40&ndash;53|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=151}} Though many of these groups were labelled "]" by critics of their activities, Gaddafi refuted such a characterisation, instead considering them to be revolutionaries engaged in liberation struggles.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=55}}

] including an interview with Gaddafi about his support for foreign militants]]

Gaddafi was especially critical of the US due to its support of Israel and sided with the ] in the ], viewing the 1948 creation of the State of Israel as a Western colonial occupation forced upon the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=70–71|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=34|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=64|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=150–152}} He believed that Palestinian violence against Israeli and Western targets was the justified response of an oppressed people who were fighting against the colonization of their homeland.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=114}} Calling on the Arab states to wage "continuous war" against Israel, in 1970 he initiated a Jihad Fund to finance anti-Israeli militants.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=478|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=71|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3p=36|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=185}} In June 1972 Gaddafi created the First Nasserite Volunteers Centre to train anti-Israeli guerrillas.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=37|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=151}}

Like Nasser, Gaddafi favoured the Palestinian leader ] and his group, ], over more militant and ] Palestinian groups.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=64–65|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=37}} As the years progressed however, Gaddafi's relationship with Arafat became strained, with Gaddafi considering him too moderate and calling for more violent action.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=116|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=69–70|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=37|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=178}} Instead, he supported militias like the ], ], the ], ], the ], and the ] Organization.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=116|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=150|3a1=St. John|3y=2008|3p=95}} He funded the ] whose members perpetrated the 1972 ] of Israeli athletes in West Germany and had the killed militants' bodies flown to Libya for a hero's funeral.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=114|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=78|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=38|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=178}}

Gaddafi financially supported other militant groups across the world, including the ], the ], the ], the ], the ] and the ] in Nicaragua, the ] among other ] in the fight against ] in South Africa, the ], ], ], the ], and the ] in Europe, and the ], the ], the ], and the ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ap |date=1987-12-31 |title=Five Draw Long Sentences for Terrorism Scheme |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/31/us/five-draw-long-sentences-for-terrorism-scheme.html |access-date=2023-02-02 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=11 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211085951/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D71F3CF932A05751C1A961948260 |url-status=live }}</ref> Gaddafi was indiscriminate in the causes which he funded, sometimes switching from supporting one side in a conflict to the other, as in the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=78–81, 150, 185|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=34–35, 40–53|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=151}} Throughout the 1970s these groups received financial support from Libya, which came to be seen as a leader in the ]'s struggle against ] and ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=78–81, 150|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=34–35, 40–53|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=151}} Though many of these groups were labelled "]" by critics of their activities, Gaddafi rejected this characterization, instead considering them to be revolutionaries who were engaged in liberation struggles.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=55}}


===The "Popular Revolution": 1973–1977=== ===The "Popular Revolution": 1973–1977===
]
On 16 April 1973, he gave a speech in ] proclaiming the start of a "Popular Revolution" in Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=85|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=12|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=22|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=156}} He initiated this new beginning with a five-point plan, the first point of which dissolved all existing laws, which were to be replaced by revolutionary enactments. The second point proclaimed that all opponents of the revolution had to be removed, while the third initiated an administrative revolution that Gaddafi proclaimed would remove all traces of ] and the ] from Libya. The fourth point announced that the population must form People's Committees and be armed to defend the revolution, while the fifth proclaimed the beginning of a cultural revolution that would expunge Libya of "poisonous" foreign influences.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=18|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=85&ndash;86|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=22|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=156}} He began to lecture on this new phase of the revolution both in Libya and abroad, visiting Egypt and ], France.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=93&ndash;94}}


] in Bucharest, 1974]]
As part of this Popular Revolution, Gaddafi invited the Libyan people to found ]s across the country, as conduits for raising political consciousness. Although he offered little guidance for how people should go about setting up these councils, Gaddafi exclaimed that they would offer a form of ] ] for all Libyans that was innately more democratic than a traditional party-based ]. In doing so, he hoped that the councils would mobilize the people behind the RCC, erode the power of the traditional leaders and the traditional bureaucracy, and allow for the formation of a new revolutionary legal system chosen by the people.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=86|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=156}} The People's Committees led to a high percentage of public involvement in decision making, within the limits permitted by the RCC,{{sfn|Bruce St. John|2012|p=157}} but also exasperated problems with tribal divisions.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=103&ndash;104}} They also served as a surveillance system, aiding the security services in locating individuals with views critical of the RCC, leading to the arrest of ], ] and ].{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=18|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=116|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=157}} The base form of these Revolutionary Committees were the local working groups, who proceeded to send elected representatives to the district level, and from that to the national level – divided between the ] and the ] – in a pyramid structure.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=104|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=26}} Above these Committees remained Gaddafi and the RCC, who ultimately remained responsible for all major decisions.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=64|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=163}}


On 16 April 1973, Gaddafi proclaimed the start of a "Popular Revolution" in a speech at ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=139|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=85|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2006|3p=82|4a1=Vandewalle|4y=2008b|4p=12|5a1=Kawczynski|5y=2011|5p=22|6a1=St. John|6y=2012|6p=156}} He initiated this with a five-point plan, the first point of which dissolved all existing laws, to be replaced by revolutionary enactments. The second point proclaimed that all opponents of the revolution had to be removed, while the third initiated an administrative revolution that Gaddafi proclaimed would remove all traces of ] and the ]. The fourth point announced that the population must form People's Committees and be armed to defend the revolution, while the fifth proclaimed the beginning of the ], to expunge the country of "poisonous" foreign influences.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=140|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=18|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3pp=85–86|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=22|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=156}} He began to lecture on this new phase of the revolution in Libya, Egypt, and France.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=93–94}} As a process, it had many similarities with the ] implemented in China.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=140}}
====Third Universal Theory and ''The Green Book''====


As part of this Popular Revolution, Gaddafi invited Libya's people to found ]s as conduits for raising political consciousness. Although offering little guidance for how to set up these councils, Gaddafi claimed that they would offer a form of ] ] that was more democratic than a traditional party-based ]. He hoped that the councils would mobilize the people behind the RCC, erode the power of the traditional leaders and the bureaucracy, and allow for a new legal system chosen by the people.{{sfnm|1a1=El-Khawas|1y=1984|1p=20|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=86|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=156}} Many such committees were established in schools and colleges,{{sfnm|1a1=El-Khawas|1y=1984|1p=20|2a1=Bearman|2y=1986|2p=140}} where they were responsible for vetting staff, courses, and textbooks to determine if they were compatible with the country's revolutionary ideology.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=140}}
In June 1973, Gaddafi announced the creation of a political ideology that would underpin the new Popular Revolution. Referred to as "]", it rejected the ] of the western world and the ] of the ] powers, proclaiming that both the United States and the Soviet Union were imperialist.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=86&ndash;87|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=157–158}} In this respect it was similar to the ] recently developed by Chinese political leader ].{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=58}} As part of this theory, Gaddafi praised ] as a progressive force and continued to advocate the creation of a pan-Arab state which would lead both the Islamic and Third Worlds against the forces of imperialism.{{sfn|Bruce St. John|2012|p=158}} Gaddafi saw ] as having a key role in this ideology, calling for an Islamic Revival that returned to the origins of the ], rejecting scholarly interpretations and the ]; in doing so he angered many Libyan clerics.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=49|2a1==Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=122|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=159}} Over 1973 and 1974 his government deepened the legal reliance on ''sharia'', for instance introducing flogging for those convicted of adultery or same-sex sexual activity.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=112}}


The People's Committees led to a high percentage of public involvement in decision making, within the limits permitted by the RCC,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=157}} but exacerbated tribal divisions and tensions.{{sfnm|1a1=Davis|1y=1982|1p=78|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=103–104}} They also served as a surveillance system, aiding the security services in locating individuals with views critical of the RCC, leading to the arrest of ], ], and ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=141|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=18|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3p=116|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=157}} Operating in a pyramid structure, the base form of these Committees were local working groups, who sent elected representatives to the district level, and from there to the national level, divided between the ] and the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=104|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=26}} Above these remained Gaddafi and the RCC, who remained responsible for all major decisions.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=64|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=163}} In crossing regional and tribal identities, the committee system aided national integration and centralization and tightened Gaddafi's control over the state and administrative apparatus.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=141}}
].]]
Gaddafi summarized his thought regarding Third Universal Theory in three short volumes published between 1975 and 1979, that were collectively known as '']''. The first volume, ''The Solution of the Problem of Democracy: The Authority of the People'', was devoted to the issue of democracy, outlining the flaws of representative systems in favour of direct, participatory democracy in the form of his General People's Committees. The second, ''The Solution of the Economic Problem'', dealt with Gaddafi's beliefs regarding socialism, while the third, ''The Social Basis of the Third International Theory'', explored social issues regarding the family and the tribe. While the first two volumes had expressed views advocating radical reform, the third adopted a socially conservative stance, proclaiming that while men and women were equal, they were biologically designed for different roles in life.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=96&ndash;100|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=19|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=24|4a1=Bruce St John|4y=2012|4pp=161–165}} In ensuing years, government supporters would adopt quotes from ''The Green Book'', such as "Representation is Fraud", as revolutionary slogans.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=162}} Meanwhile, in September 1975 Gaddafi implemented further measures to increase popular mobilization, introducing objectives to try and improve the relationship between the Revolutionary Committees and the ASU.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=165}}


==== Third International Theory and ''The Green Book'' ====
The swift implementation of these radical reforms led to discontent, furthered by widespread opposition to the RCC's decision to spend oil money on foreign causes.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=18|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=23}} In 1974, Libya saw its first civilian attack on Gaddafi's government when an army building in Benghazi was bombed.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=114}} The following year, two members of the RCC, Bashir Saghir al-Hawaadi and Omar Mehishi, launched a coup to overthrow Gaddafi, having become increasingly dissatisfied with his leadership. They failed, and in the aftermath only five of the original twelve RCC members remained in power.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=118|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=18|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=23|4a1=Bruce St John|4y=2012|4p=165}} Ultimately, this led to collapse of the RCC, which would be officially abolished in March 1977.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=165}} In September 1975 Gaddafi purged the army, arresting around 200 senior officers, and in October he founded a clandestine security service, the Office for the Security of the Revolution.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=118&ndash;119}} In 1976, student demonstrations broke out against the government in Tripoli and Benghazi, but were attacked by police and pro-Gaddafist students. The RCC responded with mass arrests, and introduced compulsory ] for young people.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=119&ndash;120|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=18|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=23}} Dissent also arose from conservative clerics and the Muslim Brotherhood, many of whom began to preach against the government, subsequently being persecuted as anti-revolutionary elements.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=122&ndash;123|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=29&ndash;30}} In January 1977 two dissenting students and a number of army officers were publicly hanged; ] condemned it as the first time in Gaddafist Libya that dissenters had been executed for purely political crimes.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=121&ndash;122}}
{{Main|Third International Theory|The Green Book (Muammar Gaddafi)}}

In June 1973, Gaddafi created a political ideology as a basis for the Popular Revolution: ]. This approach regarded both the US and the Soviet Union as imperialist and thus rejected Western ] as well as Marxist–Leninist atheism.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=150|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=86–87|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=157–158}} In this respect, it was similar to the ] developed by China's political leader ].{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=58}} As part of this theory, Gaddafi praised ] as a progressive force and advocated the creation of a pan-Arab state which would lead the Islamic and Third Worlds against imperialism.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=158}} Gaddafi saw Islam as having a key role in this ideology, calling for an ] that returned to the origins of the ], rejecting scholarly interpretations and the ]; in doing so, he angered many Libyan clerics.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=49|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=122|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=159}} During 1973 and 1974, his government deepened the legal reliance on ''sharia'', for instance by introducing ] as punishment for those convicted of adultery or homosexual activity.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=163|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=112}}

Gaddafi summarized Third International Theory in three short volumes published between 1975 and 1979, collectively known as '']''. Volume one was devoted to the issue of democracy, outlining the flaws of representative systems in favour of direct, participatory GPCs. The second dealt with Gaddafi's beliefs regarding socialism, while the third explored social issues regarding the family and the tribe. While the first two volumes advocated radical reform, the third adopted a ] stance, proclaiming that while men and women were equal, they were biologically designed for different roles in life.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=96–100|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=19|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=24|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=161–165}} During the years that followed, Gaddafists adopted quotes from ''The Green Book'', such as "Representation is Fraud", as slogans.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=162}} Meanwhile, in September 1975, Gaddafi implemented further measures to increase popular mobilization, introducing objectives to improve the relationship between the Councils and the ASU.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=165}}

{{Anchor|1975 Libyan coup attempt}}In 1975, Gaddafi's government declared a ] on foreign trade.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=145–146}} Its increasingly radical reforms, coupled with the large amount of oil revenue being spent on foreign causes, generated discontent in Libya,{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=18|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=23}} particularly among the country's merchant class.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=146}} In 1974, Libya saw its first civilian attack on Gaddafi's government when a Benghazi army building was bombed.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=114}} Much of the opposition centred around RCC member ]. With fellow RCC members ] and Awad Ali Hamza, he began plotting a coup against Gaddafi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Refugees |first=United Nations High Commissioner for |title=Refworld {{!}} Libya: The role of Omar al-Meheshi in Colonel Qaddafi's revolution; his activities in the 1975 coup attempt and in developing opposition movements in Morocco and Egypt (1969 - present) |url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaad48.html |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Refworld |language=en |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202035935/https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaad48.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1975, their plot was exposed and Muhayshi fled to Tunisia, eventually receiving asylum from Sadat's Egypt.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=146|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=118|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=18|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=23|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=165}} Hawaadi, Hamza, and ] were arrested. Most of the other conspirators were executed in March 1976.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Jack |date=13 November 1985 |title=Fighter Against Qaddafi Betrayed |newspaper=] |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000100120018-2.pdf |access-date=2 February 2023 |archive-date=1 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173332/https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00965R000100120018-2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Another RCC member, foreign minister ], also fled to Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libya - Exiled Opposition |url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8220.html |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=www.country-data.com |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210025158/http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8220.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–9, Part 1, Documents on North Africa, 1973–1976 - Office of the Historian |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve09p1/d53 |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=history.state.gov |archive-date=1 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173332/https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve09p1/d53 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the aftermath, only five RCC members remained: Gaddafi, Jalloud, ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ash |first=Nigel |date=2015-07-17 |title=Cancer kills top Qaddafi aide ten days before trial verdict |url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/cancer-kills-top-qaddafi-aide-ten-days-before-trial-verdict/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=LibyaHerald |language=en-US |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202035222/https://www.libyaherald.com/2015/07/cancer-kills-top-qaddafi-aide-ten-days-before-trial-verdict/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=اكتشف 10 معلومات عن اللواء مصطفى الخروبي |url=https://www.afrigatenews.net/article/%D8%A5%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%81-10-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=www.afrigatenews.net |language=ar |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210082436/https://www.afrigatenews.net/article/%D8%A5%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%81-10-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ufheil-Somers |first=Amanda |date=1986-11-04 |title=Libya's Revolution Revisited |url=https://merip.org/1986/11/libyas-revolution-revisited/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=MERIP |language=en-US |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202034711/https://merip.org/1986/11/libyas-revolution-revisited/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Thus, power was further concentrated in Gaddafi's hands.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=147}} This ultimately led to the RCC's official abolition in March 1977.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=165}}

In September 1975, Gaddafi purged the army, arresting around 200 senior officers, and in October he founded the clandestine Office for the Security of the Revolution.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=118–119}} In April 1976, he called upon his supporters in universities to establish "revolutionary student councils" and drive out "reactionary elements".{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=148}} During that year, anti-Gaddafist student demonstrations broke out at the universities of Tripoli and Benghazi, resulting in clashes with both Gaddafist students and police. The RCC responded with mass arrests and introduced compulsory ] for young people.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=148|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=119–120|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=18|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=23}} In January 1977, two dissenting students and a number of army officers were publicly hanged; ] condemned it as the first time in Gaddafist Libya that dissenters had been executed for purely political crimes.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=121–122}} Dissent also arose from conservative clerics and the Muslim Brotherhood, who accused Gaddafi of moving towards Marxism and criticized his abolition of private property as being against the Islamic '']''; these forces were then persecuted as anti-revolutionary,{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=162|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=122–123|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=29–30}} while all privately owned Islamic colleges and universities were shut down.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=148}}


====Foreign relations==== ====Foreign relations====
]
Following Anwar Sadat's ascension to the Egyptian presidency, Libya's relations with Egypt deteriorated. Sadat was perturbed by Gaddafi's unpredictability and insistence that Egypt required a cultural revolution.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=74, 93&ndash;94|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=66}} In February 1973, Israeli forces shot down ], which had strayed from Egyptian airspace into Israeli-held territory during a sandstorm. Gaddafi was infuriated that Egypt had not done more to prevent the incident, and in retaliation planned to destroy the '']'', a British ship chartered by American Jews to sail to ] for Israel's 25th anniversary. Gaddafi ordered an Egyptian submarine to target the ship, but Sadat discovered and cancelled the order, fearing a military escalation.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=82&ndash;83|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=66–67}} The ] between an Egyptian-Syrian alliance and Israel also led to the deterioration of relations between the two leaders; Gaddafi was infuriated that he had not been consulted on the war plans, and was angry that Egypt eventually conceded to peace talks with Israel, believing that they should have fought on till victory.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=67|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=182&ndash;183}} Sadat and Gaddafi became openly hostile, the latter proclaiming that Sadat had betrayed Nasser's vision and should be overthrown.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=67}} Relations also deteriorated with Sudan, where Islamist President ] had developed closer links to Egypt and the West; by 1975, Gaddafi was sponsoring the ] to overthrow Nimeiri, who proclaimed the former to have "a split personality – both parts evil".{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=185|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=79–80|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=191}}


Following Anwar Sadat's ascension to the Egyptian presidency, Libya's relations with Egypt deteriorated.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=88|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=74, 93–94|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=66}} Over the coming years, the two slipped into a state of ].{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=166–167}} Sadat was perturbed by Gaddafi's unpredictability and insistence that Egypt required a cultural revolution akin to that being carried out in Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=88|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=74, 93–94|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=66}} In February 1973, Israeli forces shot down ], which had strayed from Egyptian airspace into Israeli-held territory during a sandstorm. Gaddafi's foreign minister ] was on board and allegedly targeted by Israel in retaliation for the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=في كتابه الجديد.. محمد عبد الهادى علام يكشف بالوثائق تفاصيل جديدة ومثيرة حول اغتيال بويصير والكيخيا (1-2) |url=https://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/272873.aspx |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=بوابة الأهرام |language=ar |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202015923/https://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/272873.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Gaddafi was infuriated that Egypt had not done more to prevent the incident, and in retaliation planned to destroy the '']'', a British ship chartered by American Jews to sail to ] for Israel's 25th anniversary. Gaddafi ordered an Egyptian submarine to target the ship, but Sadat cancelled the order, fearing a military escalation.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=114–115|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=87|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3pp=82–83|4a1=St. John|4y=1987|4p=55|5a1=Kawczynski|5y=2011|5pp=66–67}}
Gaddafi's break with Egypt and Sudan led him to focus his attention on the rest of Africa. Expanding Libyan influence southward, in late 1972 and early 1973, Libya invaded ] in order to annex the ], a desert region suspected of containing underground uranium deposits.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=181|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=187}} One of his primary ambitions was to reduce Israeli influence in the continent, successfully convincing eight states to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973, offering financial incentives to do so.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=77|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=184}} Intent on propagating Islam, in 1973 Gaddafi founded the Islamic Call Society, which had begun operations in 132 centers across Africa within a decade.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=93, 122|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=186}} He achieved early success, in 1973 converting Gabonese President ] to the faith, which he repeated three years later with ], president of the ].{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=77–78}} Gaddafi sought to develop closer links in the ] area of northwest Africa. In January 1974, Libya and Tunisia announced a political union, forming the ]; although advocated by Gaddafi and Tunisian President ], the move was deeply unpopular within Tunisia, and soon abandoned.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=76|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=71–72|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=183}} Retaliating, Gaddafi sponsored anti-government militants in Tunisia into the 1980s.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=72|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=183}} Turning his attention to Algeria, in 1975 Libya signed the Hassi Messaoud defence agreement to counter the threat of Moroccan expansionism, also funding the ] of ] in their liberation struggle against Morocco.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=71|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=183}} Seeking to diversify Libya's economy, Gaddafi's government began purchasing shares in major European corporations like ] and the Union de Banques Arabes et Français (UBAF), which would become a valuable source of income during the 1980s oil slump.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=199&ndash;201}}

]

Gaddafi was later infuriated when Egypt and Syria planned the ] against Israel without consulting him and was angered when Egypt conceded to peace talks rather than continuing the war.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=99–100|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=87|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=67|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=182–183}} Gaddafi became openly hostile to Egypt's leader, calling for Sadat's overthrow.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=67}} When Sudanese President ] took Sadat's side, Gaddafi also spoke out against him, encouraging the ]'s attempt to overthrow Nimeiry.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=167|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=185|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3p=62|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4pp=79–80|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=191}} In 1974, Gaddafi released ], a commander under ], from prison and appointed him Libyan ambassador to ]. Shennib had attended the ] with ] and was tasked by Gaddafi with Hussein's assassination. Shennib instead informed Hussein of the plot and defected to Jordan.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2011-10-19 |title=For Amal, life (re)begins at 75 |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/395340 |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=Arab News |language=en |archive-date=9 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209163127/https://www.arabnews.com/node/395340 |url-status=live }}</ref> Relations with Syria also soured over the events in the ]. Initially, both Libya and Syria had contributed troops to the Arab League's peacekeeping force, although after the Syrian army attacked the ], Gaddafi openly accused Syrian President ] of "national treason"; he was the only Arab leader to criticize Syria's actions.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=165–166}} In late 1972 and early 1973, Libya invaded Chad to annex the uranium-rich ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=181|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=187}}

Intent on propagating Islam, in 1973 Gaddafi founded the Islamic Call Society, which had opened 132 centres across Africa within a decade.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=106–107|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2pp=103–104|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3pp=93, 122|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=186}} In 1973 he converted Gabonese President ], an action which he repeated three years later with ], president of the ].{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=77–78}} Between 1973 and 1979, Libya provided $500&nbsp;million in aid to African countries, namely to Zaire and Uganda, and founded joint-venture companies throughout the countries to aid trade and development.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=96}} Gaddafi was also keen on reducing Israeli influence within Africa, using financial incentives to successfully convince eight African states to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=107–109|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=88|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3p=94|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=77|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=184}}

A strong relationship was also established between Gaddafi's Libya and Prime Minister ]'s Pakistani government, with the two countries exchanging nuclear research and military assistance. In recognition of Gaddafi's support of ] and financial support for the "Islamic bomb," Lahore Stadium was renamed ].<ref>{{cite news |author=Murtaza Razvi |date=25 February 2011 |title=A stadium called Gaddafi |newspaper=Indian Express (newspaper) |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-stadium-called-gaddafi/754608/0 |url-status=live |access-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407022026/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-stadium-called-gaddafi/754608/0 |archive-date=7 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Faridi |first=Dr. Salman |date=4 October 2020 |title=The iconic Gaddafi Stadium {{!}} Sports {{!}} thenews.com.pk |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/724066-the-iconic-gaddafi-stadium |access-date=2022-10-02 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153753/https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/724066-the-iconic-gaddafi-stadium |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2016-03-09 |title=Gaddafi's Mental Follies and Megalomania |url=https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/content/gaddafis-mental-follies-and-megalomania |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Israel Defense |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153751/https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/content/gaddafis-mental-follies-and-megalomania |url-status=live }}</ref> Gaddafi also provided support for Pakistan in the ]; he reportedly deployed ] to ] and penned a strongly worded letter to ] ] accusing her of aggression against Pakistan.<ref name="Pen and Sword, Bowman">{{cite book |last1=Bowman |first1=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QleqCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA112 |title=Cold War Jet Combat: Air-to-Air Jet Fighter Operations 1950–1972 |publisher=Pen and Sword |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4738-7463-3 |page=112 |access-date=6 February 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207214845/https://books.google.com/books?id=QleqCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA112 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="THe News International">{{cite news |last=Nazar Abbas |date=26 August 2011 |title=Gaddafi is gone, long live Libya |newspaper=The News International |url=https://www.thenews.com/Todays-News-2-64753-Gaddafi-is-gone-long-live-Libya |url-status=dead |access-date=9 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809005813/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-64753-Gaddafi-is-gone-long-live-Libya |archive-date=9 August 2013}}</ref> Gaddafi's strong relationship with Pakistan ended after Bhutto was ] by ] in 1977 as Zia distrusted Gaddafi and rejected further Libyan financing for the ] in favor of Saudi financing.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=169}}<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Colonel Gaddafi pressurises General Zia-ul-Haq to supply Libya with nuclear weapon |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/international/story/19810815-colonel-gaddafi-pressurises-general-zia-ul-haq-to-supply-libya-with-nuclear-weapon-773135-2013-11-13 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=India Today |date=13 November 2013 |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153750/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/international/story/19810815-colonel-gaddafi-pressurises-general-zia-ul-haq-to-supply-libya-with-nuclear-weapon-773135-2013-11-13 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Gaddafi sought to develop closer links in the ]; in January 1974 Libya and Tunisia announced a political union, the ]. Although advocated by Gaddafi and Tunisian President ], the move was deeply unpopular in Tunisia, and it was soon abandoned.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=100–101|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=76|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=71–72|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=183}} Retaliating, Gaddafi sponsored anti-government militants in Tunisia into the 1980s.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=72|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=183}} Turning his attention to ], in 1975 Libya signed, in ], a defensive alliance allegedly to counter alleged "Moroccan expansionism", also funding the ] of ] in its independence struggle against ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=170|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=71|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=183}} Seeking to diversify Libya's economy, Gaddafi's government began purchasing shares in major European corporations like ] as well as buying real estate in Malta and Italy, which would become a valuable source of income during the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=114|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=199–201}}


==Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya== ==Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya==


===Foundation: 1977=== ===Foundation: 1977===
On 2 March 1977 the General People's Congress adopted the "Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority" at Gaddafi's behest. Dissolving the Libyan Arab Republic, it was replaced by the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ({{lang-ar|‏الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الاشتراكية}}, ''{{transl|ar|al-Jamāhīrīyah al-‘Arabīyah al-Lībīyah ash-Sha‘bīyah al-Ishtirākīyah}})'', a "state of the masses" conceptualized by Gaddafi.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=105|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=26&ndash;27|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3pp=166&ndash;168}} Officially, the ''Jamahiriya'' was a ] in which the people ruled themselves through the 187 ]es, where all adult Libyans participated and voted on national decisions. These then sent members to the annual General People's Congress, which was broadcast live on television. In principle, the People's Congresses were Libya's highest authority, with major decisions proposed by government officials or Gaddafi himself requiring the consent of the People's Congresses.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=29|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2pp=166&ndash;168|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2012|3pp=19&ndash;20}}


On 2 March 1977, the General People's Congress adopted the "]" at Gaddafi's behest. Dissolving the Libyan Arab Republic, it was replaced by the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ({{langx|ar|الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الاشتراكية}}, ''{{transliteration|ar|al-Jamāhīrīyah al-‘Arabīyah al-Lībīyah ash-Sha‘bīyah al-Ishtirākīyah}})'', a "state of the masses" conceptualized by Gaddafi.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=154–155|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=105|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=26–27|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=166–168}} A new, all-green banner was adopted as the country's flag.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=155}} Officially, the ''Jamahiriya'' was a ] in which the people ruled themselves through the 187 ]es (BPCs), where all adult Libyans participated and voted on national decisions. These then sent members to the annual General People's Congress, which was broadcast live on television. In principle, the People's Congresses were Libya's highest authority, with major decisions proposed by government officials or with Gaddafi himself requiring the consent of the People's Congresses.{{sfnm|1a1=El-Khawas|1y=1984|1p=27|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=29|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=166–168|4a1=Vandewalle|4y=2008b|4pp=19–20}} Gaddafi became General Secretary of the GPC, although he stepped down from this position in early 1979 and appointed himself "Leader of the Revolution".{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=13}}
] of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.]]
However, debate remained limited, and major decisions regarding the economy and defence were avoided or dealt with only cursorily; the GPC largely remained "a rubber stamp" for Gaddafi's policies.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=29}} On rare occasions, the GPC opposed Gaddafi's suggestions, sometimes successfully; notably, when Gaddafi called on primary schools to be abolished, believing that ] was healthier for children, the GPC rejected the idea.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=29}} In other instances, Gaddafi pushed through laws without the support of the GPC, such as when he desired to allow women into the armed forces.{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=67&ndash;68}} Gaddafi proclaimed that the People's Congresses provided for Libya's every political need, rendering other political organizations unnecessary; all non-authorized groups, including political parties, professional associations, independent trade unions and women's groups, were banned.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=27|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=166&ndash;168}}


] (1977–2011)]]
With preceding legal institutions abolished, Gaddafi envisioned the ''Jamahiriya'' as following the ] for legal guidance, adopting ''sharia'' law; he proclaimed "man-made" laws unnatural and dictatorial, only permitting ]'s law.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=27&ndash;28|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=167}} Within a year he was backtracking, announcing that ''sharia'' was inappropriate for the ''Jamahiriya'' because it guaranteed the protection of private property, contravening ''The Green Book'''s socialism.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008|p=28}} His emphasis on placing his own work on a par with the Qur'an led conservative clerics to accuse him of '']'', furthering their opposition to his regime.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=50}} In July, a ] with Egypt, in which the Egyptians defeated Libya despite their technological inferiority. The conflict lasted a week before both sides agreed to a peace treaty brokered by several Arab states.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=105|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=35|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=67&ndash;68|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=183}} That year, Gaddafi was invited to ] by the Soviet government in recognition of their increasing commercial relationship.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=180}}

Although all political control was officially vested in the People's Congresses, in reality Libya's existing political leadership continued to exercise varying degrees of power and influence.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=155}} Debate remained limited, and major decisions regarding the economy and defence were avoided or dealt with cursorily; the GPC largely remained "a rubber stamp" for Gaddafi's policies.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=29}} On rare occasions, the GPC opposed Gaddafi's suggestions, sometimes successfully; notably, when Gaddafi called on primary schools to be abolished, believing that ] was healthier for children, the GPC rejected the idea.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=29}} In other instances, Gaddafi pushed through laws without the GPC's support, such as when he desired to allow women into the armed forces.{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=67–68}} At other times, he ordered snap elections when it appeared that the GPC would enact laws he opposed.{{sfn|St. John|1987|pp=133–134}} Gaddafi proclaimed that the People's Congresses provided for Libya's every political need, rendering other political organizations unnecessary; all non-authorized groups, including political parties, professional associations, independent trade unions, and women's groups, were banned.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=27|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=166–168}} Despite these restrictions, St. John noted that the ''Jamahiriya'' system still "introduced a level of representation and participation hitherto unknown in Libya".{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=134}}

With preceding legal institutions abolished, Gaddafi envisioned the ''Jamahiriya'' as following the ] for legal guidance, adopting ''sharia'' law; he proclaimed "man-made" laws unnatural and dictatorial, only permitting ]'s law.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=27–28|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=167}} Within a year he was backtracking, announcing that ''sharia'' was inappropriate for the ''Jamahiriya'' because it guaranteed the protection of private property, contravening ''The Green Book''{{'s}} socialism.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008b|p=28}} His emphasis on placing his own work on a par with the Qur'an led conservative clerics to accuse him of '']'', furthering their opposition to his regime.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=50}} In July 1977, a ] with Egypt, in which the Egyptians defeated Libya despite their technological inferiority. The conflict lasted one week before both sides agreed to sign a peace treaty that was brokered by several Arab states.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=170–171|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=105|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=35|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4pp=67–68|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=183}} Both Egypt and Sudan had aligned themselves with the US, and this pushed Libya into a strategic, although not political, alignment with the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=168}} In recognition of the growing commercial relationship between Libya and the Soviets, Gaddafi was invited to visit Moscow in December 1976; there, he entered talks with ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=169|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=76|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=180}} In August 1977, he visited ], where he met its leader ], with whom he had a much warmer relationship.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=169}} He also enjoyed a warm relationship with ]n leader ]. According to Romanian spy chief ], Gaddafi once exclaimed to Ceaușescu, "My brother! You are my brother for the rest of my life!"<ref>Muammar Gaddafi, as quoted in {{cite book |author-link=Ion Mihai Pacepa |first=Ion Mihai |last=Pacepa |year=1987 |title=Red Horizons: Chronicles of a Communist Spy Chief |publisher=Regnery Gateway |page=101 |isbn=9780895265708 }}</ref> After Pacepa defected to the US in July 1978, Gaddafi and ] contributed $1 million each to Ceaușescu's $4 million bounty on Pacepa.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Obituaries |first=Telegraph |date=2021-02-25 |title=Ion Mihai Pacepa, Romanian spy and star defector who revealed the sordid reality of the Ceausescus and their regime – obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/02/25/ion-mihai-pacepa-romanian-spy-star-defector-revealed-sordid/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211132556/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/02/25/ion-mihai-pacepa-romanian-spy-star-defector-revealed-sordid/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


===Revolutionary Committees and furthering socialism: 1978–1980=== ===Revolutionary Committees and furthering socialism: 1978–1980===
{{Quote box|width=246px|bgcolor=#ACE1AF|align=right|quote="If socialism is defined as a redistribution of wealth and resources, a socialist revolution clearly occurred in Libya after 1969 and most especially in the second half of the 1970s. The management of the economy was increasingly socialist in intent and effect with wealth in housing, capital and land significantly redistributed or in the process of redistribution. Private enterprise was virtually eliminated, largely replaced by a centrally controlled economy."|salign = right |source=— Libyan Studies scholar Ronald St Bruce.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=173}}}}
In December 1978, Gaddafi stepped down as Secretary-General of the GPC, announcing his new focus on revolutionary rather than governmental activities; this was part of his new emphasis on separating the apparatus of the revolution from the government. Adopting the title of "Leader of the Revolution", he continued as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=26|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=3|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=169}} Gaddafi continued exerting considerable influence over Libya, with many critics insisting that the structure of Libya's direct democracy gave him "the freedom to manipulate outcomes".<ref name="bbc_robbins">{{cite news|last=Robbins|first=James|title=Eyewitness: Dialogue in the desert|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6425873.stm|accessdate=22 October 2011|date=7 March 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref> On 2 March 1979, the GPC announced the separation of government and revolution, the latter being represented by new Revolutionary Committees, who operated in tandem with the People's Committees in schools, universities, unions, the police force and the military. Dominated by revolutionary zealots, the Revolutionary Committees were led by ] and a Central Coordinating Office, and met with Gaddafi annually.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=116&ndash;117, 127|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2pp=25&ndash;26|3a1=Kawcynski|3y=2011|3p=31|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4pp=169&ndash;171}} Publishing their own weekly magazine, ''The Green March'' (''al-Zahf al-Akhdar''), in October 1980 they took control of all press.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=116&ndash;117, 127|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2pp=25&ndash;26|3a1=Kawcynski|3y=2011|3p=31|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4pp=169&ndash;171}} Responsible for perpetuating revolutionary fervour, they performed ideological surveillance, later adopting a significant security role, making arrests and putting people on trial according to the "law of the revolution" (''qanun al-thawra'').{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=116&ndash;117, 127|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2pp=25&ndash;26|3a1=Kawcynski|3y=2011|3p=31|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4pp=169&ndash;171}} With no legal code or safeguards, the administration of revolutionary justice was largely arbitrary and resulted in widespread abuses and the suppression of ]: the "Green Terror."{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=117|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=28|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=174}}


{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=If socialism is defined as a redistribution of wealth and resources, a socialist revolution clearly occurred in Libya after 1969 and most especially in the second half of the 1970s. The management of the economy was increasingly socialist in intent and effect with wealth in housing, capital and land significantly redistributed or in the process of redistribution. Private enterprise was virtually eliminated, largely replaced by a centrally controlled economy.|salign = right |source=—Libyan Studies scholar ]{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=173}}}}
1978 saw the Libyan government push towards socialism. In March, they published guidelines for housing redistribution, attempting to ensure that every adult Libyan owned their own home and was not "enslaved" to paying rent. Most families were banned from owning more than one house, and houses that had formerly been rented were expropriated by the government and sold to the tenants at a heavily subsidized price.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=111|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=221|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3pp=171&ndash;172}} In September, Gaddafi called for the People's Committees to eliminate the "bureaucracy of the public sector" and the "dictatorship of the private sector"; the People's Committees seized control of several hundred companies, converting them into workers' cooperatives run by elected representatives.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=110&ndash;111|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=168}} In 1979, the committees began redistribution of land in the Jefara plain, continuing through to 1981.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=172}} In May 1980, measures to redistribute and equalize wealth were implemented; anyone with over 1000 ] in their bank account saw that extra money expropriated.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=128|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=221|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=172}} The following year, the GPC announced that the government would take control of all import, export and distribution functions, with state supermarkets replacing privately owned businesses; this led to a decline in the availability of consumer goods and the development of a thriving ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=28|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=21|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=220|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=172}}


In December 1978, Gaddafi stepped down as Secretary-General of the GPC, announcing his new focus on revolutionary rather than government activities; this was part of his new emphasis on separating the apparatus of the revolution from government. Although no longer in a formal government post, he adopted the title of "Leader of the Revolution" and continued as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=26|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=3|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=169}} Historian Dirk Vandewalle stated that despite the Jamahariya's claims to being a direct democracy, Libya remained "an exclusionary political system whose decision-making process" was "restricted to a small cadre of advisers and confidantes" surrounding Gaddafi.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2006|p=6}}
{{Quote box|width=246px|bgcolor=#ACE1AF|align=left|quote="I have created a Utopia here in Libya. Not an imaginary one that people write about in books, but a concrete Utopia."|salign = right |source=— Muammar Gaddafi.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=26}}}}


Libya turned towards socialism. In March 1978, the government issued guidelines for housing redistribution, attempting to ensure every adult owned their own home. Most families were banned from owning more than one house, while former rental properties were expropriated by the state and sold to the tenants at a heavily subsidized price.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=484|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=111|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=221|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=171–172}} In September, Gaddafi called for the People's Committees to eliminate the "bureaucracy of the public sector" and the "dictatorship of the private sector"; the People's Committees took control of several hundred companies, converting them into ]s run by elected representatives.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=191|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=110–111|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=168}}
The ''Jamahiriya'''s radical socialist direction and revolutionary justice earned the government many enemies. In February 1978 Gaddafi discovered that his head of military intelligence was plotting to kill him, and began to increasingly entrust security to his own Qaddadfa tribe.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=127&ndash;128|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=19}} Many who had seen their wealth and property confiscated turned against the administration, and a number of western-funded opposition groups were founded by exiles. Most prominent was the ] (NFSL), founded in 1981 by ], which orchestrated militant attacks against Libya's government,{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=32|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=173&ndash;174}} while another, Borkan, began killing Libyan diplomats abroad.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=156}} Following Gaddafi's command to kill these "stray dogs", under Colonel ]'s leadership, the Revolutionary Committees set up overseas branches to suppress counter-revolutionary activity, assassinating various dissidents.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=133&ndash;137|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=27|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=171}} Though similar tactics were employed by Syria and Israel, Gaddafi was unusual in publicly bragging about his administration's use of hit squads; in June 1980, he ordered all dissidents to return home or be "liquidated wherever you are."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=138}}


In March 1979, the GPC announced the separation of government and revolution, the latter being represented by new Revolutionary Committees, who operated with the People's Committees in schools, universities, unions, the police force, and the military.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=116–117, 127|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2pp=25–26|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=31|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=169–171}} Dominated by revolutionary zealots, mostly youths, the Revolutionary Committees were based in Tripoli and met with Gaddafi annually.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=187–189|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=116–117, 127|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3pp=25–26|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=31|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5pp=169–171}} Membership was drawn from within the BPCs.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=134}} The revolutionary committee system became "a key—if not the main—mechanism through which exercises political control in Libya".{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=189}} Publishing a weekly magazine, ''The Green March'', starting October 1980 they took control of the press.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=116–117, 127|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2pp=25–26|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=31|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=169–171}} Responsible for perpetuating the revolution, they performed ideological surveillance, adopting a significant security role, making arrests and putting people on trial according to the "law of the revolution".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=189|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=116–117, 127|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3pp=25–26|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=31|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5pp=169–171}} With no legal or safeguards, the administration of revolutionary justice was largely arbitrary and resulted in widespread abuse and the suppression of ]: the "Green Terror".{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=117|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=28|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=174}}
In 1979, the U.S. government placed Libya on their list of ],{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=179}} while at the end of the year ] in Tripoli in solidarity with the perpetrators of the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=197&ndash;198|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=115|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=179}} The following year, Libyan fighters began intercepting U.S. fighter jets flying over the Mediterranean, signalling the collapse of relations between the two countries.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=179}} Libyan relations with ] and Shi'ite communities across the world also deteriorated over the August 1978 disappearance of Shia imam ] when on a visit to Libya; the Lebanese accused Gaddafi of having him killed or imprisoned, a charge he denied.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=157&ndash;158|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=70&ndash;71|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=239}} Relations with Syria improved, as Gaddafi and Syrian President ] shared an enmity with Israel and Egypt's Sadat. In 1980, they proposed a political union, with Libya paying off Syria's £1 billion debt to the Soviet Union; although pressures led Assad to pull out, they remained allies.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=68–69}} Another key ally was Uganda, and in 1979, Gaddafi sent 2,500 troops into ] of President ] from Tanzanian invaders. The mission failed; 400 Libyans were killed and they were forced to retreat.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=185&ndash;186|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=78&ndash;79|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=189}}


In 1979, the committees began the redistribution of land in the ] plain, continuing through 1981.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=275|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=172}} In May 1980, measures to redistribute and equalize wealth were implemented; anyone with over 1000 ] in their bank account saw that extra money expropriated.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=484|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=128|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=221|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=172}} The following year, the GPC announced that the government would take control of all import, export and distribution functions, with state supermarkets replacing privately owned businesses; this led to a decline in the availability of consumer goods and the development of a thriving ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=195|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=28|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=21|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=220|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=172}} Gaddafi was frustrated by the slow pace of social reform on women's issues, and in 1979 launched a Revolutionary Women's Formation, to replace the more gradualist Libyan General Women's Federation.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=199}} In 1978 he had established a Women's Military Academy in Tripoli, encouraging all women to enlist for training.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=241}} The measure was hugely controversial and voted down by the GPC in February 1983. Gaddafi remained adamant, and when it was again voted down by the GPC in March 1984, he refused to abide by the decision, declaring that "he who opposes the training and emancipation of women is an agent of imperialism, whether he likes it or not."{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=241–243}}
==="International Pariah": 1981–1986===


The Jamahiriya's radical direction earned the government many enemies. Most internal opposition came from ], inspired by the events of the 1979 ].{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=246}} In February 1978, Gaddafi discovered that his head of military intelligence was plotting to kill him and increasingly entrusted security to his Qadhadfa tribe.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=127–128|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=19}} Many who had seen their wealth confiscated turned against the administration, and Western-funded opposition groups were founded by exiles. Most prominent was the ] (NFSL), which orchestrated militant attacks against Libya's government.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=247–248|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=79|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=32|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=173–174}} Another, al-Borkan, began killing Libyan diplomats abroad.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=248–249|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=79|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3p=156}} Following Gaddafi's command to kill these "stray dogs", the Revolutionary Committees set up overseas branches to suppress counter-revolutionary activity, assassinating dissidents.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=246|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=133–137|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=27|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=171}} Although Syria and Israel also employed hit squads, Gaddafi was unusual in publicly bragging about his use of them;{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=138}} in April 1980, he ordered all dissidents to return home by June 10 or be "liquidated wherever you are".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=246|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=138}}<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=What ever happened to the Libyan hit squad? - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/10/20/What-ever-happened-to-the-Libyan-hit-squad/9598403934400/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=UPI |language=en |archive-date=12 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812000445/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/10/20/What-ever-happened-to-the-Libyan-hit-squad/9598403934400/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Within a three months period in 1980, at least ten Libyan dissidents were murdered in Europe, including ex-diplomats, ex-army officers, businessmen, journalists, and student activists in disparate locations such as ], ] and ]. At least eleven more were assassinated in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |title="No One Is Safe": Hunting the Libyan Hit Squads of the 1980s |url=https://www.insidehook.com/article/military/no-one-safe-hunting-libyan-hit-squads-1980s |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=InsideHook |language=en-US |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207181244/https://www.insidehook.com/article/military/no-one-safe-hunting-libyan-hit-squads-1980s |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1984, Gaddafi was tricked by Egyptian President ] into announcing the assassination of former Libyan Prime Minister ] in Cairo; Bakkhoush not only turned up alive but held a press conference with Egypt's Interior Minister.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=1984-11-18 |title=CAIRO FAKES PICTURES AND FOILS LIBYAN DEATH PLOT |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/18/world/cairo-fakes-pictures-and-foils-libyan-death-plot.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=15 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615195626/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/18/world/cairo-fakes-pictures-and-foils-libyan-death-plot.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Murphy |first=Jamie |date=1984-12-03 |title=Libya: The Doublecross and the Hit Hoax |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,923758,00.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0040-781X |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207100957/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,923758,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1979, Gaddafi created the ], through which several thousand Africans were military trained.{{sfn|St. John|2008|p=95}}
The early and mid-1980s saw economic trouble for Libya; from 1982 to 1986, the country's annual oil revenues dropped from $21 billion to $5.4 billion.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=31|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=23|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=104|4a1=Bruce St. John|4y=2012|4p=192}} Focusing on irrigation projects, 1983 saw construction start on the ]; although designed to be finished by the end of the decade, it would still be incomplete at the start of the 21st century.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=224|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2p=249}} Military spending increased, while other administrative budgets were cut back.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008|p=35}} Libya had long supported the ] militia in neighbouring Chad, and in December 1980, re-invaded Chad at the request of the Frolinat-controlled ] to aid in the civil war; in January 1981, Gaddafi suggested a political merger. The ] (OAU) rejected this, and called for a Libyan withdrawal, which came about in November 1981. The civil war resumed, and so Libya sent troops back in to support Frolinat, clashing with French forces who supported the southern Chadian forces.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=187&ndash;190|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=35|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3pp=189&ndash;190}} Many African nations had tired of Libya's policies of interference in foreign affairs; by 1980, nine African states had cut off diplomatic relations with Libya,{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=189}} while in 1982 the OAU cancelled its scheduled conference in Tripoli in order to prevent Gaddafi gaining chairmanship.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=81|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=190–191}} Proposing political unity with Morocco, in August 1984, Gaddafi and Moroccan monarch ] signed the Oujda Treaty, forming the Arab-African Union; such a union was considered surprising due to the strong political differences that existed between the two governments. Relations remained strained, particularly due to the Moroccan regime's friendly relations with the U.S. and Israel; in August 1986, Hassan abolished the union.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=214|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=72&ndash;75|3a1=Bruce St John|3y=2012|3p=216}} Domestic threats continued to plague Gaddafi; in May 1984, his Aziziya home was unsuccessfully attacked by a joint NFSL-Muslim Brotherhood militia, and in the aftermath 5000 dissidents were arrested.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=70|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=178}}


Libya had sought to improve US relations under President ], for instance by courting his brother, businessman ], and paying for the services of former CIA officers,{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=227–228}}<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tyler |first1=Patrick E. |last2=Kamen |first2=Al |date=1981-09-10 |title=Relationship With CIA Aide Gave Credibility to Arms Seller |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/09/10/relationship-with-cia-aide-gave-credibility-to-arms-seller/904d8987-e2ea-4027-85cc-410f5583a478/ |access-date=2023-02-02 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=22 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222231410/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/09/10/relationship-with-cia-aide-gave-credibility-to-arms-seller/904d8987-e2ea-4027-85cc-410f5583a478/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but in 1979 the US placed Libya on its list of "]".{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=179}} Relations were further damaged when a ] in solidarity with the perpetrators of the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=228|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3pp=197–198|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=115|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=179}} Libyan fighters began intercepting US fighter jets flying over the Mediterranean, signalling the collapse of relations between the countries.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=179}} Italian media have alleged that the ] was shot down during a ] involving ], ], ] and ] fighters in an assassination attempt by ] members on a Libyan politician, perhaps even Gaddafi, flying in the same airspace.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Italy's Darkest Night |author=Thomas Van Hare |journal=Historic Wings |date=27 June 2012 |url=http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/06/italys-darkest-night/ |access-date=15 January 2020 |archive-date=25 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425142000/http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/06/italys-darkest-night/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180311/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jul/21/worlddispatch.italy |date=7 March 2023 }}, '']'', 21 July 2006</ref>
]


Libyan relations with Lebanon and ] communities deteriorated due to the 1978 disappearance of Imam ] when visiting Libya; the Lebanese accused Gaddafi of having him killed or imprisoned, a charge he denied.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=157–158|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=41|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=70–71|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=239}} Relations with Pakistan broke down in this period. Despite Gaddafi's repeated appeals to ] to spare ]'s life, Bhutto was executed in 1979.<ref name="Congress Publications">{{cite journal |last=Tirmizie |first=Brigadier General I.A. |title=The Profile of Intelligence: Libyans |journal=Brigadier General I.A. Tirmiz, Former Officer of Joint Technical Bureau |publisher=Congress Publications}}</ref> In retaliation and for Zia's refusal to share Pakistan's nuclear technology, Gaddafi began training ], an anti-Zia insurgency led by Bhutto's sons ] and ], expelled all 150,000 Pakistanis living in Libya, and provided asylum for the ].<ref name="THe News International2">{{cite news |last=Nazar Abbas |date=August 26, 2011 |title=Gaddafi is gone, long live Libya |newspaper=THe News International |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-64753-Gaddafi-is-gone-long-live-Libya |url-status=dead |access-date=9 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809005813/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-64753-Gaddafi-is-gone-long-live-Libya |archive-date=9 August 2013}}</ref><ref name="Peoples' Relation">{{cite web |author=Shahid Amin |date=26 July 2011 |title=Pakistan - Libya Relations |url=http://www.p2prelations.com/files/reports/PKLibya.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109025718/http://www.p2prelations.com/files/reports/PKLibya.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=9 August 2013 |publisher=Peoples' Relation}}</ref><ref name="Congress Publications" /> Relations with Syria improved, as Gaddafi and Syrian President ] shared an enmity with Israel and Egypt's Sadat. In 1980, they proposed a political union, with Libya promising to pay off Syria's £1-billion debt to the Soviet Union; although pressures led Assad to pull out, they remained allies.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1987|1pp=61–62|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=68–69}} Another key ally was Uganda, and in 1979, during the ], Gaddafi sent 2,500 troops to ] President ] from Tanzanian invaders. The mission failed; 400 Libyans were killed, and Libya was forced to retreat.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=112|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=185–186|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=78–79|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=189}} Gaddafi came to regret his alliance with Amin, openly criticizing him as a "]" and a "show-off".{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=112–13|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=105}}
In 1981, the new US President ] famously declared Gaddafi an "international pariah" and the "mad dog of the Middle East". He immediately pursued a hard line approach to Libya, erroneously considering its government a ] of the Soviet Union.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=115&ndash;116, 120|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2pp=179&ndash;180}} In turn, Gaddafi played up his commercial relationship with the Soviets, visiting Moscow again on 27 April 1981 and threatening to join the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=115|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2pp=210&ndash;211}} The Soviets were nevertheless cautious of Gaddafi, seeing him as an unpredictable extremist.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=183}} Beginning U.S. military exercises in the Gulfe of Sirte – an area of sea that Libya claimed as a part of its territorial waters – ] two Libyan ] planes that were monitoring them.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=36|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=118&ndash;119}} Closing down the Libyan embassy in Washington D.C., Reagan advised U.S. companies operating in the country to reduce the number of American personnel stationed there.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008|1p=37|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=117&ndash;118|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=180}} In March 1982, the U.S. implemented an embargo of Libyan oil,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=207&ndash;208|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=37|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011| 3pp=117-18|4a1=Bruce St John|4y=2012|4p=181}} and in January 1986 ordered all U.S. companies to cease operating in the country, although several hundred workers remained.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=27, 208|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=117&ndash;118|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=176}} Diplomatic relations also broke down with the U.K., after Gaddafi tried to supply the Argentine junta with weapons furing the ],<ref>http://panafricannews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/libya-under-gaddafi-sought-to-supply.html</ref> and Libyan diplomats were accused of shooting dead ], a British policewoman stationed outside their London embassy, in April 1984.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=175&ndash;178|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=37|3a1=Bruce St. John|3y=2012|3p=209}} In Spring 1986, ]; the Libyan military retaliated, but failed as the U.S. sank several Libyan ships.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=121–122}}


===Conflict with the US and its allies: 1981–1986===
After the U.S. accused Libya of orchestrating the ], in which two American soldiers died, Reagan decided to retaliate militarily.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=4&ndash;5|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=122}} The ] were critical of the move, believing that Syria were a greater threat and that an attack would strengthen Gaddafi's reputation; however Libya was recognised as a "soft target."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=5&ndash;6}} Raegan was supported by the U.K. but opposed by other European allies, who highlighted that it would contravene international law.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=123–125}} In ], orchestrated on 15 April 1986, U.S. military planes launched a series of air-strikes on Libya, bombing military installations in various parts of the country, killing around 100 Libyans, including several civilians. One of the targets had been Gaddafi's home in the ] barracks. Himself unharmed, two of Gaddafi's sons were injured, and he claimed that his four-year-old adopted daughter Hanna was killed, although her existence has since been questioned.

{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=2&ndash;3, 7&ndash;12|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008|2p=37|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=127&ndash;129}} In the immediate aftermath, Gaddafi retreated to the desert to meditate,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=13, 210|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=130}} while there were sporadic clashes between Gaddafists and army officers who wanted to overthrow the government.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=12}} Although the U.S. was condemned internationally, Reagan received a popularity boost at home.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=130}} Publicly lambasting U.S. imperialism, Gaddafi's reputation as an anti-imperialist was strengthened both domestically and across the Arab world.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=15|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2p=196}} In June 1986, by his personal order, the names of the month were changed in Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=30}}
The early 80s saw economic trouble in Libya; from 1982 to 1986, annual oil revenues dropped from $21 to $5.4 billion.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=31|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=23|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=104|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=192}} Focusing on irrigation projects, 1983 saw construction start on Libya's largest and most expensive infrastructure project, the ]; although designed to be finished by the end of the decade, it remained incomplete at the start of the 21st century.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=274|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=119|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=224|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=249}} Military spending increased, while other administrative budgets were cut.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=116|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=35}} Foreign debt rose,{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=121}} and austerity measures were introduced to promote self-reliance; in 1985 there was a mass deportation of foreign workers, mostly Egyptian and Tunisian.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=122}} Domestic threats continued to plague Gaddafi; in May 1984, his ] home was unsuccessfully attacked by a militia—linked to the NFSL or Muslim Brotherhood—and in the aftermath 5,000 dissidents were arrested.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=250|2a1=Harris|2y=1986|2p=70|3a1=Blundy|3a2=Lycett|3y=1987|3p=178}} In spring 1985, members of the military tried to assassinate Gaddafi twice. The first was a plot by conservative officers to assassinate him at a villa on the outskirts of Tripoli; the second was an assault on his convoy.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Judith |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1986-01-14 |title=LIBYAN MILITARY TERMED RESTIVE UNDER QADDAFI |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/14/world/libyan-military-termed-restive-under-qaddafi.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207073945/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/14/world/libyan-military-termed-restive-under-qaddafi.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 1985, Colonel Hassan Ishkal, the third most powerful man in Libya, head of the military region of Sirte, died in a suspicious car accident. Ishkal's death was attributed to ], Khalifa Hunaysh or Gaddafi.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dickey |first=Christopher |date=1986-04-27 |title=Libya Seen Weighing Government Changes |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/04/27/libya-seen-weighing-government-changes/ea0e1531-ff48-4bd0-a43b-05754c56290c/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cousins |first=Michel |date=2012-03-19 |title=Qaddafi aide Khalifa Hunaysh dies from cancer in hospital in Munich. |url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2012/03/qaddafi-aide-khalifa-hunaysh-dies-from-cancer-in-hospital-in-munich/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=LibyaHerald |language=en-US |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207073950/https://www.libyaherald.com/2012/03/qaddafi-aide-khalifa-hunaysh-dies-from-cancer-in-hospital-in-munich/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Charles P. |date=1986-01-17 |title=Food Scarce, Shops Shuttered : Libya Today Far Cry From Kadafi's Utopian Vision |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-17-mn-811-story.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207073951/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-17-mn-811-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

]

Libya had long supported the ] militia in neighbouring Chad, but FROLINAT became divided over its ties to Libya in 1976. In January 1978, the anti-Libya faction within FROLINAT, led by ], switched sides and allied with Chadian President ].<ref>A. Gérard, ''Nimeiry face aux crises tchadiennes'', p. 119</ref><ref name="BuijtenhuijsA19">R. Buijtenhuijs, "Le FROLINAT à l'épreuve du pouvoir", p. 19</ref> Meanwhile, the pro-Libya faction within FROLINAT, led by ], renamed itself ] (FAP). In December 1980, Gaddafi reinvaded Chad at the request of the FAP-controlled ] to aid in the civil war; in January 1981, Gaddafi suggested a political merger. The ] (OAU) rejected this and called for a Libyan withdrawal, which came in November 1981. The civil war resumed, and Libya sent troops back in.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=211–222|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=187–190|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=35|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=189–190}}

In 1982, the GUNT government was overthrown by Habré's forces and Oueddei fled to Libya, where Gaddafi provided him with arms to continue to guerrilla war against Habré.<ref name="Habre">James Brooke, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413021354/https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2D71F3FF93BA2575BC0A961948260 |date=13 April 2020 }}, '']'', 18 August 1987.</ref> In November 1984, Gaddafi met with French President ]; both agreed to withdraw from Chad.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mitterrand meets Qaddafi even as some say Libya still in Chad |work=Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/1116/111631.html |access-date=2023-02-03 |issn=0882-7729 |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203075529/https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/1116/111631.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Oueddei broke with Gaddafi in 1985 due to the former's intentions to negotiate a truce with Habré. Consequently, he was placed under house arrest by Gaddafi and allegedly arrested by Libyan police and shot in the stomach.<ref name="Habre" /><ref>James Brooke, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180254/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/01/world/chad-said-to-win-vast-libyan-booty.html |date=7 March 2023 }}, ''The New York Times'', 1 April 1987.</ref> Oueddei survived the shooting and fled to Algeria, but continued to claim he and Gaddafi enjoyed a good relationship. When Gaddafi ordered the remnant of GUNT to attack Habré in February 1986 in violation of his agreement with Mitterrand, France launched ], which escalated into the ]. Libya suffered a humiliating defeat as it was completely expelled from Chad and its commander ] captured, along with 600-700 Libyan soldiers. Gaddafi disavowed Haftar and the other prisoners; one possible contributing factor to this repudiation may have been that Gaddafi had signed an agreement to withdraw Libyan forces, and Haftar's operations had been in violation of this.<ref>M. Brecher & J. Wilkenfeld, ''A Study of Crisis'', p. 92</ref><ref name="bi-201404222">{{cite news |author=Russ Baker |date=22 April 2014 |title=Is General Khalifa Hifter The CIA's Man in Libya? |work=] |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cias-man-in-libya-2011-4 |url-status=live |access-date=26 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827222052/http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cias-man-in-libya-2011-4 |archive-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> An embittered Haftar then joined the anti-Gaddafi ], became a CIA asset, and was given refuge in the US.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Jon Lee |date=23 February 2015 |title=The Unravelling: Libya's New Strongman |magazine=] |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/unravelling |url-status=live |access-date=14 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315053552/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/unravelling |archive-date=15 March 2015}}</ref>

Many African nations were tired of Libya's interference in their affairs; by 1980, nine African states had severed diplomatic relations,{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1987|1p=101|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=189}} while in 1982 the OAU cancelled its scheduled conference in Tripoli to prevent Gaddafi gaining chairmanship.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=103|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=102|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=81|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=190–191}} Some African states, such as ]'s Ghana and ]'s Burkina Faso, had warm relations with Libya during the 1980s.{{sfn|Haynes|1990|p=62}}

Proposing political unity with Morocco, in August 1984, Gaddafi and Moroccan monarch ] signed the ], forming the Arab–African Union; such a union was considered surprising due to the political differences and longstanding enmity that existed between the two. In a sign of warming relations, Gaddafi promised to stop funding the ] and Hassan II extradited former RCC member ] to Libya, where he was immediately killed.<ref name=":0" /> But relations deteriorated, particularly due to Morocco's friendship with the US and Israel; in August 1986, Hassan abolished the union.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=261–262|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=214|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3pp=66–67|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4pp=72–75|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=216}} Angered by the snub, Gaddafi plotted with ] to assassinate Hassan in 1987, but the plot was aborted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morocco-Libya: Gaddafi Plotted to Assassinate Hassan II, CIA Reveals – The North Africa Post |url=https://northafricapost.com/16081-morocco-libya-gaddafi-plotted-assassinate-hassan-ii-cia-reveals.html |access-date=2023-02-02 |language=en-US |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202021511/https://northafricapost.com/16081-morocco-libya-gaddafi-plotted-assassinate-hassan-ii-cia-reveals.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yabiladi.com |title=1987, when Muammar Gaddafi was planning to assassinate King Hassan II |url=https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/58568/1987-when-muammar-gaddafi-planning.html |access-date=2023-02-02 |website=en.yabiladi.com |language=en |archive-date=9 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309230712/https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/58568/1987-when-muammar-gaddafi-planning.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1981, the new US president, ], pursued a hardline approach to Libya, viewing it as a ] of the Soviet Union.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=228–229|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=81|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=115–116, 120|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=179–180}} Gaddafi played up his commercial relationship with the Soviets, revisiting Moscow in 1981 and 1985,{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1pp=98–99|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2pp=71, 78|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=115|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=210–211}} and threatening to join the ].{{sfn|St. John|2008|p=96}} The Soviets were nevertheless cautious of Gaddafi, seeing him as an unpredictable extremist.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=97|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=183|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3pp=77–78}} In August 1981, the US staged military exercises in the Gulf of Sirte – an area which Libya claimed. The US ] two Libyan ] planes which were on an intercept course.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=230–231|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=84|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=36|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4pp=118–119}} Closing down Libya's embassy in Washington, Reagan advised US companies operating in Libya to reduce Americans stationed there.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=37|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=117–118|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=180}} In December 1981, the ] claimed Gaddafi had dispatched a hit squad to assassinate Reagan, allegedly led by ], who had been living in Libya under Gaddafi's protection after the 1975 ]. Secretary of State ], Defense Secretary ], Counselor to the President ], chief of staff ], and deputy chief of staff ] were considered potential targets and given special security. US ambassador to Italy ], who was Jewish, was urgently recalled due to threats against his life. Gaddafi denied the allegations.<ref name=":5" /> Gaddafi was accused of having ties to the ], which had murdered US ] ] and Israeli diplomat ] in Paris.<ref name=":5" /> In March 1982, the US implemented an embargo of Libyan oil,{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=231|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=207–208|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=37|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4pp=117-18|5a1=St. John|5y=2012|5p=181}} and in January 1986 ordered all US companies to cease operating in the country, although several hundred workers remained when the Libyan government doubled their pay.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=294|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=27, 208|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=117–118|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=176}} In spring 1986, ]; the Libyan military retaliated, but failed as the US sank Libyan ships.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1pp=294–295|2a1=Boyd-Judson|2y=2005|2p=79|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=121–122}} Diplomatic relations also broke down with the UK, after Libyan diplomats were accused in the killing of ], a British policewoman stationed outside their London embassy, in April 1984.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=250|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=175–178|3a1=Vandewalle|3y=2008b|3p=37|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=209}}

In 1980, Gaddafi hired former CIA agent ], living in Libya as a fugitive from US justice, to plot the murder of an anti-Gaddafi Libyan graduate student at ] named Faisal Zagallai. Zagallai was shot in the head in October 1980, in ] by a former ] and associate of Wilson named Eugene Tafoya.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Marmaduke |first=Jacy |title=Uncover the mystery of a notorious Fort Collins shooting |url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2016/12/08/uncover-mystery-notorious-fort-collins-shooting/95041498/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Fort Collins Coloradoan |language=en-US |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180316/https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2016/12/08/uncover-mystery-notorious-fort-collins-shooting/95041498/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Zagallai survived the attack and Tafoya was convicted of third-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Upi |date=1981-11-26 |title=DEFENDANT DESCRIBES SHOOTING OF LIBYAN |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/26/us/defendant-describes-shooting-of-libyan.html |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207181243/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/26/us/defendant-describes-shooting-of-libyan.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":6" /> Wilson was lured back to the US and sentenced to 32 years due to his ties to Gaddafi.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Philip |date=1983-03-14 |title=It's 2 Convictions, 32 Years, And More Trials for Wilson |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/03/14/its-2-convictions-32-years-and-more-trials-for-wilson/7d9a63c5-27f7-440d-be04-abddd5b855af/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828080537/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/03/14/its-2-convictions-32-years-and-more-trials-for-wilson/7d9a63c5-27f7-440d-be04-abddd5b855af/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1984, Gaddafi publicly ], an aeronautical engineer studying in the US.

After the US accused Libya of orchestrating the ], in which two US soldiers died, Reagan decided to retaliate.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=287|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=4–5|3a1=Boyd-Judson|3y=2005|3p=79|4a1=Kawczynski|4y=2011|4p=122}} The CIA was critical of the move, believing Syria was a greater threat and that an attack would strengthen Gaddafi's reputation; however, Libya was recognized as a "soft target".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=5–6}} Reagan was supported by the UK, but opposed by other European allies, who argued it contravened international law.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=102|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=123–125}} In ], orchestrated on 15 April 1986, US military planes launched air-strikes, bombing military installations, killing around 100 Libyans, including civilians. One target had been Gaddafi's home. Himself unharmed, two of Gaddafi's sons were injured, and he claimed his adopted daughter ] was killed, although her existence has since been questioned.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=287|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=2–3, 7–12|3a1=Boyd-Judson|3y=2005|3pp=79–80|4a1=Vandewalle|4y=2008b|4p=37|5a1=Kawczynski|5y=2011|5pp=127–129}} Gaddafi retreated to the desert to meditate.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1pp=13, 210|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=130}} There were sporadic clashes between Gaddafists and army officers who wanted to overthrow the government.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=12}} Although the US was condemned internationally, Reagan received a popularity boost at home.{{sfnm|1a1=Boyd-Judson|1y=2005|1p=80|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=130}} Publicly lambasting US imperialism, Gaddafi's reputation as an anti-imperialist was strengthened domestically and across the Arab world,{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=15|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=196}} and, in June 1986, he ordered the names of the month to be changed in Libya.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=30}}


==="Revolution within a Revolution": 1987–1998=== ==="Revolution within a Revolution": 1987–1998===
The late 1980s saw a series of liberalizing economic reforms within Libya designed to cope with the decline in oil revenues. In May 1987, Gaddafi announced the start of the "Revolution within a Revolution", which began with reforms to industry and agriculture and saw the re-opening of small business.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=225|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=194}} Restrictions were placed on the activities of the Revolutionary Committees; in March 1988, their role was narrowed by the newly created Ministry for Mass Mobilization and Revolutionary Leadership to restrict their violence and judicial role, while in August 1988 Gaddafi publicly criticized them.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=29|2a1=St. John|2y=2008|2p=97|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=194–195, 199–200}}
In March, hundreds of political prisoners were freed, with Gaddafi falsely claiming that there were no further political prisoners in Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=45|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=222}} In June, Libya's government issued the Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses, in which 27 articles laid out goals, rights, and guarantees to improve the situation of human rights in Libya, restricting the use of the death penalty and calling for its eventual abolition. Many of the measures suggested in the charter would be implemented the following year, although others remained inactive.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1pp=45–46|2a1=St. John|2y=2008|2pp=97–98|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=197–198}} Also in 1989, the government founded the ], to be awarded to figures from the Third World who had struggled against colonialism and imperialism; the first year's winner was South African anti-apartheid activist ].{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=199}} From 1994 through to 1997, the government initiated cleansing committees to root out corruption, particularly in the economic sector.{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=197–198}}

In the aftermath of the 1986 US attack, the army was purged of perceived disloyal elements,{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=130}} and in 1988, Gaddafi announced the creation of a popular militia to replace the army and police.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008b|1p=38|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=200}} In 1987, ] of ] at a facility in Rabta, although publicly denied it was stockpiling chemical weapons,{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=201–204}} and unsuccessfully attempted to develop nuclear weapons.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=180–181}} The period also saw a growth in domestic Islamist opposition, formulated into groups like the ] and the ]. Several assassination attempts against Gaddafi were foiled, and in turn, 1989 saw the security forces raid mosques believed to be centres of counter-revolutionary preaching.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=166–167, 236|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=221–222}} In December 1993, former Libyan foreign minister ], a leader of an anti-Gaddafi coalition in exile, was abducted in Cairo.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Caryle |date=1993-12-14 |title=LIBYAN DISSIDENT MISSING IN CAIRO, FEARED ABDUCTED |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/12/14/libyan-dissident-missing-in-cairo-feared-abducted/26f15e62-a27b-4c7e-bba8-f1f664818454/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> His body was not found until 2012 in a morgue that belonged to Gaddafi's intelligence chief ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-12-02 |title=Prominent Gaddafi opponent buried after 19 years |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-02/prominent-gaddafi-opponent-gets-burial-after-19-years/4403740 |access-date=2023-03-05 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305003730/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-02/prominent-gaddafi-opponent-gets-burial-after-19-years/4403740 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 1993, elements of the increasingly marginalized army, led by officers from the powerful ] tribe, initiated a failed ] in ] and ] allegedly with help from the ], ], and the ],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Blanchard |first1=Christopher M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RlFdMjJwC30C&dq=1993+libya+coup&pg=PA12 |title=Libya: Background and U. S. Relations |date=2010 |page=12 |publisher=DIANE |isbn=9781437922035 |access-date=3 February 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180305/https://books.google.com/books?id=RlFdMjJwC30C&dq=1993+libya+coup&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Helms |first1=Jesse |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SI2AAAAIAAJ&dq=1993+libya+coup&pg=PA1141 |title=Country Reports on Human Rights |date=1995 |edition=994 |access-date=3 February 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307180255/https://books.google.com/books?id=3SI2AAAAIAAJ&dq=1993+libya+coup&pg=PA1141 |url-status=live }}</ref> while in September 1995, Islamists launched an insurgency in Benghazi, and in July 1996 an anti-Gaddafist football riot broke out in Tripoli.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=166|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=223}} In March 1996, Haftar again briefly returned to Libya to instigate an uprising against Gaddafi in the mountains of ].<ref name="bi-201404222" /> The Revolutionary Committees experienced a resurgence to combat these Islamists.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008b|p=29}}


In 1989, Gaddafi was overjoyed by the foundation of the ], uniting Libya in an economic pact with Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, viewing it as beginnings of a new pan-Arab union.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=188|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=216–218}} Gaddafi was able to recover some influence in Chad after ] was overthrown by ] in a ] in 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Noble |first1=Kenneth B. |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1990-12-06 |title=In Chad, Talk of a Libyan Resurgence |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/06/world/in-chad-talk-of-a-libyan-resurgence.html |access-date=2023-02-08 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=17 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617031150/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/06/world/in-chad-talk-of-a-libyan-resurgence.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |last=Chutel |first=Lynsey |title=Why the World Won't Criticize Chad |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/14/chad-election-idriss-deby-terror-sahel/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416064001/https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/14/chad-election-idriss-deby-terror-sahel/ |archive-date=16 April 2021 |access-date=2021-04-20 |website=Foreign Policy |date=14 April 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Riding |first1=Alan |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1990-12-03 |title=REBELS IN CONTROL OF CHAD'S CAPITAL |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/03/world/rebels-in-control-of-chad-s-capital.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119062528/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/03/world/rebels-in-control-of-chad-s-capital.html |archive-date=19 November 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Déby also gave Gaddafi detailed information about ] operations in Chad.<ref name="Dictionary of African Biography20122">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&q=bidayat+clan+zaghawa+africa&pg=RA1-PA172 |title=Dictionary of African Biography |date=2 February 2012 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=9780195382075 |pages=172–173 |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420213744/https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&q=bidayat+clan+zaghawa+africa&pg=RA1-PA172 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, Libya stepped up its support for anti-Western militants such as the ],{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=197}} and in 1988, ] was blown up over ] in Scotland, killing 243 passengers and 16 crew members, plus 11 people on the ground. British police investigations identified two Libyans&nbsp;– ] and ]&nbsp;– as the chief suspects, and in November 1991 issued a declaration demanding that Libya hand them over. When Gaddafi refused, citing the ], the United Nations (UN) imposed Resolution 748 in March 1992, initiating economic sanctions against Libya which had deep repercussions for the country's economy.{{sfnm|1a1=Boyd-Judson|1y=2005|1pp=80–81|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008b|2p=39|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=133–140|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4pp=205–207}} The country suffered an estimated US$900&nbsp;million financial loss as a result.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008b|p=42}} On 5 November 1995, US President Bill Clinton declared the US would continue to induce pressure on Libya, also recognizing that Libyan terrorists were responsible for the Lockerbie bombing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 5, 1995 |title=Despair As Visit Banned By Gaddafi |work=Sunday Sun}}</ref> Further problems arose with the West when in January 1989, ] and in September 1989, ] was blown up over the Ténéré desert in Niger, killing all 170 people on board (156 passengers and 14 crew members).{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=202}}
The late 1980s saw a series of liberalising economic reforms within Libya designed to cope with the decline in oil revenues. In May 1987, Gaddafi announced the start of the "Revolution within a Revolution", which began with reforms to industry and agriculture and saw the re-opening of small business.<ref>]. p. 194.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 225">]. p. 225.</ref> Restrictions were placed on the activities of the Revolutionary Committees; in March 1988, their role was narrowed by the newly created Ministry for Mass Mobilization and Revolutionary Leadership to restrict their violence and judicial role, while in August 1988 Gaddafi publicly criticised them,<ref name="Vandewalle 29">]. p. 29.</ref><ref>]. pp. 194–195, 199–200.</ref> asserting that "they deviated, harmed, tortured" and that "the true revolutionary does not practise repression."<ref name="ham_40_1">{{cite book|last=Ham|first=Anthony|title=Libya|year=2007|publisher=]|location=Footscray, Victoria|isbn=1-74059-493-2|url=http://books.google.com/?id=lPaNiy3YisIC|edition=2nd ed.|pages=40–1}}</ref> In March, hundreds of political prisoners were freed, with Gaddafi erroneously claiming that there were no further political prisoners in Libya.<ref name="Vandewalle 45">]. p. 45.</ref><ref>]. p. 222.</ref> In June, the Libyan government issued the Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses, in which 27 articles laid out goals, rights and guarantees to improve the situation of human rights in Libya, restricting the use of the ] and calling for its eventual abolition. Many of the measures suggested in the charter would be implemented the following year, although others remained inactive.<ref name="Vandewalle 45-46">]. pp. 45–46.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">]. pp. 197–198.</ref> Also in 1989, the Libyan government founded the ], to be awarded to figures from the Third World who had struggled against colonialism and imperialism; the first year's winner was South African anti-apartheid activist ].<ref>]. p. 199.</ref> From 1994 through to 1997, the Libyan government initiated cleansing committees to root out corruption, particularly in the economic sector.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>


In 1996, Gaddafi wrote a letter to the newly elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh, ]'s daughter ], pleading with her to spare the lives of her father's assassins ] and ]. Rahman and Rashid both had business ties to Libya.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=SAAG |date=2011-09-20 |title=Gaddafi And The Killers Of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – Analysis |url=https://www.eurasiareview.com/20092011-gaddafi-and-the-killers-of-sheikh-mujibur-rahman-analysis/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Eurasia Review |language=en-US |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153750/https://www.eurasiareview.com/20092011-gaddafi-and-the-killers-of-sheikh-mujibur-rahman-analysis/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Syed Badrul |date=2011-09-21 |title=Gaddafi and the assassins |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-203263 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=The Daily Star |language=en |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206153753/https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-203263 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the aftermath of the 1986 U.S. attack, the army was purged of perceived disloyal elements,<ref name="Kawczynski 130">]. p. 130.</ref> and in 1988, Gaddafi announced the creation of a popular militia to replace the army and police.<ref name="Vandewalle 38">]. p. 38.</ref><ref>]. p. 200.</ref> In 1987, ] of ] at a facility in Rabta, although publicly denied it was stockpiling chemical weapons,<ref>]. pp. 201–204.</ref> and unsuccessfully attempted to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>]. pp. 180&ndash;181.</ref> The period also saw a growth in domestic ] opposition, formulated into groups like the ] and the ]. A number of assassination attempts against Gaddafi were foiled, and in turn, 1989 saw the security forces raid mosques believed to be centres of counter-revolutionary preaching.<ref>]. pp. 221–222.</ref><ref>]. pp. 166&ndash;167, 236.</ref> In October 1993, elements of the army initiated a failed coup in ], while in September 1995, Islamists launched an insurgency in Benghazi, and in July 1996 an anti-Gaddafist football riot broke out in Tripoli.<ref>]. p. 223.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 166">]. p. 166.</ref> The Revolutionary Committees experienced a resurgence to combat these Islamists.<ref name="Vandewalle 29" />


Many Arab and African states opposed the UN sanctions, with Mandela criticizing them on a visit to Gaddafi in October 1997, when he praised Libya for its work in fighting apartheid and awarded Gaddafi the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Boyd-Judson|1y=2005|1pp=73, 83|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=147|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3pp=205–206}} They would only be suspended in 1998 when Libya agreed to allow the extradition of the suspects to the ], in a process overseen by Mandela.{{sfnm|1a1=Boyd-Judson|1y=2005|1pp=83–88|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=146–148|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=206}} As a result of the trial, Fhimah was acquitted and al-Megrahi convicted.{{sfn|Boyd-Judson|2005|p=89}} Privately, Gaddafi maintained that he knew nothing about who perpetrated the bombing and that Libya had nothing to do with it.{{sfn|Boyd-Judson|2005|p=82}}
In 1989, Gaddafi was overjoyed by the foundation of the ], uniting Libya in an economic pact with Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Gaddafi saw the Pact as a first step towards the formation of "one invincible Arab nation" and shouted for a state "from Marrakesh to Bahrain", pumping his fists in the air.<ref>]. pp. 216–218.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 188">]. p. 188.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ozNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5058,5224658 |title=Maghreb pact fulfils decades-old dream |work=The Glasgow Herald|date=18 February 1989 |accessdate=14 August 2012}}</ref> A decade later, it joined the ].<ref name="Kawczynski 189">]. p. 189.</ref> Meanwhile, Libya stepped up its support for anti-western militants such as the Provisional IRA,<ref>]. p. 197.</ref> and in 1988, ] was blown up over ] in Scotland, killing 259 passengers. British police investigations identified two Libyans – ] and ] – as the chief suspects, and in November 1991 issued a declaration demanding that Libya hand them over. When Gaddafi refused, citing the ], the ] (UN) imposed Resolution 748 in March 1992, initiating economic sanctions against them which had deep repurcussions for the country's economy.<ref name="Vandewalle 39">]. p. 39.</ref><ref>]. pp. 205–207.</ref><ref>]. pp. 133&ndash;140.</ref> The country suffered an estimated $900 million financial loss as a result.<ref name="Vandewalle 42">]. p. 42.</ref> Further problems arose with the west when in January 1989, ].<ref>]. p. 202.</ref> Many African states opposed the UN sanctions, with Mandela criticising them on a visit to Gaddafi in October 1997, when he praised Libya for its work in fighting apartheid and awarded Gaddafi the ].<ref>]. pp. 205–206.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 147">]. p. 147.</ref> They would only be suspended in 1998 when Libya agreed to allow the extradition of the suspects to the ], in a process overseen by Mandela.<ref>]. p. 206.</ref><ref>]. pp. 146&ndash;148.</ref>


===Pan-Africanism, reconciliation and privatization: 1999–2011=== ===Pan-Africanism, reconciliation and privatization: 1999–2011===
]


====Links with Africa and conflicts in the Arab League====
As the 20th century came to a close, Gaddafi increasingly rejected Arab nationalism, frustrated by the failure of his Pan-Arab ideals; instead he turned to ], emphasising Libya's African identity.<ref name="Bruce St John 227">]. p. 227.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 142">]. p. 142.</ref> From 1997 to 2000, Libya initiated cooperative agreements or bilateral aid arrangements with ten African states.<ref name="Bruce St John 229">]. p. 229.</ref> In June 1999, Gaddafi visited South Africa, visiting his friend, Mandela;<ref name="Bruce St John 226">]. p. 226.</ref> the following month he attended the OAU summit in Algiers, calling for greater political and economic integration across the continent and advocating the foundation of a ].<ref>]. pp. 227–228.</ref> He became one of the founding figureheads of the ] (AU), initiated in July 2002 to replace the OAU; at the opening ceremonies, he proclaimed that African states should reject conditional aid from the developed world, a direct contrast to the message of South African President ].<ref name="Bruce St John 229" /><ref name="Kawczynski 190">]. p. 190.</ref> At the third AU summit, held in Libya in July 2005, he called for a greater level of integration, advocating a single AU passport, a common defense system and a single currency, utilising the slogan: "The United States of Africa is the hope."<ref name="Bruce St John 230">]. p. 230.</ref><ref>]. pp. 190&ndash;191.</ref> In June 2005, Libya joined the ] (COMESA),<ref name="Bruce St John 231">]. p. 231.</ref> and in August 2008 Gaddafi was proclaimed "King of Kings" by an assembled committee of traditional African leaders.<ref name="Kawczynski 188" /><ref>]. pp. 270–271.</ref> On 1&nbsp;February&nbsp;2009, a '] ceremony' in ], Ethiopia, was held to coincide with the 53rd African Union Summit, at which Gaddafi was elected chairman of the African Union for the year.<ref name="Kawczynski 190" /><ref name="Bruce St John 272">]. p. 272.</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Malone|first=Barry|title=Gaddafi pushes for union after election to head AU|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2009/02/02/idUKL2210323|accessdate=2 September 2011|date=2 February 2009|agency=Reuters|work=Reuters UK}}</ref>
]


During the final years of the 20th century, Gaddafi—frustrated by the failure of his pan-Arab ideals and the refusal of the Arab world to challenge the international air embargo imposed on Libya—increasingly rejected Arab nationalism in favour of ], emphasizing Libya's African identity.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=142|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=227}}<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Howard |date=1998-10-04 |title=LIBYA'S GADHAFI SAYS HIS FUTURE IS AFRICAN |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/10/04/libyas-gadhafi-says-his-future-is-african/be1b8b48-3639-442b-8c64-e1aabd36cfe4/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828041925/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/10/04/libyas-gadhafi-says-his-future-is-african/be1b8b48-3639-442b-8c64-e1aabd36cfe4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 1998 interview, Gaddafi claimed that "the Arab world is finished" and expressed his wish for Libya to become a "black country."<ref name=":8" /> From 1997 to 2000, Libya initiated cooperative agreements or bilateral aid arrangements with 10 African states,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=229}} and in 1999 joined the ].{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=2008|1p=99|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=189}} In June 1999, Gaddafi visited Mandela in South Africa,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=226}} and the following month attended the OAU summit in ], calling for greater political and economic integration across the continent and advocating the foundation of a ].{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=227–228}} He became one of the founders of the ] (AU), initiated in July 2002 to replace the OAU. At the opening ceremonies, he called for African states to reject conditional aid from the developed world, a direct contrast to the message of South African President ].{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=190|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=229}} There was speculation that Gaddafi wanted to become the AU's first chair, raising concerns within Africa that this would damage the Union's international standing, particularly with the West.{{sfn|Ramutsindela|2009|p=3}}
], Gaddafi pitched his Bedouin tent in the grounds of the ]. Here he is joined by ] ] and French singer ].]]


At the third AU summit, held in Tripoli, Libya, in July 2005, Gaddafi called for greater integration, advocating a single AU passport, a common defence system, and a single currency, using the slogan: "The United States of Africa is the hope."{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=190–191|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=230}} His proposal for a Union of African States, a project originally conceived by Ghana's ] in the 1960s, was rejected at the 2001 Assembly of Heads of States and Government (AHSG) summit in Lusaka by African leaders who thought it "unrealistic" and "utopian".{{sfn|Martin|2002|p=280}} In June 2005, Libya joined the ] (COMESA).{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=231}} In March 2008 in Uganda, Gaddafi gave a speech once again urging Africa to reject foreign aid.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL17472166|title = Gaddafi says Africans must reject conditional aid|newspaper = Reuters|date = 17 March 2008|last1 = Kwera|first1 = Francis|access-date = 13 March 2021|archive-date = 14 July 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220714113120/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL17472166|url-status = live}}</ref> In August 2008, Gaddafi was proclaimed "]" by a committee of traditional African ];{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=188|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=270–271}} they ] him in February 2009, in a ceremony held in ], Ethiopia.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=190|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=272}} That same month, Gaddafi was elected as the chairperson of the African Union, a position he retained for one year.{{sfnm|1a1=Ramutsindela|1y=2009|1p=1|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2p=190|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=272}} In October 2010, Gaddafi apologized to African leaders for the historical enslavement of Africans by the ].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chiwanza|first=Takudzwa Hillary|title=Muammar Gaddafi Apologized for the Cruel Treatment of Africans During the Arab Slave Trade {{!}} The African Exponent.|url=https://www.africanexponent.com/post/6905-gaddadi-apologized-for-the-arab-slave-trade|access-date=21 December 2020|website=The African Exponent|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714113121/https://www.africanexponent.com/post/6905-gaddadi-apologized-for-the-arab-slave-trade|url-status=live}}</ref>
The era saw Libya's return to the international arena. In 1999, Libya began secret talks with the British government to normalise relations.<ref name="Vandewalle11 215">]. p. 215.</ref> In 2001, Gaddafi condemned the ] on the U.S. by ], expressing sympathy with the victims and calling for Libyan involvement in the ] against militant Islamism.<ref name="Vandewalle11 220">]. p. 220.</ref><ref name="Bruce St John 243">]. p. 243.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 176">]. p. 176.</ref> His government continued suppressing domestic Islamism, at the same time as Gaddafi called for the wider application of ''sharia'' law.<ref name="Bruce St John 254">]. p. 254.</ref> Libya also cemented connections with China and North Korea, being visited by Chinese President ] in April 2002.<ref name="Bruce St John 235">]. p. 235.</ref> Influenced by the events of the ], in December 2003, Libya renounced its possession of ], decommissioning its chemical and nuclear weapons programs.<ref name="Vandewalle 51">]. p. 51.</ref><ref name="Vandewalle11 217">]. p. 217.</ref><ref name="Bruce St John 244">]. p. 244.</ref><ref>]. pp. 162, 184.</ref> Relations with the U.S. improved as a result,<ref name="Bruce St John 245">]. p. 245.</ref><ref>]. pp. 178&ndash;179.</ref> while U.K. Prime Minister ] met with Gaddafi in the Libyan desert in March 2004.<ref>]. pp. 240–241.</ref><ref>]. pp. 163&ndash;164.</ref> The following month, Gaddafi travelled to the headquarters of the ] (EU) in ], signifying improved relations between Libya and the EU, the latter ending its remaining sanctions in October.<ref>]. p. 237.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 175">]. p. 175.</ref> In October 2010, the EU paid Libya €50 million to stop African migrants passing into Europe; Gaddafi encouraged the move, saying that it was necessary to prevent the creation of a "Black Europe".<ref name="Bruce St John 274">]. p. 274.</ref>


Meanwhile, Gaddafi continued to have testy relationships with most of his fellow Arab leaders. In the 2003 Arab League summit, Gaddafi was involved in a public verbal altercation with ], then the Crown Prince. Gaddafi accused Saudi Arabia of having made an "alliance with the devil" when it invited the US to intervene in the 1991 ]. Abdullah responded that Gaddafi was a "liar" and an "agent of colonizers" and threatened Gaddafi that "your grave awaits you."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ghabra |first=Shafeeq |date=2003-03-09 |title=An Arab House, Openly Divided |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2003/03/09/an-arab-house-openly-divided/a5cac861-a977-486b-bdee-4d657ec4a223/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Two weeks after the summit, Gaddafi allegedly plotted with the Emir ] of ] to assassinate Abdullah.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Libya 'plotted to kill' Saudi Crown Prince |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/libya-plotted-to-kill-saudi-crown-prince-1.986510 |access-date=2023-02-04 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075412/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/libya-plotted-to-kill-saudi-crown-prince-1.986510 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-17 |title=Qatar plotted to assassinate King Abdullah: Saudi Media Advisor |url=https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/7931/Qatar-plotted-to-assassinate-King-Abdullah-Saudi-Media-Advisor |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=EgyptToday |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075408/https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/7931/Qatar-plotted-to-assassinate-King-Abdullah-Saudi-Media-Advisor |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title='UAE ruler's friend' ran Libyan plot to kill Saudi crown prince |language=fr |work=Middle East Eye édition française |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/fr/news/saudi-king-assassination-plot-planned-uae-citizen-1134806678 |access-date=2023-02-04 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075413/https://www.middleeasteye.net/fr/news/saudi-king-assassination-plot-planned-uae-citizen-1134806678 |url-status=live }}</ref> The plot was overseen by Libyan intelligence chief ], Mohammed Ismail (a colonel in Gaddafi's military intelligence), and ] (an American citizen and founder of ]). The assassination conspiracy was foiled by Saudi intelligence with the help of the ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tyler |first=Patrick E. |date=2004-06-10 |title=Two Said to Tell Of Libyan Plot Against Saudi |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/10/world/two-said-to-tell-of-libyan-plot-against-saudi.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075407/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/10/world/two-said-to-tell-of-libyan-plot-against-saudi.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Amoudi was sentenced to 23 years in prison in the US and stripped of his American citizenship. Ismail was arrested by Saudi Arabia, pardoned by Abdullah in 2005, and later acquired ] citizenship due to his close ties with its ruler ].<ref name=":1" /> After the failure of the assassination plot, Gaddafi continued to discuss instigating a ] in Saudi Arabia with multiple ]s in the ], including Qatar's Foreign Minister ], ]'s foreign minister ], and Kuwaiti extremist preacher Hakem al-Mutairi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-08 |title=Former Qatari Emir conspired with Qaddafi against Saudi Arabia |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/06/08/Former-Qatari-Emir-conspired-with-Gaddafi-against-Saudi-Arabia |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075415/https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/06/08/Former-Qatari-Emir-conspired-with-Gaddafi-against-Saudi-Arabia |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-27 |title=Libya's Gaddafi sought to replace Saudi Arabia's ruling family |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/28858/leaked-phone-call-libyas-gaddafi-sought-to-replace-saudi-arabias-ruling-family/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Africa Report.com |language=en-US |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075414/https://www.theafricareport.com/28858/leaked-phone-call-libyas-gaddafi-sought-to-replace-saudi-arabias-ruling-family/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-25 |title=Gaddafi, extremist preacher discuss overthrowing Saudi, Kuwaiti governments: Audio |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2020/07/25/Gaddafi-extremist-preacher-discuss-overthrowing-Saudi-Kuwaiti-governments-Audio- |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075414/https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2020/07/25/Gaddafi-extremist-preacher-discuss-overthrowing-Saudi-Kuwaiti-governments-Audio- |url-status=live }}</ref>
Removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2006,<ref name="Kawczynski 176" /> Gaddafi nevertheless continued his anti-western rhetoric, and at the ] on ], Venezuela in September 2009, joined Venezuelan President ] in calling for an "anti-imperialist" front across Africa and Latin America. Gaddafi proposed the establishment of a South Atlantic Treaty Organization to rival ].<ref>{{registration required|date=November 2011}}{{Cite news
|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6851632.ece |title=Gaddafi proposes 'Nato of the South' at South America-Africa summit |date=28 September 2009 |work=The Times|location=UK |author=Hannah Strange |accessdate=29 September 2009 }}</ref> On 23 September 2009, Gaddafi addressed the ] in ] for the first time, using it to condemn western aggression.<ref name="Bruce St John 276">]. p. 276.</ref><ref name="Ed Pilkington">{{cite news|author=Ed Pilkington|location= New York |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/23/gaddafi-un-speech |title=UN general assembly: 100 minutes in the life of Muammar Gaddafi|work=The Guardian |date= 23 September 2009|accessdate=1 September 2011 }}</ref><ref name="Neil MacFarquhar">{{cite news|author=Neil MacFarquhar|location= New York |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/world/24nations.html |title=Libyan Leader Delivers a Scolding in U.N. Debut|date= 23 September 2009|accessdate=28 June 2012|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In Spring 2010, Gaddafi proclaimed ''jihad'' against ] after Swiss police accused two of his family members of criminal activity in the country, resulting in the breakdown of bilateral relations.<ref name="Bruce St John 274" />


The Gaddafi–Abdullah feud came into public view again in the ] when Gaddafi accused Abdullah, who had become ] in 2005, of being created by Britain and protected by the US.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Muammar Gaddafi accuses Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah of lying at Arab summit |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/5079290/Muammar-Gaddafi-accuses-Saudi-Arabias-King-Abdullah-of-lying-at-Arab-summit.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk |date=30 March 2009 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075407/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/5079290/Muammar-Gaddafi-accuses-Saudi-Arabias-King-Abdullah-of-lying-at-Arab-summit.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Alluding to their 2003 altercation, Gaddafi taunted Abdullah for ostensibly avoiding a confrontation with him for six years and quoted Abdullah's 2003 "grave awaits you" threat back at him before storming out of the meeting to visit a museum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-03-30 |title=Libya's Gaddafi hurls insults at Saudi king |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/libyas-gaddafi-hurls-insults-at-saudi-king-20141031-9h9r.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075407/https://www.smh.com.au/world/libyas-gaddafi-hurls-insults-at-saudi-king-20141031-9h9r.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Abdullah also left the meeting hall in anger.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libyan, Saudi leaders walk out of Arab Summit after a spat |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/qatar/libyan-saudi-leaders-walk-out-of-arab-summit-after-a-spat-1.60102 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=gulfnews.com |date=30 March 2009 |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075407/https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/qatar/libyan-saudi-leaders-walk-out-of-arab-summit-after-a-spat-1.60102 |url-status=live }}</ref> A Saudi official later claimed that Gaddafi and Abdullah had held a 30 minutes meeting at the sideline of the summit and that the "personal problem" between them was "over."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-03-31 |title=Libyan, Saudi leaders 'make up' at Doha meeting |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20090331-libyan-saudi-leaders-make-doha-meeting- |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075413/https://www.france24.com/en/20090331-libyan-saudi-leaders-make-doha-meeting- |url-status=live }}</ref> However, Gaddafi had given weapons and money to the ] to attack Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yobserver.com/front-page/10021347.html|title=Mana'a and al-Ahmar received money from Gaddafi to shake security of KSA, Yemen|date=4 September 2011|access-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130210080152/http://www.yobserver.com/front-page/10021347.html|archive-date=10 February 2013|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
] (]).]]
The Libyan economy witnessed increasing privatization; although rejecting the socialist policies of nationalized industry advocated in ''The Green Book'', government figures asserted that they were forging "people's socialism" rather than capitalism.<ref>]. p. 250.</ref> Gaddafi welcomed these reforms, calling for widescale privatization in a March 2003 speech.<ref name="Vandewalle11 224">]. p. 224.</ref> In 2003, the oil industry was largely turned over to private corporations,<ref>]. p. 247.</ref> and by 2004, there was $40 billion of direct foreign investment in Libya, a sixfold rise on 2003.<ref name="ReferenceB">]. p. 248.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 180">]. p. 180.</ref> Sectors of the Libyan population reacted against these reforms with public demonstrations,<ref name="ReferenceB"/> and in March 2006, revolutionary hardliners took control of the GPC cabinet; although scaling back the pace of change, they did not halt them.<ref name="Vandewalle11 228">]. p. 228.</ref><ref>]. pp. 249–250.</ref> In 2010, plans were announced that would have seen half the Libyan economy privatized over the following decade.<ref>]. pp. 263–264.</ref> While there was no accompanying political liberalization, with Gaddafi retaining predominant control,<ref name="Vandewalle11 231">]. p. 231.</ref> in March 2000, the government devolved further powers to the municipal councils.<ref>]. p. 257.</ref> Rising numbers of reformist technocrats attained positions in the country's governance; best known was Gaddafi's son and heir apparent ], who was openly critical of Libya's human rights record. He led a group who proposed the drafting of the new constitution, although it was never adopted, and in October 2009 was appointed to head the PSLC.<ref name="Vandewalle11 225">]. p. 225.</ref><ref>]. pp. 249&ndash;269.</ref> Involved in encouraging tourism, Saif founded several privately run media channels in 2008, but after criticising the government they were nationalised in 2009.<ref>]. pp. 216, 227&ndash;228.</ref> In October 2010, Gaddafi apologized for Arab involvement in the African ].<ref>"". Press TV. 11 October 2010.</ref>


====Rebuilding links with the West====
==Libyan civil war==
{{main|Muammar Gaddafi's response to the Libyan civil war|Libyan civil war}} ]
In 1999, Libya began secret talks with the British government to normalize relations.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008a|p=215}} In 2001, Gaddafi publicly condemned the ] on the US by ], expressing sympathy with the victims and calling for Libyan involvement in the US-led ] against militant Islamism.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008a|1p=220|2a1=St. John|2y=2008|2p=101|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3p=176|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=243}} His government continued suppressing domestic Islamism, at the same time as Gaddafi called for the wider application of ''sharia'' law.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=254}} Libya also cemented connections with China and North Korea, being visited by Chinese President ] in April 2002.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=235}} However, relations with China became strained in May 2006 due to a visit to Tripoli by Taiwanese President ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-05-11 |title=China blasts Libya over Taiwan president's visit |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2006-05-11-china-blasts-libya-over-taiwan-presidents-visit/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203104754/https://mg.co.za/article/2006-05-11-china-blasts-libya-over-taiwan-presidents-visit/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Koike |first=Yuriko |title=China's African mischief |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2011/10/3/chinas-african-mischief |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203104754/https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2011/10/3/chinas-african-mischief |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-05-11 |title=Taiwan's Chen stops over in Libya |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4760471.stm |access-date=2023-02-03 |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203104754/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4760471.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Influenced by the events of the ], in December 2003, Libya renounced its possession of ], ].{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2006|1p=8|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008a|2p=217|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=162, 184|4a1=St. John|4y=2012|4p=244|5a1=Kamel|5y=2016|5p=694}} Relations with the US improved as a result.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=178–179|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=245}} British Prime Minister ] visited Gaddafi in March 2004;{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=240–241|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=240–241}} the pair developed close personal ties.{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|p=412}} In 2003, Libya paid US$2.7 billion to the families of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing as it was the condition the US and UK had made for terminating the remaining UN sanctions. Libya continued to deny any role in the bombing.{{sfnm|1a1=Boyd-Judson|1y=2005|1p=91|2a1=St. John|2y=2008|2p=101}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Europa World Year: Kazakhstan – Zimbabwe, Volume 2|page=2655|publisher=Routledge|quote=Secretary of the GPC, Shukri Muhammad Ghanem.... claimed that compensation was being paid to the families of the Lockerbie victims in order to 'buy peace' and avoid sanctions and that the country did not accept responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing}}</ref> In 2009, Gaddafi attempted to strong-arm global energy companies operating in Libya to cover Libya's settlement with the families of the victims of Lockerbie.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last1=Lichtblau |first1=Eric |last2=Rohde |first2=David |last3=Risen |first3=James |date=2011-03-24 |title=Shady Dealings Helped Qaddafi Build Fortune and Regime |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/world/africa/24qaddafi.html |access-date=2023-03-05 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328111448/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/world/africa/24qaddafi.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


] and Muammar Gaddafi, in 2008]]
===Origins: February&ndash;March 2011===
], ], March 2011.]]
Following the start of the ] in 2011, Gaddafi spoke out in favour of Tunisian President ], then threatened by the ]. He suggested that Tunisia's people would be satisfied if Ben Ali introduced a ''Jamahiriyah'' system there.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=278}} Fearing domestic protest, Libya's government implemented preventative measures, reducing food prices, purging the army leadership of potential defectors and releasing several Islamist prisoners.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|pp=282&ndash;283}} They proved ineffective, and on 17 February 2011, major protests broke out against Gaddafi's government. Unlike Tunisia or Egypt, Libya was largely religiously homogenous and had no strong Islamist movement, but there was widespread dissatisfaction with the corruption and entrenched systems of patronage, while unemployment had reached around 30%.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=231|2a1=Bruce St John|2y=2012|2pp=279&ndash;281}}


In 2004, Gaddafi traveled to the headquarters of the ] (EU) in ]—signifying improved relations between Libya and the EU—and the EU dropped its sanctions on Libya.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=175|2a1=St. John|2y=2008|2p=101|3a1=St. John|3y=2012|3p=237}} As a strategic player in Europe's attempts to stem illegal migration from Africa,{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|p=408}} in October 2010, the EU paid Libya over €50&nbsp;million to stop African migrants passing into Europe; Gaddafi encouraged the move, saying that it was necessary to prevent the loss of European cultural identity to a new "Black Europe".{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=2012|1p=274|2a1=Kamel|2y=2016|2p=684}} Gaddafi also completed agreements with the Italian government that they would invest in various infrastructure projects as reparations for past Italian colonial policies in Libya.{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|p=410}} Italian Prime Minister ] gave Libya an official apology in 2006, after which Gaddafi called him the "iron man" for his courage in doing so.{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|pp=410–411}} In August 2008, Gaddafi and Berlusconi signed a historic cooperation ] in ];<ref name="treaty">{{cite web |url=http://www.senato.it/parlam/leggi/09007l.htm |title=Ratifica ed esecuzione del Trattato di amicizia, partenariato e cooperazione tra la Repubblica italiana e la Grande Giamahiria araba libica popolare socialista, fatto a Bengasi il 30 August 2008 |language=it |publisher=] press release |date=6 February 2009 |access-date=10 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618082911/http://www.senato.it/parlam/leggi/09007l.htm |archive-date=18 June 2009}}</ref><ref name="ansa">{{cite news |url=http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-06-09_109379246.html |publisher=] |title=Gaddafi to Rome for Historic Visit |date=10 June 2009 |access-date=10 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616155752/http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-06-09_109379246.html |archive-date=16 June 2009 }}</ref> under its terms, Italy would pay $5&nbsp;billion to Libya as compensation for its former ]. In exchange, Libya would take measures to combat ] coming from its shores and boost investment in Italian companies.<ref name=ansa /><ref name="rep">{{cite news |newspaper=] |url=http://www.repubblica.it/2008/05/sezioni/esteri/libia-italia/accordo-firmato/accordo-firmato.html |title=Italia-Libia, firmato l'accordo |language=it |date=30 August 2008 |access-date=10 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000538/http://www.repubblica.it/2008/05/sezioni/esteri/libia-italia/accordo-firmato/accordo-firmato.html |archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref>
Accusing the rebels of being "drugged" and linked to al-Qaeda, Gaddafi proclaimed that he would die a ] rather than leave Libya.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=242}} As he announced that the rebels would be "hunted down street by street, house by house and wardrobe by wardrobe",{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=242&ndash;243}} the army opened fire on protests in Benghazi, killing hundreds.{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=283}} Shocked at the government's response, a number of senior politicians resigned or defected to the protesters' side.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruce St John|1y=2012|1p=284|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2011|2p=236}} The uprising spread quickly through Libya's less economically developed eastern half.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2011|p=236}} By February's end, eastern cities like Benghazi, Misrata, al-Bayda and Tobruk were controlled by rebels,{{sfn|Bruce St John|2012|p=284}} and the Benghazi-based ] (NTC) had been founded to represent them.{{sfnm|1a1=Bruce St John|1y=2012|1p=286|2a1=Human Rights Watch|2y=2012|2p=16}}


After the US removed Libya from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2006,{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=176}} Gaddafi nevertheless continued his anti-Western rhetoric. At the ], held in Syria, he warned fellow Arab leaders that they could be overthrown and executed by the US like ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Uri |date=2011-08-24 |title=Qaddafi Warns Chuckling Arab Leaders in 2008 That Their End Is Near |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/watch-qaddafi-warn-laughing-arab-leaders-their-end-near/338775/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204075415/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/08/watch-qaddafi-warn-laughing-arab-leaders-their-end-near/338775/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gaddafi condemns Arab leaders |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2008/3/29/gaddafi-condemns-arab-leaders |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=22 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722161642/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2008/03/200861501453203859.html |url-status=live }}</ref> At the ], held in Venezuela in September 2009, he called for a military alliance across Africa and Latin America to rival NATO.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaddafi Proposed the Creation of a South Atlantic Military Alliance |website=MercoPress |date=28 September 2009 |url=http://en.mercopress.com/2009/09/28/gaddafi-proposed-the-creation-of-a-south-atlantic-military-alliance |access-date=13 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218192040/http://en.mercopress.com/2009/09/28/gaddafi-proposed-the-creation-of-a-south-atlantic-military-alliance |archive-date=18 February 2010 }}</ref> That same month he traveled to New York City and addressed the ] for the first time on 23 September 2009, using it to condemn "Western aggression," and spoke for just over 90 minutes instead of the allotted 15.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=276}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Neil |last=MacFarquhar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/world/24nations.html |title=Libyan Leader Delivers a Scolding in U.N. Debut |date=23 September 2009 |access-date=28 June 2012 |website=The New York Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606071635/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/world/24nations.html |archive-date=6 June 2017 }}</ref> In the Spring of 2010, Gaddafi proclaimed ''jihad'' against Switzerland after Swiss police accused two of his family members of criminal activity in the country, resulting in the breakdown of bilateral relations.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=274}}
In the conflict's early months it appeared that Gaddafi's government &ndash; with its greater firepower &ndash; would be victorious.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2011|p=236}} Both sides disregarded the ], committing human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial executions and revenge attacks.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=17&ndash;18}} On 26 February the ] passed ], suspending Libya from the ], implementing sanctions and calling for an ] (ICC) investigation into the killing of unarmed civilians.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2011|1p=236|2a1=Bruce St John|2p=284|3a1=Human Rights Watch|3y=2012|3p=16}} In March, the Security Council declared a ] to protect the civilian population from aerial bombardment, calling on foreign nations to enforce it; it also specifically prohibited foreign occupation.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2011|1p=236|2a1=Human Rights Watch|2y=2012|2p=16}} Ignoring this, Qatar sent hundreds of troops to support the dissidents, and along with France and the United Arab Emirates provided the NTC with weaponry and training.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=16}}


Gaddafi allegedly financed ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-03-20 |title=French police hold ex-president Sarkozy over 'Gaddafi funding' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43469316 |access-date=2023-02-04 |archive-date=20 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320180502/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43469316 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matamoros |first=Cristina Abellan |date=2018-03-20 |title=Sarkozy funding scandal: what does it all mean? |url=https://www.euronews.com/2018/03/20/sarkozy-in-libya-case-what-does-it-all-mean- |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=euronews |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080913/https://www.euronews.com/2018/03/20/sarkozy-in-libya-case-what-does-it-all-mean- |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-20 |title=Gaddafi relations haunt Sarkozy in 2007 campaign financing case |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180320-france-libya-sarkozy-gaddafi-relations-haunt-2007-campaign-financing-case-custody |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080912/https://www.france24.com/en/20180320-france-libya-sarkozy-gaddafi-relations-haunt-2007-campaign-financing-case-custody |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-28 |title=Gaddafi funded 'mentally deficient' Sarkozy, interview claims |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20140128-france-sarkozy-gaddafi-campaign-funds-libya-television |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080913/https://www.france24.com/en/20140128-france-sarkozy-gaddafi-campaign-funds-libya-television |url-status=live }}</ref> He also financed Austrian far-right politician ] starting in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Martin A. |date=2000-08-13 |title=Ties That Bind Kadafi and Neo-Fascists |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-13-op-3534-story.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080913/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-13-op-3534-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Austria investigates Haider links |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/8/3/austria-investigates-haider-links |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080913/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/8/3/austria-investigates-haider-links |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gaddafi backs 'friend' Haider |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/1343369/Gaddafi-backs-friend-Haider.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk |date=16 June 2000 |archive-date=4 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204080913/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/1343369/Gaddafi-backs-friend-Haider.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
===NATO intervention: March&ndash;August 2011===
A week after the implementation of the no-fly zone, ] announced that it would enforce it.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2011|1p=236|2a1=Bruce St John|2p=284}} On 30 April a NATO airstrike killed ] and three of his grandsons in Tripoli, though Gaddafi and his wife were unharmed. Western officials remained divided over whether Gaddafi was a legitimate military target under the Security Council resolution. ] ] said that NATO was "not targeting Gaddafi specifically" but that his command-and-control facilities were legitimate targets—including a facility inside his sprawling Tripoli compound that was hit with airstrikes 25 April. However, U.S. Secretary of State was captured on video calling for Gaddafi to be killed or captured and was later captured again on video celebrating the news of his death.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Simon|last1=Denyer|first2=Leila|last2=Fadel|title=Gaddafi’s youngest son killed in NATO airstrike; Russia condemns attack|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gaddafi-calls-for-cease-fire-as-nato-strikes-tripoli/2011/04/30/AF1jZsNF_story.html|accessdate=21 January 2012|work=Washington Post|date=30 April 2011|location=Tripoli|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>


====Economic reform====
], ], in February 2009.]]
Libya's economy witnessed increasing ]; although rejecting the socialist policies of nationalized industry advocated in ''The Green Book'', government figures asserted that they were forging "people's socialism" rather than capitalism.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=250}} Gaddafi welcomed these reforms, calling for wide-scale privatization in a March 2003 speech;{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008a|p=224}} he promised that Libya would join the ].{{sfn|St. John|2008|pp=101–102}} These reforms encouraged private investment in Libya's economy.{{sfn|Kamel|2016|p=697}} By 2004, there was US$40&nbsp;billion of direct foreign investment in Libya, a six-fold rise over 2003.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=180|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=248}} Sectors of Libya's population reacted against these reforms with public demonstrations,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=248}} and in March 2006, revolutionary hard-liners took control of the GPC cabinet; although scaling back the pace of the changes, they did not halt them.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008a|1p=228|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=249–250}} In 2010, plans were announced that would have seen half the Libyan economy privatized over the following decade,{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=263–264}} these plans appear to have been soon abandoned however, as the companies that the government stated they were going to float on the stock market, among them the National Commercial Bank and the ] were never floated and remained 100% state-owned. Many socialist policies remained however, with subsidiaries of logistics company HB Group being nationalized in 2007.{{sfnm|1a1=Cooley|1y=1983|1pp=467–489|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=156|3a1=Sacerdoti|3a2=Acconci|3y=2011|3pp=312–313}} Agriculture remained largely untouched by the reforms, with farms remaining cooperatives, the ] remaining wholly state-owned and state interventionist policies and price controls remaining.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oliveira|first=Ingrid|title=Libya|url=https://www.g-fras.org/es/world-wide-extension-study/africa/northern-africa/libya.html|access-date=13 January 2021|website=GFRAS|language=es|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714181011/https://www.g-fras.org/es/world-wide-extension-study/africa/northern-africa/libya.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The oil industry remained largely state-owned, with the wholly state-owned ] retaining a 70% share in Libya's oil industry, the government also imposed a 93% tax on all oil that foreign companies produced in Libya.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hargreaves|first=Steve|title=Libya oil eyed by Western companies|url=https://money.cnn.com/2011/10/25/news/international/libya_oil/index.htm|access-date=13 January 2021|website=CNNMoney|archive-date=27 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027213334/https://money.cnn.com/2011/10/25/news/international/libya_oil/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Price controls and subsidies over oil and food remained in place, and state-provided benefits such as free education, universal healthcare, free housing, free water and free electricity remained in place.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gwaambuka|first=Tatenda|title=Ten Reasons Libya Under Gaddafi Was a Great Place to Live {{!}} The African Exponent.|url=https://www.africanexponent.com/post/ten-reasons-libya-under-gaddafi-was-a-great-place-to-live-2746|access-date=13 January 2021|website=The African Exponent|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714174056/https://www.africanexponent.com/post/ten-reasons-libya-under-gaddafi-was-a-great-place-to-live-2746|url-status=live}}</ref> Libya also changed its stance on the WTO after the removal of technocrat ], with Gaddafi condemning the WTO as a neocolonial terrorist organisation, and urging African and Third World countries not to join it.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-africa-summit-idUKLDE6AS18N20101129|title = Gaddafi issues warning to EU over African trade|newspaper = Reuters|date = 29 November 2010|access-date = 24 May 2021|archive-date = 14 July 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220714174056/https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-africa-summit-idUKLDE6AS18N20101129|url-status = live}}</ref>


While there was no accompanying political liberalization, with Gaddafi retaining predominant control,{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008a|p=231}} in March 2010, the government devolved further powers to the municipal councils.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=257}} Rising numbers of reformist technocrats attained positions in the country's governance; best known was Gaddafi's son and heir apparent ], who was openly critical of Libya's human rights record. He led a group who proposed the drafting of a new constitution, although it was never adopted.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008a|1p=225|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=249–269}} Involved in encouraging tourism, Saif founded several privately run media channels in 2008, but after criticizing the government, they were nationalized in 2009.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=216, 227–228}}
On 27 June, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law ], head of state security for charges, concerning crimes against humanity.<ref name="iccwarrant"/><ref name="Bruce St John 286">]. p. 286.</ref><ref name="Kawczynski 257">]. p. 257.</ref><ref name=FTarrwarr>{{cite web|title=ICC issues arrest warrant for Gaddafi|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/97974bb4-a0b7-11e0-b14e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1SJXQ0e7A|publisher=Financial Times (FT.com)|accessdate=16 July 2011|author=Matt Steinglass|date=28 June 2011}}</ref><ref name=TGarrwarr>{{cite news|title=War crimes court issues Gaddafi arrest warrant|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/27/muammar-gaddafi-arrest-warrant-hague|work=The Guardian|location=London |accessdate=16 July 2011|coauthors=Ian Black and David Smith|date=27 June 2011}}</ref> Libyan officials rejected the ICC, claiming that it had "no legitimacy whatsoever" and highlighting that "all of its activities are directed at African leaders".<ref name=AP_ICC>{{cite news | title = Judges order arrest of Gadhafi, son for slayings | url = http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/2011/06/judges-order-arrest-gadhafi-son-slayings|work=Washington Examiner|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=21 January 2012|first=Mike|last=Corder|date=27 June 2011|location=Benghazi}}</ref> That month, ] published their findings, in which they asserted that many of the accusations of mass human rights abuses made against Gaddafist forces lacked credible evidence, and were instead fabrications of the rebel forces which had been readily adopted by the western media.<ref name="AmnestyRape">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/amnesty-questions-claim-that-gaddafi-ordered-rape-as-weapon-of-war-2302037.html|title=Amnesty questions claim that Gaddafi ordered rape as weapon of war|date=24 June 2011|work=The Independent|location=London |accessdate=26 June 2011|first=Patrick|last=Cockburn}}</ref> On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, over 30 governments recognised the ] as the legitimate government of Libya. Gaddafi responded to the announcement with a speech on Libyan national television, in which he called on supporters to "Trample on those recognitions, trample on them under your feet&nbsp;... They are worthless".<ref name="INDtncofficialgov" />


==Libyan Civil War and death==
Now with NATO support in the form of air cover, the rebel militia pushed westward, defeating loyalist armies and securing control of the centre of the country. Gaining the support of ] (]) communities of the ], who had long been persecuted as non-Arab speakers under Gaddafi, the NTC armies were able to encircle Gaddafi loyalists in several key areas of western Libya.<ref name="Bruce St John 285">]. p. 285.</ref> In August, the rebels seized both ] and ], effectively ending the last vestiges of Gaddafist power.<ref name="Bruce St John 286" /> On 25 August, the ] recognised the NTC to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state", on which basis Libya would resume its membership of the League.<ref name=taipeitimmes20110826>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/08/26/2003511688 |title=Arab League gives its full backing to Libya's rebel council |work=The Taipei Times|date=26 August 2011 |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref>
{{main|Libyan Civil War (2011)}}
{{Further|2011 military intervention in Libya}}


===Capture and death: September–October 2011=== ===Origins and development: February–August 2011===
]
{{main|Death of Muammar Gaddafi}}
Although all major cities were now under NTC control, a few towns in western Libya—such as Bani Walid, Sebha and Sirte—remained Gaddafist strongholds.<ref name="Bruce St John 286"/> Retreating to the latter after Tripoli's fall,<ref name="HRW 20">]. p. 20.</ref> Gaddafi announced his willingness to negotiate for a handover to a transitional government, a suggestion rejected by the NTC, who held out for total victory.<ref name="Bruce St John 286"/> Surrounding himself with trusted confidants and bodyguards,<ref name="HRW 20" /> he continually moved residences to escape NTC shelling; with food, water and electricity becoming scarce, Gaddafi devoted his days to reading the Qur'an and praying.<ref name="HRW 21-22">]. pp. 21–22.</ref> On the morning of Thursday 20 October, Gaddafi broke out of Sirte's District 2 in a joint civilian-military convoy, hoping to take refuge in the Jarref Valley.<ref name="HRW 23">]. p. 23.</ref><ref name="BBC2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |title=Muammar Gaddafi: How he died|publisher=BBC News|date=22 October 2011|accessdate=22 October 2011}}</ref> At around 8.30am, NATO bombers attacked, destroying at least 14 vehicles and killing at least 53.<ref name="BBC2011"/><ref name="HRW 24-25">]. pp. 24–25.</ref> The convoy scattered, and Gaddafi and those closest to him fled to a nearby villa, which was shelled by rebel militia from Misrata. Fleeing to a construction site, Gaddafi and his inner consort hid inside drainage pipes while his bodyguards battled the rebels; in the conflict, Gaddafi suffered head injuries from a grenade blast while defence minister ] was killed.<ref name="BBC2011"/><ref name="HRW 26-27">]. pp. 26–27.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201110271091.html |title=Gaddafi's Last Stand in Sirte |publisher=allAfrica.com|accessdate=27 October 2011}}</ref>


Following the start of the ] in 2011, Gaddafi spoke out in favour of Tunisian President ], then threatened by the ]. He suggested that Tunisia's people would be satisfied if Ben Ali introduced a ''Jamahiriyah'' system there.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=278}} Fearing domestic protest, Libya's government implemented preventive measures by reducing ], purging the army leadership of potential defectors, and releasing several Islamist prisoners.{{sfn|St. John|2012|pp=282–283}} This proved ineffective, and on 17 February 2011, major protests broke out against Gaddafi's government. Unlike Tunisia or Egypt, Libya was largely religiously homogeneous and had no strong Islamist movement, but there was widespread dissatisfaction with the corruption and entrenched systems of patronage, while unemployment had reached around 30 percent.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=231|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2pp=279–281}}
]


Accusing the rebels of being "drugged" and linked to al-Qaeda, Gaddafi proclaimed that he would die a ] rather than leave Libya.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=242}} As he announced that the rebels would be "hunted down street by street, house by house and wardrobe by wardrobe",{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=242–243}} the army opened fire on protesters in Benghazi, killing hundreds.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=283}} Shocked at the government's response, a number of senior politicians resigned or defected to the protesters' side.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=2012|1p=284|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2008a|2p=236}} The uprising spread quickly through Libya's less economically developed eastern half.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008a|p=236}} By February's end, eastern cities such as Benghazi, Misrata, al-Bayda, and Tobruk were controlled by rebels,{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=284}} and the Benghazi-based ] (NTC) formed to represent them.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=2012|1p=286|2a1=Human Rights Watch|2y=2012|2p=16}}
Overwhelming the loyalists, a Misratan militia took Gaddafi prisoner, beating him and stabbing him in the anus with a ], causing serious injuries; the events were filmed on a cell phone, accompanied by cries of "Allahu Akbar!" and "Misrata!". Pulled onto the front of a pick-up truck, he fell off as it drove away. His semi-naked, lifeless body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to Misrata; upon arrival, he was found to be dead.<ref name="HRW 28-29">]. pp. 28–29.</ref> Official NTC accounts claimed that Gaddafi was caught in a cross-fire and died from his bullet wounds.<ref name="BBC2011"/> Other eye-witness accounts claimed that rebels had fatally shot Gaddafi in the stomach;<ref name="BBC2011"/> a rebel identifying himself as Senad el-Sadik el-Ureybi later claimed responsibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4138000,00.html |title=Libyan rebel: I killed Gaddafi&nbsp;– Israel News, Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=20 June 1995 |accessdate=25 March 2012}}</ref> Gaddafi's son ], who had also been among the convoy, was also captured, and found dead several hours later, most probably from an extrajudicial execution.<ref name="HRW 32-33">]. pp. 32–33.</ref> Around 140 Gaddafi loyalists were rounded up from the convoy; tied up and abused, the corpses of 66 were found at the nearby Mahari Hotel, victims of extrajudicial execution.<ref name="HRW 34-40">]. pp. 34–40.</ref> Libya's chief forensic pathologist, Dr. Othman al-Zintani, carried out the autopsies of Gaddafi, his son and Jabr in the days following their death; although the pathologist initially told the press that Gaddafi had died from a gunshot wound to the head, the autopsy report was not made public.<ref name="HRW 43">]. p. 43.</ref>


]
On the afternoon of Gaddafi's death, NTC Prime Minister ] publicly revealed the news.<ref name="BBC2011"/>
Gaddafi's corpse was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the corpses of Yunis Jabr and Mutassim; the bodies were publicly displayed for four days, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them.<ref>{{cite web|title=Report: Libyan militias executed dozens, possibly including Gadhafi|url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/report-libyan-militias-executed-dozens-possibly-including-gadhafi/|publisher=CNN|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref> In response to international calls, on 24 October Jibril announced that a commission would investigate Gaddafi's death.<ref name="HRW 44">]. p. 44.</ref> On 25 October, the NTC announced that Gaddafi had been buried at an unidentified location in the desert; ] showed amateur video footage of the funeral.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mousa|first=Jenan|title=تجهيز جثمان القذافي للدفن في الصحراء الليبية&nbsp;– صور حصرية|url=http://akhbar.alaan.tv/video/alaan-reports/Processing-Gaddafi-body-burial-Libyan-desert/|accessdate=28 October 2011|newspaper=Akhbar Alaan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Letterman|first=David|title=David Letterman&nbsp;– Qaddafi Funeral Top Ten|url=http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=R5oOkuYNaSsrlwuqJ9a7YItKQ5FmdDyn&vs=Default&play=true|accessdate=28 October 2011|newspaper=CBS}}</ref> Seeking vengeance for the killing, Gaddafist sympathisers fatally wounded one of those who had captured Gaddafi, Omran Shaaban, near Bani Walid in September 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/09/201292652225974150.html |title=Libyan behind Gaddafi capture dies in France |newspaper=Al Jazeera |date=26 September 2012 |accessdate=17 June 2013 }}</ref>


In the conflict's early months it appeared that Gaddafi's government—with its greater fire-power—would be victorious.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2008a|p=236}} Both sides disregarded the ], committing human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, ], ], and revenge attacks.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=17–18}} On 26 February, the ] passed ], suspending Libya from the ], implementing sanctions and calling for an ] (ICC) investigation into the killing of unarmed civilians.{{sfnm|1a1=Sacerdoti|1a2=Acconci|1y=2011|1pp=61–62|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=284|3a1=Human Rights Watch|3y=2012|3p=16}} In March, the Security Council declared a ] to protect the civilian population from aerial bombardment, calling on foreign nations to enforce it; it also specifically prohibited foreign occupation.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008a|1p=236|2a1=Human Rights Watch|2y=2012|2p=16}} Ignoring this, Qatar sent hundreds of troops to support the dissidents and, along with France and the ], provided weaponry and military training to the NTC.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=16}} NATO announced that it would enforce the no-fly zone.{{sfnm|1a1=Vandewalle|1y=2008a|1p=236|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=284}} On 30 April a NATO airstrike killed ] and three of his grandsons in Tripoli.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Simon|last1=Denyer|first2=Leila|last2=Fadel|title=Gaddafi's Youngest Son Killed in NATO Airstrike; Russia Condemns Attack|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gaddafi-calls-for-cease-fire-as-nato-strikes-tripoli/2011/04/30/AF1jZsNF_story.html|access-date=21 January 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 April 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713201116/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gaddafi-calls-for-cease-fire-as-nato-strikes-tripoli/2011/04/30/AF1jZsNF_story.html |archive-date=13 July 2017}}</ref> This Western military intervention was criticized by various leftist governments, including those that had criticized Gaddafi's response to the protests, because they regarded it as an imperialist attempt to secure control of Libya's resources.{{sfn|Castro|2011|pp=308–309}}
==Personal and public life==


In June, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law ], head of state security, for charges concerning crimes against humanity.{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1p=257|2a1=St. John|2y=2012|2p=286}} That month, ] published their report, finding that Gaddafi's forces were responsible for numerous war crimes but added that a number of allegations of human rights abuses lacked credible evidence. The report added that "much Western media coverage has from the outset presented a very one-sided view of the logic of events, portraying the protest movement as entirely peaceful and repeatedly suggesting that the regime's security forces were unaccountably massacring unarmed demonstrators".<ref name="AmnestyRape">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/amnesty-questions-claim-that-gaddafi-ordered-rape-as-weapon-of-war-2302037.html|title=Amnesty Questions Claim That Gaddafi Ordered Rape as Weapon of War|date=24 June 2011|work=The Independent|location=London|access-date=26 June 2011|first=Patrick|last=Cockburn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218024655/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/amnesty-questions-claim-that-gaddafi-ordered-rape-as-weapon-of-war-2302037.html|archive-date=18 February 2017}}</ref> In July, over 30 governments recognized the NTC as the legitimate government of Libya; Gaddafi called on his supporters to "Trample on those recognitions, trample on them under your feet&nbsp;... They are worthless".<ref name="INDtncofficialgov">{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/west-prepares-to-hand-rebels-gaddafis-billions-2314576.html | title=West Prepares to Hand Rebels Gaddafi's Billions | work=The Independent | location=London | date=16 July 2011 | access-date=16 July 2011 | first=Justin | last=Vela | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512101059/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/west-prepares-to-hand-rebels-gaddafis-billions-2314576.html | archive-date=12 May 2012 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}</ref> In August, the ] recognized the NTC as "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".<ref name="taipeitimmes20110826">{{cite web |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/08/26/2003511688 |title=Arab League Gives Its Full Backing to Libya's Rebel Council |work=The Taipei Times |date=26 August 2011 |access-date=1 September 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221153/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/08/26/2003511688 |archive-date=3 March 2016 }}</ref>
===Ideology===
{{main|Political ideology of Muammar Gaddafi}}
As a schoolboy, Gaddafi adopted the ideologies of ] and ], influenced in particular by ], the thought of Egyptian revolutionary and president ], whom Gaddafi adopted as his hero.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=43|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=18}} During the early 1970s, Gaddafi formulated his own particular approach to Arab nationalism and socialism, known as ], which has been described as a combination of "], Arab nationalism, and the Third World revolutionary theory that was in vogue at the time".<ref name="nytimes_green">{{cite news|last=Bazzi|first=Mohamad|title=What Did Qaddafi's Green Book Really Say?|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/what-did-qaddafis-green-book-really-say.html|accessdate=28 October 2011|newspaper=]|date=27 May 2011}}</ref> He laid out the principles of this Theory in the three volumes of '']'', in which he sought to "explain the structure of the ideal society."{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=57}} His Arab nationalist views led him to believe that there needed to be unity across the Arab world, combining the Arab nation under a single nation-state.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=59}} He described his approach to economics as "Islamic socialism",{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=48}} although biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that Gaddafi's socialism had a "curiously Marxist undertone".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=98}} He saw his socialist ''Jamahiriyah'' as a model for the Arab, Islamic, and Non-aligned worlds to follow.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=54}}


Aided by NATO air cover, the rebel militia pushed westward, defeating loyalist armies and securing control of the centre of the country.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=285}} Gaining the support of ] (]) communities of the ], who had long been persecuted as non-Arabic speakers under Gaddafi, the NTC armies surrounded Gaddafi loyalists in several key areas of western Libya.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=285}} In August, the rebels seized ] and ], ending the last vestiges of Gaddafist power.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=286}} It is probable that without the NATO air strikes supporting the rebels, they would not have been able to advance west and Gaddafi's forces would have ultimately retaken control of eastern Libya.{{sfn|Pargeter|2012|p=8}}
{{Quote box|width=246px|bgcolor=#ACE1AF|align=right|quote="We call it the Third Theory to indicate that there is a new path for all those who reject both materialist capitalism and atheist Communism. The path is for all the people of the world who abhor the dangerous confrontation between the Warsaw and North Atlantic military alliances. It is for all those who believe that all nations of the world are brothers under the aegis of the rule of God."|salign = right |source=— Muammar Gaddafi.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=87}}}}


=== Capture and killing ===
Gaddafi's ideological worldview was moulded by his environment, namely his Islamic faith, his Bedouin upbringing, and his disgust at the actions of European colonialists in Libya.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=43}} He was driven by a sense of "divine mission", believing himself a conduit of ]'s will, and thought that he must achieve his goals "no matter what the cost".{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=45, 50}} Raised within the ] branch of ], Gaddafi called for the implementation of '']'' within Libya.<ref name="Mohamed Eljhami">{{cite web|url=http://www.meforum.org/878/libya-and-the-us-qadhafi-unrepentant|title=Libya and the U.S.: Qadhafi Unrepentant|publisher=The Middle East Quarterly|author=Mohamed Eljahmi|year=2006}}</ref> He desired unity across the Islamic world,{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=19}} and encouraged the propagation of the faith elsewhere. On a 2010 visit to Italy, he paid a modelling agency to find 200 young Italian women for a lecture he gave urging them to convert.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Europe should convert to Islam: Gaddafi|url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Europe-should-convert-to-Islam-Gaddafi/articleshow/6464781.cms|work=The Times of India|location=India|date=31 August 2010|accessdate=30 August 2010|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20110109180255/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Europe-should-convert-to-Islam-Gaddafi/articleshow/6464781.cms|archivedate=9 January 2011}}</ref> He also funded the construction and renovation of two mosques in Africa, including Uganda's ].<ref name=Thome/> He nevertheless clashed with conservative Libyan clerics as to his interpretation of Islam. Many criticised his attempts to encourage women to enter traditionally male-only sectors of society, such as the armed forces. Gaddafi was keen to improve women's status, though saw the sexes as "separate but equal" and therefore felt women should usually remain in traditional roles.{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=33, 53}}
{{main|Killing of Muammar Gaddafi|International reactions to the death of Muammar Gaddafi}}
After the ], only a few towns in western Libya such as ], ], and ] remained Gaddafist strongholds.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=286}} Gaddafi was reportedly planning to catch up with his Sebha commander ]'s ] forces and seek asylum in ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Negotiations over Bani Walid |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/9/6/large-libyan-armoured-convoy-arrives-in-niger |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226221447/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/9/6/large-libyan-armoured-convoy-arrives-in-niger |url-status=live }}</ref> Instead, Gaddafi retreated to his hometown of Sirte,{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=20}} where he convened a meeting with his son ] and intelligence chief ] and learned that his youngest son ] had been killed by a NATO airstrike on 29 August.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |title=Hunted: A first-hand account of Gaddafi's desperate last days |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/17/hunted-a-first-hand-account-of-gaddafis-desperate-last-days/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=23 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223233023/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/17/hunted-a-first-hand-account-of-gaddafis-desperate-last-days/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the weeks that followed, Gaddafi continued to broadcast defiant audio messages through Syria-based ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-09-20 |title=Gaddafi taunts NATO in new broadcast |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20110920-libya-gaddafi-defies-nato-new-broadcast-syria-tv |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012807/https://www.france24.com/en/20110920-libya-gaddafi-defies-nato-new-broadcast-syria-tv |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-09-16 |title=Gaddafi broadcasts are "sacred right" - TV chief |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-syria-television-idUKTRE78F1IW20110916 |access-date=2023-02-21 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-syria-television-idUKTRE78F1IW20110916 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=286}} On 10 September, General Massoud Abdel Hafiz announced the formation of the Republic of ] in Sebha, where Gaddafi would be president for life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al-awsat |first=Asharq |title=Middle-east Arab News Opinion |url=https://eng-archive.aawsat.com/theaawsat/news-middle-east/gaddafi-threatened-to-wipe-my-hometown-off-the-map-jailed-libyan-official |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=eng-archive.aawsat.com |language=UK |archive-date=22 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222230759/https://eng-archive.aawsat.com/theaawsat/news-middle-east/gaddafi-threatened-to-wipe-my-hometown-off-the-map-jailed-libyan-official |url-status=live }}</ref> Sebha fell on 22 September.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-09-22 |title=Libya conflict: Anti-Gaddafi fighters take Sabha |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15029062 |access-date=2023-02-21 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012802/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15029062 |url-status=live }}</ref>


Surrounding himself with bodyguards and a small entourage,{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=20}} including Mutassim, security chief ], and defense minister ], Gaddafi continually changed residences to escape NATO and NTC shelling, devoting his days to prayer and reading the Qur'an.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=21–22}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fahim |first=Kareem |date=2011-10-22 |title=In His Last Days, Qaddafi Wearied of Fugitive's Life |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/in-his-last-days-qaddafi-wearied-of-fugitives-life.html |access-date=2023-02-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002071630/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/in-his-last-days-qaddafi-wearied-of-fugitives-life.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":9" /> On 20 October, Gaddafi recorded a farewell audio message for his family, later publicized by ], and then broke out of Sirte's District 2 in a joint civilian-military convoy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nova |first=Redazione Agenzia |date=2021-10-21 |title=Libya, Gaddafi's latest message: "Tonight I will die a martyr, be proud of me" |url=https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/libya-Gaddafi%27s-last-message-tonight-I-will-die-as-a-martyr-be-proud-of-me/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=Agenzia Nova |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012809/https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/libya-Gaddafi%27s-last-message-tonight-I-will-die-as-a-martyr-be-proud-of-me/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=23}}<ref name="BBC20112">{{cite news |date=22 October 2011 |title=Muammar Gaddafi: How He Died |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202232503/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |archive-date=2 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebatamehi |first=Sebastiane |title=Gaddafi's Emotional Farewell Message to His Family Before He was Killed {{!}} The African Exponent. |url=https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9311-last-audio-message-muammar-gaddafis-sent-to-his-family-surfaces |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=The African Exponent |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012808/https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9311-last-audio-message-muammar-gaddafis-sent-to-his-family-surfaces |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Akhalbey |first=Francis |date=2018-10-22 |title=Listen to Gaddafi's last audio recording addressed to his family hours before he was killed |url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/listen-to-gaddafis-last-audio-recording-addressed-to-his-family-hours-before-he-was-killed |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=Face2Face Africa |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012759/https://face2faceafrica.com/article/listen-to-gaddafis-last-audio-recording-addressed-to-his-family-hours-before-he-was-killed |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Dhao, it was a "suicide mission" as Gaddafi wanted to die in the Jarref Valley, close to where he was born.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-10-30 |title=Gaddafi: 'He died an angry and disappointed man' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15516678 |access-date=2023-02-21 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15516678 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayden |first=Erik |date=2011-10-31 |title=Qaddafi's Frantic Last Days Get Reexamined |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/qaddafis-frantic-last-days-get-reexamined/336120/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/qaddafis-frantic-last-days-get-reexamined/336120/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At around 08:30, NATO bombers attacked, destroying at least 14 vehicles and killing at least 53 people.<ref name="BBC20112" />{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=24–25}} The convoy scattered, and Gaddafi and those closest to him fled to a nearby villa, which was shelled by rebel militia from Misrata. Fleeing to a construction site, Gaddafi and his inner cohort hid inside drainage pipes while his bodyguards battled the rebels; in the conflict, Gaddafi suffered head injuries from a grenade blast while Jabr was killed.<ref name="BBC20112" />{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=26–27}}
A fundamental part of Gaddafi's ideology was ]. He believed that the state of Israel should not exist, and that any Arab compromise with the Israeli government was a betrayal of the Arab people.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=54|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=18}} Rallying against Jews in many of his speeches, his ] has been described as "almost ]."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=25}} From the late 1990s, he came to moderate these views,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/19/magazine/19LIBYA.html|title=The Makeover: Libya's Muammar Qaddafi |publisher=New York Times|date=19 January 2003|accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref> coming to advocate the ] ] to the ], in 2007 stating that it was "the fundamental solution" because the alternative would be the annihilation of "the Jews" by the Palestinians, who had " depth".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/09/20119493450743624.html|title=Gaddafi as orator: A life in quotes|date=20 October 2011|accessdate=10 November 2011|publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Two years later he argued that a single-state solution would "move beyond old conflicts and look to a unified future based on shared culture and respect."<ref>, ''The New York Times'', 22 January 2009.</ref> In large part due to their support of Israel, Gaddafi despised the United States, considering the country to be ] and lambasting it as "the embodiment of evil."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=19, 197}}
The Misrata militia took Gaddafi prisoner, causing serious injuries as they tried to apprehend him; the events were filmed on a mobile phone. A video appears to picture Gaddafi being poked or stabbed in the anus "with some kind of stick or knife"<ref>{{cite news |title=GlobalPost: Qaddafi Apparently Sodomized After Capture |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/globalpost-qaddafi-apparently-sodomized-after-capture/ |publisher=CBS |date=24 October 2011 |access-date=13 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209160624/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/globalpost-qaddafi-apparently-sodomized-after-capture/ |archive-date=9 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> or possibly a bayonet.<ref name="Irish Times">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gadafy-s-killers-will-be-tried-claims-ntc-1.632918|newspaper=]|first=Martin|last=Chulov|title=Gadafy's Killers Will Be Tried, Claims NTC|date=28 October 2011|access-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705045035/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/gadafy-s-killers-will-be-tried-claims-ntc-1.632918|archive-date=5 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/6280869/vladimir-putin-russia-assassination/|magazine=]|title=Why Putin Is Right to Fear for His Life|author=Sebag-Montefiore, Simon|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=May 18, 2023|access-date=May 20, 2023|archive-date=May 18, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230518210356/https://time.com/6280869/vladimir-putin-russia-assassination/}}</ref> Pulled onto the front of a pick-up truck, he fell off as it drove away. His semi-naked body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to ]; upon arrival, ].{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=28–29}} Official NTC accounts claimed that Gaddafi was caught in a crossfire and died from bullet wounds. Other eye-witness accounts claimed that rebels had fatally shot Gaddafi in the stomach.<ref name="BBC20112"/>


That afternoon, NTC Prime Minister ] publicly revealed the news of Gaddafi's death.<ref name="BBC20112"/> His corpse was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the corpses of Yunis Jabr and Mutassim; the bodies were publicly displayed for four days, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them.<ref>{{cite news|title=Report: Libyan Militias Executed Dozens, Possibly Including Gadhafi|url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/report-libyan-militias-executed-dozens-possibly-including-gadhafi/|publisher=CNN|access-date=18 October 2012|date=17 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126085743/http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/report-libyan-militias-executed-dozens-possibly-including-gadhafi/|archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref> Footage of Gaddafi's death was broadcast extensively across media networks internationally.{{sfn|Karniel|Lavie-Dinur|Azran|2015|pp=171, 176}} In response to international calls, on 24 October Jibril announced that a commission would investigate Gaddafi's death.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=44}} On 25 October, the NTC announced that Gaddafi had been buried at an unidentified location in the desert.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muammar Gaddafi 'Buried in Desert Grave at Dawn' |date=21 October 2011 |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15441867 |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101155135/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15441867 |archive-date=1 November 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Personal life===


==Political ideology==
Gaddafi was a very private individual,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=43}} who saw himself as a "simple revolutionary" and "pious Muslim" called upon by Allah to continue Nasser's work.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=48}} Described as "extraordinarily vain",{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=24}}{{by whom|date=June 2013}} Gaddafi owned a large variety of clothes, and would often change his outfit multiple times a day. He saw himself as a ] icon, stating "Whatever I wear becomes a fad. I wear a certain shirt and suddenly everyone is wearing it."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=24}} According to a Brazilian ], Gaddafi had been his patient in 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/25/gaddafi-plastic-surgery-_n_840480.html |title=Gaddafi's Plastic Surgery: Brazilian Surgeon Claims He Operated On Dictator |work=Huffington Post|accessdate=1 September 2011 |date=25 March 2011}}</ref> Gaddafi was considered a womaniser,{{by whom|date=June 2013}} and would often make sexual advances toward female reporters and members of his entourage, although rumours circulated{{by whom|date=June 2013}} that this was a front to hide his own ].{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1pp=53&ndash;54|2a1=Blundy|2a1=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=22&ndash;23}} The U.S. ] believed that Gaddafi had suffered from clinical depression, while the Israeli authorities claimed that he had been afflicted by ] and ]s.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=21}} Although he disdained intellectuals generally,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=47}} Gaddafi considered himself an intellectual and a philosopher,<ref name="personalprofile">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12488278|title=Profile: Muammar Gaddafi|publisher=BBC|date=27 June 2011 |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref> and has been described as an "armchair philosopher" but not a "logical thinker".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=92}} He described himself as a fan of ], and considered his favourite novels to be '']'', '']'', and ]'s '']''.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=22}} He was also a fan of playing soccer.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=22}}
{{main|Third International Theory}}
{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=We call it the Third Theory to indicate that there is a new path for all those who reject both materialist capitalism and atheist communism. The path is for all the people of the world who abhor the dangerous confrontation between the Warsaw and North Atlantic military alliances. It is for all those who believe that all nations of the world are brothers under the aegis of the rule of God.|salign = right |source=—Muammar Gaddafi{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=87}}}}


Gaddafi's ideological worldview was molded by his environment, namely his Islamic faith, his Bedouin upbringing, and his disgust at the actions of Italian colonialists in Libya.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=43}} As a schoolboy, Gaddafi adopted the ideologies of ] and ], influenced in particular by ], the thought of the Egyptian President Nasser, whom Gaddafi regarded as his hero;{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=43|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=18}} Nasser privately described Gaddafi as "a nice boy, but terribly naïve".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=18}} During the early 1970s, Gaddafi formulated his own particular approach to Arab nationalism and socialism, known as ], which '']'' described as a combination of "], Arab nationalism, and the Third World revolutionary theory that was in vogue at the time".<ref name="nytimes_green">{{cite news|last=Bazzi|first=Mohamad|title=What Did Qaddafi's Green Book Really Say?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/what-did-qaddafis-green-book-really-say.html|access-date=28 October 2011|newspaper=]|date=27 May 2011|archive-date=29 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200829013607/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/what-did-qaddafis-green-book-really-say.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to Nasser, Gaddafi also cited ], ], ] and ] as political inspirations.<ref>Qaddafi, M., Jouve, E., & Parfitt, A. (2005). My Vision. John Blake.</ref> He regarded this system as a practical alternative to the then-dominant international models of Western capitalism and ].{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=28}} He laid out the principles of this Theory in the three volumes of ''The Green Book'', in which he sought to "explain the structure of the ideal society".{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=57}}
]


The Libyan studies specialist Ronald Bruce St. John regarded Arab nationalism as Gaddafi's "primordial value",{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=473|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2p=21|3a1=St. John|3y=2008|3p=92}} stating that during the early years of his government, Gaddafi was "the Arab nationalist par excellence".{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=26}} Gaddafi called for the Arab world to regain its dignity and assert a major place on the world stage, blaming Arab backwardness on stagnation resulting from ] rule, European colonialism and imperialism, and corrupt and repressive monarchies.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=474|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2pp=26–27}} Gaddafi's Arab nationalist views led him to the ] belief in the need for unity across the Arab world, combining the Arab nation under a single nation-state.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=59|2a1=St. John|2y=1987|2pp=19, 49}} To this end, he had proposed a political union with five neighbouring Arab states by 1974, although without success.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=58}} In keeping with his views regarding Arabs, his political stance was described as ].{{sfn|Hinnebusch|1984|p=63}} Gaddafi also had international ambitions, wanting to export his revolutionary ideas throughout the world.{{sfnm|1a1=Haynes|1y=1990|1p=59|2a1=Pargeter|2y=2012|2p=3}} Gaddafi saw his socialist ''Jamahiriyah'' as a model for the Arab, Islamic, and non-aligned worlds to follow,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=54}} and in his speeches declared that his Third International Theory would eventually guide the entire planet.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=34}} He nevertheless had minimal success in exporting the ideology outside of Libya.{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=29}}
Following his ascension to power, Gaddafi moved into the ] barracks, a six-mile long fortified compound located two miles from the centre of Tripoli. His home and office at Aziziya was a bunker designed by West German engineers, while the rest of his family lived in a large two-story building. Within the compound were also two-tennis courts, a football pitch, several gardens, and a Bedouin tent with several camels, in which he entertained guests.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=1}} His lifestyle was widely thought to be modest in comparison to those of many other Arab leaders.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=32}}
On 25 February 2011, ] set up a specialised unit to trace Gaddafi's assets in Britain.<ref name=DT>]. , '']'', 26 February 2011.</ref> Gaddafi allegedly worked for years with Swiss banks to launder international banking transactions.<ref name=risen>{{cite news |author=]; ] | date=9 March 2011 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/africa/10qaddafi.html|title=Hoard of Cash Lets Qaddafi Extend Fight Against Rebels |work=The New York Times |accessdate=10 March 2011}}</ref> In November 2011, ''The Sunday Times'' identified property worth £1 billion in the UK that Gaddafi allegedly owned.<ref>{{registration required|date=November 2011}}{{cite news| last= Kerbaj |first= Richard | date= 6 November 2011|title=Gaddafi's £1bn UK Properties|work=The Sunday Times| url= http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Middle_East/libya/article815465.ece | accessdate=13 November 2011 }}</ref> Gaddafi had an ] ], which he bought from ] of ] for $120&nbsp;million in 2003.<ref>{{registration required|date=November 2011}}{{cite news | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6802746.ece|title=Lockerbie bomber’s private jet to freedom courtesy of Gaddafi|work=The Times|location= London |date=20 August 2009| accessdate=29 August 2011|first1= David| last1= Brown |first2= Charlene |last2= Sweeney |first3= Richard| last3= Kerbaj}}</ref> Operated by ]-based ] and decorated externally in their colours, it was used in 2009 to repatriate ] ], on his licensed release from prison in Scotland. The plane was captured at Tripoli airport in August 2011 as a result of the Libyan civil war, and found by ] reporter ] to contain various luxuries including a ].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BoT4eBWOuU |title=Inside Gaddafi's Plane | date=27 August 2011 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8728361/Libya-Gaddafis-private-jet-becomes-leather-lined-lounge-for-rebels.html|title=Libya: Gaddafi's private jet becomes leather-lined lounge for rebels| first= Gordon |last = Rayner|work=The Telegraph|date=29 August 2011|accessdate=29 August 2011|location=London}}</ref>


Along with Arab nationalism, anti-imperialism was also a defining feature of Gaddafi's regime during its early years. He believed in opposing Western imperialism and colonialism in the Arab world, including any Western expansionism through the form of Israel.{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|p=402}} He offered support to a broad range of political groups abroad that called themselves "anti-imperialist", especially those that set themselves in opposition to the United States.{{sfn|Haynes|1990|p=60}} For many years, ] was a fundamental component of Gaddafi's ideology. He believed that the state of Israel should not exist and that any Arab compromise with the Israeli government was a betrayal of the Arab people.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=54|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=18}} In large part due to their support of Israel, Gaddafi despised the United States, considering the country to be ] and lambasting it as "the embodiment of evil".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|pp=19, 197}} He sought to distinguish "oriental" Jews who had lived in the Middle East for generations from the European Jews who had migrated to Palestine during the 20th century, calling the latter "vagabonds" and "mercenaries" who should return to Europe.{{sfn|St. John|1983|p=478}} He rallied against Jews in many of his speeches, with Blundy and Lycett claiming that his ] was "almost ]".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=25}} As Pan-Africanism increasingly became his focus in the early 21st century, Gaddafi became less interested in the Israel-Palestine issue, calling for the two communities to form a new ] that he termed "]".{{sfn|St. John|2008|p=100}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22qaddafi.html |title=The One-State Solution |author=Gaddafi, Muammar |work=The New York Times |date=22 January 2009 |access-date=28 April 2017 |archive-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801113301/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22qaddafi.html |url-status=live }}.</ref> This would have led the Jewish population to become a minority within the new state.{{sfn|Karniel|Lavie-Dinur|Azran|2015|p=177}}
In public, Gaddafi was keen to present himself as a family man.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=21}} He married his first wife, Fatiha al-Nuri, in 1969. She was the daughter of General Khalid, a senior figure in King Idris' administration, and was from a middle-class background. Although they had one son, ] (b. 1970), their relationship was strained, and they divorced in 1970.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=53|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=22}} Gaddafi's second wife was ], née el-Brasai, a former nurse from Obeidat tribe born in ].<ref name=cbcnews>{{Cite news|first=Ryab|last=Charkow|title= Moammar Gadhafi and his family|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/02/22/f-gadhafi-family.html|work=]|date=22 February 2011 |accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> They met in 1969, following his ascension to power, when he was hospitalized with appendicitis; he claimed that it was love at first sight.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=53|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=22}} The couple remained married until his death. Together they had seven biological children: ] (born 1972), ] (b. 1973), ] (1974&ndash;2011), ] (b. 1975), ] (b. 1976), ] (1982&ndash;2011), and ] (1983-2011?). He is also said to have adopted two children, ] and Milad Gaddafi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi v. ''The Daily Telegraph''|date=21 August 2002|url=http://www.libya-watanona.com/news/n21aug2a.htm|accessdate=9 August 2008}}</ref><ref>, BBC News, 21 February 2011</ref> Gaddafi's brother-in-law, ], was believed{{by whom|date=June 2013}} to have headed Libya's military intelligence until the Gaddafi government was overthrown.<ref name=guard>{{cite news|author=Ian Black|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/22/gaddafi-abdullah-senussi-brutal-right-hand-man|title=Gaddafi's confidant is Abdullah Senussi, a brutal right-hand man|work=The Guardian|location=UK|date=22 February 2011|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref>


===Islamic modernism and Islamic socialism===
===Public image===
], the president of Tanzania, embraces Gaddafi during the ] Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2 February 2009.]]


Gaddafi rejected the ] approach to Arab nationalism that had been pervasive in Syria,{{sfn|St. John|1987|p=30}} with his revolutionary movement placing a far stronger emphasis on Islam than previous Arab nationalist movements had done.{{sfn|St. John|1983|p=473}} He deemed Arabism and Islam to be inseparable, referring to them as "one and indivisible",{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=161}} and called on the Arab world's Christian minority to convert to Islam.{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1983|1p=476|2a1=Bearman|2y=1986|2p=161|3a1=St. John|3y=1987|3p=30}} He insisted that Islamic law should be the basis for the law of the state, blurring any distinction between the religious and secular realms.{{sfn|First|1974|p=25}} He desired unity across the Islamic world,{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=19}} and encouraged the propagation of the faith elsewhere; on a 2010 visit to Italy, he paid a modelling agency to find 200 young Italian women for a lecture he gave urging them to convert.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Europe Should Convert to Islam: Gaddafi|url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Europe-should-convert-to-Islam-Gaddafi/articleshow/6464781.cms |website=The Times of India |url-status=live |date=31 August 2010 |access-date=30 August 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110109180255/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Europe-should-convert-to-Islam-Gaddafi/articleshow/6464781.cms |archive-date=9 January 2011}}</ref> According to the Gaddafi biographer Jonathan Bearman, in Islamic terms Gaddafi was a ] rather than a ], for he subordinated religion to the political system rather than seeking to Islamicise the state as Islamists sought to do.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=164}} He was driven by a sense of "divine mission", believing himself a conduit of God's will, and thought that he must achieve his goals "no matter what the cost".{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=45, 50}} His interpretation of Islam was nevertheless idiosyncratic,{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=164}} and he clashed with conservative Libyan clerics. Many criticized his attempts to encourage women to enter traditionally male-only sectors of society, such as the armed forces. Gaddafi was keen to improve women's status, although saw the sexes as "separate but equal" and therefore felt women should usually remain in traditional roles.{{sfn|Harris|1986|pp=33, 53}}
A ] devoted to Gaddafi existed in Libya;{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} his face appeared on a wide variety of items, including postage stamps, watches, and school satchels. Quotations from ''The Green Book'' appeared on a wide variety of places, from street walls to airports and pens, and were put to ] for public release. Gaddafi claimed that he disliked this personality cult, but that he tolerated it because Libya's people adored him.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} Biographers Blundy and Lycett believed that he was "a ] at heart."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} Throughout Libya, crowds of supporters would turn up to public events at which he appeared; described as "spontaneous demonstrations" by the government, there are recorded instances of groups being coerced or paid to attend.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=16}} He was typically late to public events, and would sometimes not show up at all.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=17}} Considered a poor orator by biographers Blundy and Lycett,{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=18}} biographer ] noted that Gaddafi was famed for his "lengthy, wandering" speeches,{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=191}} which typically involved criticising Israel and the U.S.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=17}}


{{Quote box|width=25em|align=left|quote=The purpose of the socialist society is the happiness of man, which can only be realized through material and spiritual freedom. Attainment of such freedom depends on the extent of man's ownership of his needs; ownership that is personal and sacredly guaranteed, i.e. your needs must neither be owned by somebody else, nor subject to plunder by any part of society.|salign = right |source=—Muammar Gaddafi{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=157}}}}
From early in his rule he acquired a reputation for unpredictability and eccentricity.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} He was notably confrontational in his approach to foreign powers,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=51}} and generally shunned western ambassadors and diplomats, believing them to be spies.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=21}} He once said that HIV was "a peaceful virus, not an aggressive virus" and assured attendees at the ] that "if you are ] you have nothing to fear from AIDS".<ref name="rulebreaking">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb1402/is_2_25/ai_n29060112/ |title=The rule-breaking conduct of Qaddafi's Libya |date=November 2003 |publisher=Strategic Review for Southern Africa |work=Strategic Review for Southern Africa |first=Deon |last=Geldenhuys}}</ref> He also said that the ] ] virus was a biological weapon manufactured by a foreign military, and he assured Africans that the ] and ] were "God's armies which will protect us against colonialists". Should these 'enemies' come to Africa, "they will get ] and ]".<ref name="rulebreaking"/> On one occasion, he was reported{{by whom|date=June 2013}} to have said that the Christian Bible was a "forgery".<ref name=Thome>{{cite web|last=Thome |first=Wolfgang H. |url=http://www.eturbonews.com/1880/gaddafi-causes-a-stir-opens-new-national-mosq |title=Libya Gaddafi causes a stir, opens new national mosque in Uganda |publisher=eTurboNews.com |date=25 March 2008 |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref>


Gaddafi described his approach to economics as "Islamic socialism".{{sfnm|1a1=First|1y=1974|1p=255|2a1=St. John|2y=1983|2p=482|3a1=Harris|3y=1986|3p=48}} For him, a socialist society could be defined as one in which men controlled their own needs, either through personal ownership or through a collective.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=157}} Although the early policies pursued by his government were state capitalist in orientation, by 1978 he believed that private ownership of the means of production was exploitative and thus he sought to move Libya away from capitalism and towards socialism.{{sfn|Hinnebusch|1984|p=69}} Private enterprise was largely eliminated in favour of a centrally controlled economy.{{sfn|St. John|1983|p=484}} The extent to which Libya became socialist under Gaddafi is disputed. Bearman suggested that while Libya did undergo "a profound social revolution", he did not think that "a socialist society" was established in Libya.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=xvii}} Conversely, St. John expressed the view that "if socialism is defined as a redistribution of wealth and resources, a socialist revolution clearly occurred in Libya" under Gaddafi's regime.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=173}}
Gaddafi was preoccupied with his own security, regularly changing where he slept and sometimes grounding all other planes in Libya when he was flying.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=50}} He made very particular requests when traveling to foreign nations. During his trips to Rome, Paris, Moscow, and New York,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/story?id=8649084 |title=Moammar Gadhafi Won't Stay in Bedford Tent After All|publisher=ABC|date=23 September 2009 |accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/nyregion/29libya.html|title=Qaddafi Cancels Plans to Stay in New Jersey|work=The New York Times|date=29 August 2009|accessdate=28 February 2011|first=Anahad |last=O'Connor}}</ref> he resided in a bulletproof tent, following his Bedouin traditions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/story?id=8649084&page=2 |title=Moammar Gadhafi Won't Stay in Bedford Tent After All|work=ABC News|date=23 September 2009|accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/when-in-rome-gaddafi-will-do-as-the-bedouins-20090610-c3ln.html|title=When in Rome, Gaddafi will do as the Bedouins|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 June 2009|accessdate=14 February 2010}}</ref>
Starting in the 1980s, he travelled with his all-female ], who were allegedly sworn to a life of celibacy.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=112}} Investigating the regime's human rights abuses after the civil war, psychologist Seham Sergewa reported that several of the guards claimed to have been pressured into joining the group, and that they claimed to had been ]d by Gaddafi and senior officials.{{sfn|Squires|2011}} He hired several Ukrainian nurses to care for him and his family's health.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/09/03/ukraine.gadhafi.nurse/|title=Gadhafi's Ukrainian nurse talks about life with 'Daddy'|publisher=CNN|date=4 September 2011|date=8 September 2011}}</ref> In 2009, it was revealed{{by whom|date=June 2013}} that he did not travel without his trusted Ukrainian nurse ], noted{{by whom|date=June 2013}} as a "voluptuous blonde".<ref>"". ''The Guardian''. 7 December 2010</ref> Kolotnytska's daughter denied the suggestion that the relationship was anything but professional.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.segodnya.ua/news/14200046.html|title=Segognya|date=30 November 2010|publisher=Segodnya|accessdate=28 February 2011}}</ref>


Gaddafi was staunchly ],{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=104}} and in 1973 declared that "it is the duty of every Muslim to combat" Marxism because it promotes atheism.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=105}} In his view, ideologies like Marxism and Zionism were alien to the Islamic world and were a threat to the ], or global Islamic community.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|pp=104–105}} Nevertheless, Blundy and Lycett noted that Gaddafi's socialism had a "curiously Marxist undertone",{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=98}} with political scientist Sami Hajjar arguing that Gaddafi's model of socialism offered a simplification of ] and ]'s theories.{{sfn|Hajjar|1982}} While acknowledging the Marxist influence on Gaddafi's thought, Bearman stated that the Libyan leader rejected Marxism's core tenet, that of ] as the main engine of social development.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=158}} Instead of embracing the Marxist idea that a socialist society emerged from class struggle between the ] and ], Gaddafi believed that socialism would be achieved through overturning "unnatural" capitalism and returning society to its "natural equilibrium".{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=158}} In this, he sought to replace a capitalist economy with one based on his own romanticized ideas of a traditional, pre-capitalist past.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=159}} This owed much to the Islamic belief in ]'s natural law providing order to the universe.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=160}}
== Honours and awards ==


===Honours=== ==Personal life==
{{Main|Personal life of Muammar Gaddafi}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
]
|--
! colspan=2 width="490px" | Award or decoration
! width="110px" | Country
! width="110px" | Date
! width="110px" | Place
! width="500px" | Note
! Ref
|-
| width="80px" | ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="width:8em; font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Malta}}
| align="center" style="width:10em; font-size:90%;"|5 December 1975
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Former highest decoration of the Republic of Malta, now seconds highest honour.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref name="MaltaIndependentGaddafi"> ], 1 March 2011</ref>
|-
| width="80px" | ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="width:8em; font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
| align="center" style="width:10em; font-size:90%;"|17 June 1978
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Bulgarian highest order of merit.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Орденът на Кадафи бил от чисто злато|url=http://paper.standartnews.com/bg/article.php?d=2007-04-04&article=184427|publisher=]|date=4 April 2007|accessdate=19 June 2013}} {{bg icon}}</ref>
|-
| width="80px" | ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="width:8em; font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Poland}}
| align="center" style="width:10em; font-size:90%;"|June 1978
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Kaczyński odznaczył Mubaraka|url=http://www.newsweek.pl/wydania/1277/kaczynski-odznaczyl-mubaraka,75058,1,1|publisher=]|date=10 April 2011|accessdate=19 June 2013}} {{pl icon}}</ref>
|-
| width="80px" | ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Czechoslovakia}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|1982
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Czechoslovakian highest order.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=From Libya, with love. Gaddafi's camels in Eastern Bloc|url=http://www.expats.cz/prague/article/weekly-czech-news/gaddafis-camels-in-eastern-bloc/|publisher=Expats.cz|date=1 March 2011|accessdate=12 June 2013}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Nigeria}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|11 May 1997
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Nigerian highest honour.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigerian Medal to Qaddafi|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/11/world/nigerian-medal-to-qaddafi.html|publisher=New York Times|date=11 May 1997|accessdate=13 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=How Gaddafi died bearing GCFR title|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/blog/how-gaddafi-died-bearing-gcfr-title|author=Atom Lim|publisher=]|date=17 November 2011|accessdate=13 June 2013}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|South Africa}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|29 October 1997
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Former South African highest order.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref> South African government information</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Gaddafi defiant over Lockerbie bomb trial|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/17863.stm|publisher=BBC|date=29 October 1997|accessdate=12 June 2013}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Serbia and Montenegro}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|26 October 1999
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Second highest order of merit in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref> Kosova Crisis Center (Reuters)</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Ukraine}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|11 October 2003
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|
| style="font-size:90%;"|Ukrainian third highest order.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref> http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua {{uk icon}}</ref><ref> Centrasia.ru (Ria Novosti) {{ru icon}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Malta}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|8 February 2004
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|
| style="font-size:90%;"|Republic of Malta highest order.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref name="MaltaIndependentGaddafi"/>
|-
|
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Uganda}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|20 May 2004
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Ugandan highest military order.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Museveni decorates Qaddaffi|url=http://www.mail-archive.com/ugandanet@kym.net/msg13803.html|author=Grace Naisamura|publisher=Mail-archive.com|date=22 May 2004|accessdate=16 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=War Debt: Gaddafi Gets Tough With Uganda|url=http://www.mail-archive.com/ugandanet@kym.net/msg14274.html|author=Wairagala Wakabi|publisher=Mail-archive.com (])|date=7 June 2004|accessdate=16 June 2013}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Ukraine}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|4 April 2008
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|
| style="font-size:90%;"|
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref> http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua {{uk icon}}</ref><ref> ], 9 April 2008 {{ru icon}}</ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Gambia}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|22 July 2009
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Gambian highest decoration.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref></ref>
|-
| ]
| style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|{{flag|Venezuela}}
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|28 September 2009
| align="center" style="font-size:90%;"|]
| style="font-size:90%;"|Former Venezuelan highest distinction.
| style="font-size:90%;"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Chávez impone a Gadafi el collar de la Orden del Libertador|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2009/09/28/pol_ava_chavez-impone-a-gada_28A2804851.shtml|publisher=]|date=28 September 2009|accessdate=12 June 2013}} {{es icon}}</ref><ref> Noticias24.com, 28 September 2009 {{es icon}}</ref>
|-
|}


A very private individual,{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=43}} Gaddafi was given to rumination and solitude and could be reclusive.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=284}} Gaddafi described himself as a "simple revolutionary" and "pious Muslim" called upon by God to continue Nasser's work.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=48}} Gaddafi was an austere and devout Muslim,{{sfnm|1a1=St. John|1y=1987|1p=145|2a1=Vandewalle|2y=2006|2p=6}} although according to Vandewalle, his interpretation of Islam was "deeply personal and idiosyncratic."{{sfn|Vandewalle|2006|p=6}} He was also a ] enthusiast{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=22}} and enjoyed both playing the sport and horse riding as a means of recreation.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=285}} He regarded himself as an intellectual;{{sfn|Pargeter|2012|p=2}} he was a fan of ] and said his favourite novels were '']'', '']'', and '']''.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=22}}
===Honorary degrees===
*{{flag|Sudan}}: ] Honorary doctorate, 1996 (revoked on 7 March 2011).<ref>{{cite news|title=Khartoum University revokes honorary Gaddafi Phd|url=http://www.thenewage.co.za/mobi/Detail.aspx?NewsID=12133&CatID=1019|publisher=]|date=8 March 2011|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
*{{flag|South Korea}}: ] Honorary doctorate, 29 March 2000.<ref> Highbeam.com (]), 11 April 2000</ref>
*{{flag|Algeria}}: ] Honorary doctorate, 27 March 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gaddafi awarded Doctorate Honoris Causa by Algiers University|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/28/content_428723.htm|publisher=] (Reuters)|date=28 March 2005|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
*{{flag|Serbia}}: ] Honorary doctorate, March 2007.<ref> megatrend-edu.net</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Serbian University Defends Qaddafi Honorary Doctorate|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/serbian_university_defends_qaddafi_doctorate/2326628.html|publisher=]|date=3 March 2011|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
*{{flag|Tunisia}}: ]-] Honorary doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Civilisation, 12 October 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title='Dr. Muammar Gaddafi' Buys His Ways To A Ph. D . Degree In Islamic Studies|url=http://www.esinislam.com/News200810/AlMaghrebNews/AlMaghrebNews_12.htm|publisher=Esinislam.com|date=12 October 2008|accessdate=14 June 2013}}</ref>
*{{flag|Belarus}}: ] Honorary doctorate, 2010.<ref> Archived from on 29 December 2010 {{ru icon}}</ref>


Gaddafi regarded personal appearance as important,{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=285}} with Blundy and Lycett referring to him as "extraordinarily vain."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=24}} Gaddafi had a large wardrobe, and sometimes changed his outfit multiple times a day.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=24}} He favoured either a military uniform or traditional Libyan dress, tending to eschew Western-style suits.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=285}} He saw himself as a fashion icon, stating "Whatever I wear becomes a fad. I wear a certain shirt and suddenly everyone is wearing it."{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=24}} Following his ascension to power, Gaddafi moved into the ] barracks, a 6-square-kilometre (2.3 square miles) fortified compound located 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the centre of Tripoli.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=1}} In the 1980s, his lifestyle was considered modest in comparison to those of many other Arab leaders.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=32}}
==Legacy==


He was preoccupied with his own security, regularly changing where he slept and sometimes grounding all other planes in Libya when he was flying.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=50}} He made particular requests when travelling to foreign countries. During his trips to Rome, Paris, Madrid, Moscow, and New York City,<ref name="abcnews">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/story?id=8649084|title=Moammar Gadhafi Won't Stay in Bedford Tent After All|publisher=ABC|date=23 September 2009|access-date=28 February 2011|archive-date=9 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209233521/http://abcnews.go.com/International/Politics/gaddafis-tent-blocked-stop-work-order/story?id=8649084|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/nyregion/29libya.html|title=Qaddafi Cancels Plans to Stay in New Jersey|work=The New York Times|date=29 August 2009|access-date=28 February 2011|first=Anahad|last=O'Connor|archive-date=31 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331024309/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/nyregion/29libya.html|url-status=live}}</ref> he resided in a bulletproof tent, following his Bedouin traditions.<ref name="abcnews"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/when-in-rome-gaddafi-will-do-as-the-bedouins-20090610-c3ln.html|title=When in Rome, Gaddafi Will Do as the Bedouins|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 June 2009|access-date=14 February 2010|archive-date=11 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011104002/http://www.smh.com.au/world/when-in-rome-gaddafi-will-do-as-the-bedouins-20090610-c3ln.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Gaddafi was notably confrontational in his approach to foreign powers{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=51}} and generally shunned Western ambassadors and diplomats, believing them to be spies.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=21}}
{{Main|International reactions to the death of Muammar Gaddafi}}
] in ].]]
Gaddafi remained a controversial and divisive figure on the world stage throughout his life and after death. Supporters praised Gaddafi's administration for the creation of an almost classless society through domestic reform.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196&ndash;200}} They stress the regime's achievements in combating homelessness and ensuring access to food and safe drinking water. Highlighting that under Gaddafi, all Libyans enjoyed free education to a university level, they point to the dramatic rise in literacy rates after the 1969 revolution.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196&ndash;200}} Supporters have also applauded achievements in medical care, praising the universal free healthcare provided under the Gaddafist administration, with diseases like ] and ] being contained and life expectancy raised.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196&ndash;200}} Biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that under the first decade of Gaddafi's leadership, life for most Libyans "undoubtedly changed for the better" as material conditions and wealth drastically improved,{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=107}} while Libyan studies specialist Lillian Craig Harris remarked that in the early years of his administration, Libya's "national wealth and international influence soared, and its national standard of living has risen dramatically."{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=63}} Such high standards declined during the 1980s, as a result of economic stagnation.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=68}} Gaddafi claimed that his ''Jamahiriya'' was a "concrete ]", and that he had been appointed by "popular assent",{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=15}} with some Islamic supporters believing that he exhibited '']''.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=43}}


] in 2010]]
Critics labelled Gaddafi "despotic, cruel, arrogant, vain and stupid",{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=31}} with western governments and press presenting him as the "vicious dictator of an oppressed people".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=15}} During the Reagan administration, the United States regarded him as "Public Enemy No. 1"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/19/magazine/19LIBYA.html|title=The Makeover: Libya's Muammar Qaddafi |publisher=New York Times|date=19 January 2003|accessdate=1 September 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/2011/03/04/134228864/for-reagan-gadhafi-was-a-frustrating-mad-dog |title=For Reagan, Gadhafi Was A Frustrating 'Mad Dog' |publisher=NPR |accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref> and Reagan famously dubbed him the "mad dog of the Middle East".{{sfnm|1a1=Kawczynski|1y=2011|1pp=115&ndash;116, 120|2a1=Bruce St. John|2y=2012|2pp=179&ndash;180}} Critics asserted that under Gaddafi's administration, the Libyan people lived in a climate of fear, due to his government's pervasive surveillance of civilians.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=68|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=29|3a1=Kawczynski|3y=2011|3pp=196, 208}} Despite officially banning the police force, Gaddafi's Libya was typically described by western commentators as "a ]".{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=28}} Opponents were critical of Libya's human rights abuses; according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), those arrested often failed to receive a ], and were sometimes subjected to torture or extrajudicial execution, most notably in the ], including an alleged massacre in 29 June 1996 in which HRW estimated that 1,270 prisoners were massacred.<ref name="Human Rights Watch 1270">{{cite web|url= http://www.hrw.org/es/news/2009/10/16/libya-free-all-unjustly-detained-prisoners|title= Libya: Free All Unjustly Detained Prisoners|publisher= ]}}</ref>{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=210&ndash;212}} His government's treatment of non-Arab Libyans has also come in for criticism from human rights activists, with native Berbers, Italians, Jews, refugees, and foreign workers all facing persecution in Gaddafist Libya.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=202&ndash;203, 209}} Such abuses did not cause outrage in Libya itself, as the "direct physical oppression" affected the lives of only a small segment of the population.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=69}} Dissidents favourable to capitalist economics charged Gaddafi with mismanaging the economy through his experiments with socialism, with critics arguing that Libya's great oil wealth could have been better spent on domestic development rather than funding foreign militants.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=196}} Conservative Islamic critics thought him a heretic, with some accusing him of '']''.{{sfn|Harris|1986|p=50}}


In the 1970s and 1980s, there were reports of his making sexual advances toward female reporters and members of his entourage.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1pp=53–54|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2pp=22–23}} Starting in the 1980s, he travelled with his all-female ], who were allegedly sworn to a life of celibacy.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=112}} After Gaddafi's death, the Libyan psychologist ], part of a team investigating sexual offences during the civil war, stated that five of the guards told her they had been raped by Gaddafi and senior officials.<ref name="rape">{{cite news |last=Micallef |first=Mark |title=Gaddafi 'Raped' His Female Bodyguards |date=28 August 2011 |website=The Times|location=Malta |url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110828/local/Gaddafi-raped-his-female-bodyguards.382085 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213013136/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110828/local/Gaddafi-raped-his-female-bodyguards.382085 |archive-date=13 February 2012}}; {{cite news |last=Squires |first=Nick |title=Gaddafi and His Sons 'Raped Female Bodyguards' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8729685/Gaddafi-and-his-sons-raped-female-bodyguards.html |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=29 August 2011 |access-date=15 June 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321082036/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8729685/Gaddafi-and-his-sons-raped-female-bodyguards.html |archive-date=21 March 2017}}</ref> After Gaddafi's death, the French journalist {{ill|Annick Cojean|fr||fa|آنیک کوژان|de||zh|安妮柯·柯琴}} published a book alleging that Gaddafi had had sexual relations with women, some in their early teenage years, who had been specially selected for him.{{sfn|Cojean|2013}} One of those Cojean interviewed, a woman named Soraya, claimed that Gaddafi kept her imprisoned in a basement for six years, where he repeatedly raped her, urinated on her, and forced her to watch pornography, drink alcohol, and snort cocaine.<ref name="harem">{{cite news |last=Sanai |first=Leyla |title=Book Review: Gaddafi's Harem, By Annick Cojean, Trans. Marjolijn de Jager |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-review-gaddafis-harem-by-annick-cojean-trans-marjolijn-de-jager-8901967.html |access-date=25 October 2013 |website=The Independent |location=London |date=25 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210913/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-review-gaddafis-harem-by-annick-cojean-trans-marjolijn-de-jager-8901967.html |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> The alleged sexual abuse was said to have been facilitated by Gaddafi's Chief of Protocol ] and Mabrouka Sherif.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cojean |first=Annick |date=2013-09-22 |title=Muammar Gaddafi's sexual crimes |url=https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/muammar_gaddafis_sexual_crimes/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Salon |language=en |ref=none |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207020226/https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/muammar_gaddafis_sexual_crimes/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=IANS |date=2013-09-24 |title=Gaddafi formed special department to find prostitutes |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/gaddafi-formed-special-department-to-find-prostitutes-113092400941_1.html |access-date=2023-02-04 |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206083256/https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/gaddafi-formed-special-department-to-find-prostitutes-113092400941_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Gaddafi also hired several Ukrainian nurses to care for him; one described him as kind and considerate and was surprised that allegations of abuse had been made against him.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/09/03/ukraine.gadhafi.nurse/ |title=Gadhafi's Ukrainian Nurse Talks About Life with 'Daddy' |publisher=CNN |date=4 September 2011 |access-date=8 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224055440/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/09/03/ukraine.gadhafi.nurse/ |archive-date=24 February 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
]


{{anchor|Family}}
International reactions to Gaddafi's death were divided. US President ] stated that it meant that "the shadow of tyranny over Libya has been lifted,"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/10/obama-team-tracks-news-of-gadhafi/1 |title=Obama: Gadhafi regime is 'no more' |author=David Jackson |work=USA Today |date=20 October 2011 |accessdate=20 October 2011 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HQi1ReqG |archivedate=17 June 2013 }}</ref> while UK Prime Minister ] stated that he was "proud" of his country's role in overthrowing "this brutal dictator".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/gaddafi-death-hailed-by-david-cameron-2373468.html |title=Gaddafi death hailed by David Cameron |newspaper=The Independent |date=20 October 2011 |accessdate=16 June 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HQiAdgKa |archivedate=17 June 2013 }}</ref> Contrastingly, former Cuban President ] commented that in defying the rebels, Gaddafi would "enter history as one of the great figures of the Arab nations",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2011/04/29/f-kastro/|title=Fidel Castro: If Gaddafi resists he will enter history as one of the great figures of the Arab nations|publisher=Panorama|date=29 April 2011|accessdate=1 September 2011}}</ref> while Venezuelan President ] described him as "a great fighter, a revolutionary and a martyr."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/21/world/americas/venezuela-chavez-gadhafi |last=Romo |first=Rafael |title=Gadhafi's friend to the death, Chavez calls Libyan leader 'a martyr' |publisher=CNN |date=22 October 2011 |accessdate=16 June 2013}}</ref> ] expressed sadness at the news, praising Gaddafi for his anti-apartheid stance, remarking that he backed the ] during "the darkest moments of our struggle".<ref name="bbc_africa">{{cite news|last=Chothia|first=Farouk|title=What does Gaddafi's death mean for Africa?|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15392189|accessdate=29 October 2011|date=21 October 2011|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Gaddafi was widely mourned as a hero across Sub-Saharan Africa,<ref>{{cite news|last=Kron|first=Josh|title=Many in Sub-Saharan Africa Mourn Qaddafi's Death|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/many-in-sub-saharan-africa-mourn-qaddafis-death.html?_r=1|accessdate=29 June 2012|newspaper=]|date=22 October 2011}}</ref> for instance, a vigil was held by Muslims in Sierra Leone.<ref>{{cite news|last=Turay|first=Aruna| title=Sierra Leone Muslims Plan Vigil for Gaddafi|url= http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200518994.shtml|accessdate=20 May 2012|newspaper=Awareness Times}}</ref> The '']'' stated that while undeniably a dictator, Gaddafi was the most benevolent in a region that only knew dictatorship, and that he was "a great man that looked out for his people and made them the envy of all of Africa."<ref name="dailytimes_ng">{{cite news|author=Chiagozie Nwonwu |title=Remembering Gaddafi the hero|url=http://dailytimes.com.ng/blog/remembering-gaddafi-hero|accessdate=29 October 2011|newspaper=]|date=27 October 2011 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HQl5H0x2 |archivedate=17 June 2013}}</ref> ] reported that while many Libyans and Africans would mourn Gaddafi, this would by ignored by western media and that as such it would take 50 years before historians decided whether he was "martyr or villain."<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigeria: Muammar Gaddafi, 1942-2011 - a Strong Man's Sad End |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201110211332.html |publisher=AllAfrica |date=21 October 2011 |accessdate=16 June 2013 }}</ref>
Gaddafi married his first wife, Fatiha al-Nuri, in 1969. Although they had one son, ] (born 1970), their relationship was strained, and they divorced in 1970.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=53|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=22}} Gaddafi's second wife was ], née el-Brasai, a former nurse from the Obeidat tribe born in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Libya's First Lady Owns 20 Tons of Gold: Reports |url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/06/140415.html |url-status=dead |website=Al Arabiya News |date=6 March 2011 |access-date=13 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309035315/http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/03/06/140415.html |archive-date=9 March 2011}}</ref> They met in 1969, following his ascension to power, when he was hospitalized with appendicitis; he claimed that it was love at first sight.{{sfnm|1a1=Harris|1y=1986|1p=53|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=22}} The couple remained married until his death. Together they had seven biological children:{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=285}} ] (born 1972), ] (born 1973), ] (1974–2011), ] (born 1975), ] (born 1976), ] (1982–2011), and ] (1983–2011). He also adopted two children, ] and Milad Gaddafi.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gaddafi Family Tree |date=20 October 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12531442 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=13 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418153130/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12531442 |archive-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> Several of his sons gained a reputation for lavish and anti-social behaviour in Libya, which proved a source of resentment toward his administration.{{sfn|Pargeter|2012|p=6}} At least three of his cousins were prominent figures in Gaddafi's regime. ] is Libya's former Special Envoy to Egypt and a leading figure of the Gaddafi regime.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gaddafi cousin arrested in Egypt |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21848712 |date=19 March 2013 |access-date=21 October 2019 |archive-date=29 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129052032/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21848712 |url-status=live }}</ref> ] was his chief of security and led the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peralta |first=Eyder |title=Gadhafi's Final Weeks, As Told By A Top Security Official |work=] |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/10/25/141694091/gadhafis-final-weeks-as-told-by-a-top-security-official |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=24 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124065624/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/10/25/141694091/gadhafis-final-weeks-as-told-by-a-top-security-official |url-status=live }}</ref> ] was a brigadier general and described as the second most powerful person in Libya in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Woodward |first=Bob |date=1984-04-29 |title=Qaddafi's Authority Said to Be Weakening |language=en-US |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/04/29/qaddafis-authority-said-to-be-weakening/358186bd-b316-4ad0-b2c0-0b777121d78a/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Gaddafi's inner circle |language=en-US |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/gaddafis-inner-circle/2011/05/17/AF3bQ55G_graphic.html |access-date=2023-06-25 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>


==Public life==
Following his defeat in the civil war, Gaddafi's system of governance was dismantled and replaced under the interim regime of the NTC, who legalised trade unions and press freedom. In July 2012, ] to form a new ] (GNC), who officially took over governance from the NTC in August. The GNC proceeded to elect ] as president of the chamber, and then voted ] as ]; when Abushagar failed to gain congressional approval, the GNC instead elected ] to the position.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2012/10/20/on-the-first-anniversary-of-qaddafis-death-is-libya-better-off-a-year-on/ |title=On the first anniversary of Qaddafi's death – is Libya better off a year on? |author=Sami Zaptia |date=20 October 2012 |newspaper=Libya Herald |accessdate=17 July 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HQkYZlgX |archivedate=17 July 2013}}</ref> In January 2012, the GNC officially renamed the ''Jamahiriyah'' as the "State of Libya".<ref name="Herald_StateofLibya">{{cite news |author=Sami Zaptia |title=GNC officially renames Libya the "State of Libya" – until the new constitution. |url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/01/10/gnc-officially-renames-libya-the-state-of-libya-until-the-new-constitution/ |accessdate=9 January 2013 |newspaper=Libya Herald |date=9 January 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6HQgtbPwn |archivedate=17 June 2013}}</ref>
]
According to Vandewalle, Gaddafi "dominated political life" during his period in power.{{sfn|Vandewalle|2006|p=5}} The sociologist Raymond A. Hinnebusch described the Libyan as "perhaps the most exemplary contemporary case of the politics of charismatic leadership", displaying all of the traits of ] outlined by the sociologist ].{{sfn|Hinnebusch|1984|p=59}} According to Hinnebusch, the foundations of Gaddafi's "personal charismatic authority" in Libya stemmed from the blessing he had received from Nasser coupled with "nationalist achievements" such as the expulsion of foreign military bases, the extraction of higher prices for Libyan oil, and his vocal support for the Palestinian and other anti-imperialist causes.{{sfn|Hinnebusch|1984|p=62}}


A ] devoted to Gaddafi existed in Libya through most of his rule.{{sfnm|1a1=Bearman|1y=1986|1p=283|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=20}} His biographer Alison Pargeter noted that "he filled every space, moulding the entire country around himself."{{sfn|Pargeter|2012|p=2}} Depictions of his face could be found throughout the country, including on postage stamps, watches, and school satchels.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} Quotations from ''The Green Book'' appeared on a wide variety of places, from street walls to airports and pens, and were put to pop music for public release.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} In private, Gaddafi often complained that he disliked this personality cult surrounding him, but that he tolerated it because the people of Libya adored him.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=20}} The cult served a political purpose, with Gaddafi helping to provide a central identity for the Libyan state.{{sfn|Bearman|1986|p=284}}
===Eponyms===
] in ], ].]]


Several biographers and observers characterized Gaddafi as a ].{{sfnm|1a1=Hinnebusch|1y=1984|1p=61|2a1=Blundy|2a2=Lycett|2y=1987|2p=20}} He enjoyed attending lengthy public sessions where people were invited to question him; these were often televised.{{sfn|First|1974|pp=22–23}} Throughout Libya, crowds of supporters would arrive at public events where he appeared. Described as "spontaneous demonstrations" by the government, there are recorded instances of groups being coerced or paid to attend.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=16}} He was typically late to public events, and would sometimes fail to arrive.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=17}} Although Bianco thought he had a "gift for oratory",{{Sfn|Bianco|1975|p=7}} he was considered a poor orator by Blundy and Lycett.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=18}} The biographer ] noted that Gaddafi was famed for his "lengthy, wandering" speeches,{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|p=191}} which typically involved criticizing Israel and the US.{{sfn|Blundy|Lycett|1987|p=17}} The journalist ] described his speeches as being "an inexhaustible flow; didactic, at times incoherent; peppered with snatches of half-formed opinions; admonitions; confidences; some sound common sense, and as much prejudice".{{sfn|First|1974|p=23}}
*], the biggest ] in ], ].
*Gadaffi Mosque, in ], ].<ref> Mccannmission.org</ref><ref> Job de Graaf, ]</ref>
*Gaddafi Mosque, in ], ].<ref>{{cite news|title=President Koroma Prays with Muslims at Gaddafi Mosque|url=http://www.statehouse.gov.sl/index.php/component/content/article/531-president-koroma-prays-with-muslims-at-gaddafi-mosque|publisher=State House - The Republic of Sierra Leone|date=3 August 2012|accessdate=18 June 2013}}</ref>
*Gaddafi Mosque, in ], ].<ref> A thousands points of light</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ramadan: Islam in Rwanda|url=http://theafricapaper.com/2012/08/07/ramadan-islam-in-rwanda/|publisher=Theafricapaper.com|date=7 August 2012|accessdate=18 June 2013}}</ref>
*Gadaffi Barracks, an Ugandan Army military base in ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Patriotism: 1,000 students camp in Gaddafi barracks|url=http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25688:patriotism-1000-students-camp-in-gaddafi-barracks|publisher=]|date=4 June 2013|accessdate=22 June 2013}}</ref>
*], the largest ] stadium in ], situated in ]. The complex also has a mosque and a bus station named after Gaddafi.
*], the biggest field hockey stadium in the world, located in Lahore, Pakistan.
*], a soccer stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
*], an international ].


==Awards and honours==
] in ], ].]]
{{Main|List of awards and honours bestowed upon Muammar Gaddafi}}


*Roads and streets: ==Reception and legacy==
{{Main|Reception and legacy of Muammar Gaddafi}}
** {{MUS}}: Khadafi Square, ].<ref> ]</ref>

** {{NGA}}: Gaddafi Street, ].<ref> ]</ref>
Supporters praised Gaddafi's administration for the creation of a more equal society through domestic reform.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196–200}} They stressed the regime's achievements in combating homelessness, ensuring access to food and safe drinking water, and to dramatic improvements in education.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196–200}} Supporters have also applauded achievements in medical care, praising the universal free healthcare provided under the Gaddafist administration, with diseases like ] and ] being contained and life expectancy raised.{{sfnm|1a1=Blundy|1a2=Lycett|1y=1987|1p=19|2a1=Kawczynski|2y=2011|2pp=196–200}}
** {{PAK}}: Gaddafi Road, Lahore.<ref> Paktive.com</ref>

** {{PAK}}: Gaddafi Road, ].{{citation needed|date=June 2013}}
Gaddafi's government's treatment of non-Arab Libyans came in for criticism from human rights activists, with native Berbers, Italian colonists, Jews, refugees, and foreign workers all facing persecution in Gaddafist Libya.{{sfn|Kawczynski|2011|pp=202–203, 209}} Human rights groups also criticized the treatment of migrants, including ], who passed through Gaddafi's Libya on their way to Europe.{{sfn|Zoubir|2009|p=409}} During the Civil War, various leftist groups endorsed the anti-Gaddafist rebels—but not the Western military intervention—by arguing that Gaddafi had become an ally of Western imperialism by cooperating with the War on Terror and efforts to block African migration to Europe.{{sfn|Castro|2011|p=309}} Gaddafi was widely perceived as a terrorist, especially in the US and UK.{{sfnm|1a1=Haynes|1y=1990|1p=58|2a1=Boyd-Judson|2y=2005|2p=91}}
** {{RWA}}: Gaddafi Road, ].<ref> Africanmountainexplorer.com</ref>

** {{UGA}}: Col. Muammar Gaddafi Road, Kampala.<ref> Christian von Schack, Flickr</ref>
===Posthumous assessment===
International reactions to Gaddafi's death were divided.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/10/obama-team-tracks-news-of-gadhafi/1 |title=Obama: Gadhafi Regime Is 'No More' |first=David |last=Jackson |website=USA Today |date=20 October 2011 |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223095732/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/10/obama-team-tracks-news-of-gadhafi/1 |url-status=live |archive-date=23 December 2011}}</ref> Gaddafi was mourned as a hero by many across sub-Saharan Africa but was widely condemned elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kron|first=Josh|title=Many in Sub-Saharan Africa Mourn Qaddafi's Death|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/many-in-sub-saharan-africa-mourn-qaddafis-death.html|access-date=29 June 2012|website=The New York Times|date=22 October 2011|url-status=live|archive-date=2 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102115400/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/many-in-sub-saharan-africa-mourn-qaddafis-death.html?_r=1}}</ref>

Following his defeat in the civil war, Gaddafi's system of governance was dismantled and replaced by the interim government of the NTC, which legalized trade unions and freedom of the press.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.libyaherald.com/2012/10/20/on-the-first-anniversary-of-qaddafis-death-is-libya-better-off-a-year-on/ |title=On the First Anniversary of Qaddafi's death&nbsp;– Is Libya Better off a Year On? |first=Sami |last=Zaptia |date=20 October 2012 |newspaper=Libya Herald |access-date=17 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205013514/http://www.libyaherald.com/2012/10/20/on-the-first-anniversary-of-qaddafis-death-is-libya-better-off-a-year-on/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 December 2013}}</ref> In January 2013, the GNC officially renamed the ''Jamahiriyah'' as the "State of Libya".<ref name="Herald_StateofLibya">{{cite news |first=Sami |last=Zaptia |title=GNC Officially Renames Libya the 'State of Libya'&nbsp;– Until the New Constitution |url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2013/01/09/gnc-officially-renames-libya-the-state-of-libya-until-the-new-constitution/ |access-date=9 January 2013 |website=Libya Herald |date=9 January 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323183928/https://www.libyaherald.com/2013/01/09/gnc-officially-renames-libya-the-state-of-libya-until-the-new-constitution/ |archive-date=23 March 2013 }}</ref> ] then founded a new political party, the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Walsh |first=Declan |title=Hijacking Ends Peacefully After Libyan Airliner Lands in Malta |date=23 December 2016 |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/world/europe/libya-malta-hijack-afriqiyah-airways.html|access-date=22 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223125732/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/world/europe/libya-malta-hijack-afriqiyah-airways.html?_r=0 |archive-date=23 December 2016 }}</ref> Led by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Popular Front was allowed to participate in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/3/19/gaddafis-son-saif-to-run-for-libya-president|title=In Saif Hands: Gaddafi's Son to Run for Libya President|publisher=The New Arab|date=19 March 2018|access-date=6 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006154841/https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/3/19/gaddafis-son-saif-to-run-for-libya-president|archive-date=6 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
*]
{{Portal|Libya|Biography|Arab world||Cold War|Politics|Human rights|Terrorism|Africa}}
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
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*]
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{{-}}
*]


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="nb"}} <references group=pron/>
{{notelist}}


==References== ==References==


===Footnotes=== ===Citations===
{{Reflist|25em}} {{Reflist}}


===Bibliography=== ===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|40em|indent=yes}} {{Refbegin|30em}}
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:{{cite book|author=Bearman, Jonathan |title=Qadhafi's Libya |publisher=Zed Books |location=London |year=1986 |isbn=978-0862324346 |ref=harv}} *{{cite book|title=Gadafi: Voice from the Desert|last=Bianco|first=Mirella|publisher=Longman|location=London|translator-last=Lyle|translator-first=Margaret|isbn=978-0-582-78062-0|year=1975}}
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*{{cite book|last=Vandewalle|first=Dirk |chapter=Libya's Revolution in Perspective 1969–2000 |date=2008b |editor-last=Vandewalle|editor-first=Dirk|title=Libya Since 1969: Qadhafi's Revolution Revisited|location=Basingstoke, England|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|pages=9–53|doi=10.1007/978-0-230-61386-7_2|isbn=978-0-230-33750-3}}
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{{refend}} {{refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Muammar al-Gaddafi|b=no|n=Category:Muammar al-Gaddafi|q=Muammar Gaddafi|s=Muammar Gaddafi|v=no|voy=no|s=no}} {{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Category:Muammar al-Gaddafi|b=no|n=Category:Muammar al-Gaddafi|q=Muammar Gaddafi|v=no|d=Q19878|voy=no|s=yes}}

* {{Worldcat id|lccn-n81-68638}}
* – ABC News video
* from the
* from the
* {{Aljazeeratopic|person/muammar-gaddafi}} * {{Aljazeeratopic|person/muammar-gaddafi}}
* {{BBC Online|id=news/world-africa-12688033|title=The Muammar Gaddafi story}} * {{BBC Online|id=news/world-africa-12688033|title=The Muammar Gaddafi story}}
* {{Guardian topic}}
* {{Guardiantopic|world/muammar-gaddafi}}
* {{NYTtopic|people/q/muammar_el_qaddafi}} * {{NYTtopic|people/q/muammar_el_qaddafi}}
* {{YouTube|S6JaxKsK8Q0|2009 UN Security council speech from Al jazeera (English)}}
;Articles
* , Rudolph Chimelli, '']'', 2 September 2009
* , slideshow by '']''
*
;Videos
* An amateur video shows long-time Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi enjoying free time with his family and playing with his grandchildren. No comment, ], 8 October 2011.


{{s-start}} {{s-start}}
{{s-off}} {{s-off
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{{s-bef|before=]|as=King of Libya}} {{s-bef
| before = ]
| as = King of Libya
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{{s-ttl
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=1969–1977}}
| title = ]
{{s-aft|after=Himself<br><small>''{{nowrap|as Secretary General of the General People's Congress of Libya}}''</small>}}
| years = 1969–1977
|-
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{{s-bef|before=]}}
{{s-aft
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=1970–1972}}
| after = Himself
{{s-aft|after=]}}
| as = Secretary General of the<br />General People's Congress of Libya
|-
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{{s-bef|before=Himself|as=Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council of Libya}}
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{{s-ttl
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{{s-aft|after=]|as=Chairman of the National Transitional Council of Libya}}
| years = 1970–1972
|-
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| as = Chairman of the Revolutionary<br />Command Council of Libya
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| years = 1977–1979
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{{s-end}} {{s-end}}


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{{Persondata
| NAME = Gaddafi, Muammar
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Colonel Gaddafi
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Ruler of Libya from 1969 to 1977
| DATE OF BIRTH = June 1942
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ]
| DATE OF DEATH = 20 October 2011
| PLACE OF DEATH = ], Libya
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Latest revision as of 16:09, 2 January 2025

Leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011 "Gaddafi" redirects here. For other people with the name, see Gaddafi (name).

Brotherly Leader
ColonelMuammar Gaddafi
معمر القذافي
Gaddafi in 1970
Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution
In office
2 March 1979 – 20 October 2011
Prime Minister See list
Preceded byHimself (as Chairman of the RCC)
Succeeded byMustafa Abdul Jalil (as Chairman of the NTC)
Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council of Libya
In office
1 September 1969 – 2 March 1977
Prime Minister See list
Preceded byIdris I (as King of Libya)
Succeeded byHimself (as Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution)
Secretary General of the General People's Congress
In office
2 March 1977 – 2 March 1979
Prime MinisterAbdul Ati al-Obeidi
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAbdul Ati al-Obeidi
Head of Government of Libya
As Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council
In office
16 January 1970 – 16 July 1972
Preceded byMahmud Suleiman Maghribi
Succeeded byAbdessalam Jalloud
7th Chairperson of the African Union
In office
2 February 2009 – 31 January 2010
Preceded byJakaya Kikwete
Succeeded byBingu wa Mutharika
Personal details
BornMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi
c. 1942
Qasr Abu Hadi, Italian Libya
Died20 October 2011(2011-10-20) (aged 68–69)
Sirte, Libya
Manner of deathAssassination
Resting placeIn an unknown location in the Libyan Desert
Political party
Spouses
Children10 Sons (8) Daughters (2)
ResidenceBab al-Azizia
Alma mater
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/serviceLibyan Army
Years of service1961–2011
RankColonel
CommandsLibyan Armed Forces
Battles/wars
This article is part of
a series aboutMuammar Gaddafi

Personal
Affiliations
Libya under Muammar Gaddafi
  • Politics
  • [[Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolutionary

]]


Military (Armed Forces)
Leadership (History)
Elections and referendums

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (c. 1942 – 20 October 2011) was a Libyan revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by rebel forces in 2011. He came to power through a military coup, first becoming Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the 'Brotherly Leader' of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Nasserism, Gaddafi later ruled according to his own Third International Theory.

Born near Sirte, Italian Libya, to a poor Bedouin Arab family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. Within the military, he founded a revolutionary group known as the Free Officers movement which deposed the Western-backed Senussi monarchy of Idris in a 1969 coup. After taking power, Gaddafi converted Libya into a republic governed by his Revolutionary Command Council. Ruling by decree, he deported Libya's Italian population and ejected its Western military bases. He strengthened ties to Arab nationalist governments—particularly Gamal Abdel Nasser's Egypt—and unsuccessfully advocated pan-Arab political union. An Islamic modernist, he introduced sharia as the basis for the legal system and promoted Islamic socialism. He nationalized the oil industry and used the increasing state revenues to bolster the military, fund foreign revolutionaries, and implement social programs emphasizing housebuilding, healthcare and education projects. In 1973, he initiated a "Popular Revolution" with the formation of Basic People's Congresses, presented as a system of direct democracy, but retained personal control over major decisions. He outlined his Third International Theory that year in The Green Book.

In 1977 Gaddafi transformed Libya into a new socialist state called a Jamahiriya ("state of the masses"). He officially adopted a symbolic role in governance but remained head of both the military and the Revolutionary Committees responsible for policing and suppressing dissent. During the 1970s and 1980s, Libya's unsuccessful border conflicts with Egypt and Chad, support for foreign militants, and alleged responsibility for bombings of Pan Am Flight 103 and UTA Flight 772 left it increasingly isolated on the world stage. A particularly hostile relationship developed with Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom, resulting in the 1986 U.S. bombing of Libya and United Nations–imposed economic sanctions. From 1999, Gaddafi shunned pan-Arabism, and encouraged pan-Africanism and rapprochement with Western nations; he was Chairperson of the African Union from 2009 to 2010. Amid the 2011 Arab Spring, protests against widespread corruption and unemployment broke out in eastern Libya. The situation descended into civil war, in which NATO intervened militarily on the side of the anti-Gaddafist National Transitional Council (NTC). Gaddafi's government was overthrown; he retreated to Sirte only to be captured, tortured and killed by NTC militants.

A highly divisive figure, Gaddafi dominated Libya's politics for four decades and was the subject of a pervasive cult of personality. He was decorated with various awards and praised for his anti-imperialist stance, support for Arab—and then African—unity, as well as for significant development to the country following the discovery of oil reserves. Conversely, many Libyans strongly opposed Gaddafi's social and economic reforms; he was accused of various human rights violations. He was condemned by many as a dictator whose authoritarian administration systematically violated human rights and financed global terrorism in the region and abroad.

Early life and career

Childhood: 1940s to 1950

Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was born near Qasr Abu Hadi, a rural area outside the town of Sirte in the deserts of Tripolitania, Italian western Libya. Gaddafi was the only son of his parents and the youngest of four siblings. His family came from a small, relatively uninfluential tribe called the Qadhadhfa, who were Arab in heritage. His mother was named Aisha bin Niran (died 1978), and his father, Mohammad Abdul Salam bin Hamed bin Mohammad, was known as Abu Meniar (died 1985); the latter earned a meager subsistence as a goat and camel herder.

Like other contemporary nomadic Bedouin tribes, the family were illiterate and did not keep any birth records. His birthday is not known with certainty and sources have set it in 1942 or the spring of 1943, although his biographers David Blundy and Andrew Lycett noted that it could have been pre-1940. His parents' only surviving son, he had three older sisters. Gaddafi's upbringing in Bedouin culture influenced his personal tastes for the rest of his life; he preferred the desert over the city and would retreat there to meditate.

From childhood, Gaddafi was aware of the involvement of European colonial powers in Libya; his nation was occupied by Italy, and during the North African Campaign of the Second World War it witnessed conflict between Italian and British forces. According to later claims, Gaddafi's paternal grandfather, Abdessalam Bouminyar, was killed by the Italian Army during the Italian invasion of 1911. At the end of the Second World War in 1945, Libya was occupied by British and French forces. Britain and France considered dividing the nation between their empires, but the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) decided that the country was to be granted political independence, and in 1951 created the United Kingdom of Libya, a federal state under the leadership of a pro-Western monarch, Idris, who banned political parties and centralized power in his own hands.

Education and political activism: 1950–1963

Gaddafi's earliest education was of a religious nature, imparted by a local Islamic teacher. Subsequently, moving to nearby Sirte to attend elementary school, he progressed through six grades in four years. Education in Libya was not free, but his father thought it would greatly benefit his son despite the financial strain. During the week Gaddafi slept in a mosque, and only at weekends and holidays walked 20 miles (32 km) to visit his parents. Even though Gaddafi's father was not educated, he made great sacrifices to send his son to school. As an impoverished Bedouin, he faced bullying and discrimination from his city-dwelling classmates. However, he had many Egyptian teachers who informed him of the dramatic events occurring in their homeland. From Sirte, he and his family moved to the market town of Sabha in Fezzan, south-central Libya, where his father worked as a caretaker for a tribal leader while Muammar attended secondary school, something neither parent had done. Gaddafi was popular at this school; some friends made there received significant jobs in his later administration, most notably his best friend, Abdul Salam Jalloud.

Egyptian President Nasser was Gaddafi's political hero.

Many teachers at Sabha were Egyptian, and for the first time, Gaddafi had access to pan-Arab newspapers and radio broadcasts, especially the Cairo-based Voice of the Arabs. Growing up, Gaddafi witnessed significant events severely disturb the Arab world, including the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the short-lived existence of the United Arab Republic (UAR) between 1958 and 1961. Gaddafi admired the political changes implemented in the Arab Republic of Egypt under his hero, President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Nasser argued for Arab nationalism; the rejection of Western colonialism, neo-colonialism, and Zionism; and a transition from capitalism to socialism. Gaddafi was influenced by Nasser's book, Philosophy of the Revolution, which outlined how to initiate a coup. One of Gaddafi's Egyptian teachers, Mahmoud Efay, was reportedly sympathetic towards the youth's political ideas, and advised him that a successful revolution would need the support of the army.

Gaddafi organized demonstrations and distributed posters criticizing the monarchy. In October 1961, he led a demonstration protesting against Syria's secession from the UAR and raised funds to send cables of support to Nasser. Twenty students were arrested as a result of the disorder. Gaddafi and his companions also broke windows in a local hotel that was accused of serving alcohol. To punish Gaddafi, the authorities expelled him and his family from Sabha. Gaddafi moved to Misrata, there attending Misrata Secondary School. Maintaining his interest in Arab nationalist activism, he refused to join any of the banned political parties active in the city—including the Arab Nationalist Movement, the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and the Muslim Brotherhood—claiming that he rejected factionalism. He read voraciously on the subjects of Nasser and the French Revolution of 1789, as well as the works of the Syrian political theorist Michel Aflaq and biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Sun Yat-sen, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Military training: 1963–1966

Gaddafi briefly studied history at the University of Libya in Benghazi before dropping out to join the military. Despite his police record, in 1963 he began training at the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi, alongside several like-minded friends from Misrata. The armed forces offered the only opportunity for upward social mobility for underprivileged Libyans, and Gaddafi recognized it as a potential instrument of political change. Under Idris, Libya's armed forces were trained by the British military; this angered Gaddafi, who viewed the British as imperialists, and accordingly, he refused to learn English and was rude to the British officers, ultimately failing his exams. British trainers reported him for insubordination and abusive behaviour, stating their suspicion that he was involved in the assassination of the military academy's commander in 1963. Such reports were ignored, and Gaddafi quickly progressed through the course.

With a group of loyal cadres, in 1964, Gaddafi established the Central Committee of the Free Officers Movement, a revolutionary group named after Nasser's Egyptian predecessor. Led by Gaddafi, they met secretively and were organized into a clandestine cell system, pooling their salaries into a single fund. Gaddafi travelled around Libya collecting intelligence and developing connections with sympathizers, but the government's intelligence services ignored him, considering him little threat. Graduating in August 1965, Gaddafi became a communications officer in the army's signal corps.

In April 1966, he was assigned to the United Kingdom for further training; over nine months he underwent an English-language course at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, an Army Air Corps signal instructors course in Bovington Camp, Dorset, and an infantry signal instructors course at Hythe, Kent. Despite later rumours to the contrary, he did not attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The Bovington signal course's director reported that Gaddafi successfully overcame problems learning English, displaying a firm command of voice procedure. Noting that Gaddafi's favourite hobbies were reading and playing football, he thought of him as an "amusing officer, always cheerful, hard-working, and conscientious". Gaddafi disliked England, claiming British Army officers had racially insulted him and finding it difficult adjusting to the country's culture; asserting his Arab identity in London, he walked around Piccadilly wearing traditional Libyan robes. He later related that while he travelled to England believing it more advanced than Libya, he returned home "more confident and proud of our values, ideals and social character".

Libyan Arab Republic

Further information: History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi

Coup d'état: 1969

Main article: 1969 Libyan coup d'état

People of Libya! In response to your own will, fulfilling your most heartfelt wishes, answering your most incessant demands for change and regeneration, and your longing to strive towards these ends: listening to your incitement to rebel, your armed forces have undertaken the overthrow of the corrupt regime, the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all. At a single blow our gallant army has toppled these idols and has destroyed their images. By a single stroke it has lightened the long dark night in which the Turkish domination was followed first by Italian rule, then by this reactionary and decadent regime which was no more than a hotbed of extortion, faction, treachery and treason.

—Gaddafi's radio speech after seizing power, 1969

Idris' government was increasingly unpopular by the latter 1960s; it had exacerbated Libya's traditional regional and tribal divisions by centralizing the country's federal system to take advantage of the country's oil wealth. Corruption and entrenched systems of patronage were widespread throughout the oil industry. Arab nationalism was increasingly popular, and protests flared up following Egypt's 1967 defeat in the Six-Day War with Israel; Idris' administration was seen as pro-Israeli due to its alliance with the Western powers. Anti-Western riots broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi, while Libyan workers shut down oil terminals in solidarity with Egypt. By 1969, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was expecting segments of Libya's armed forces to launch a coup. Although claims have been made that they knew of Gaddafi's Free Officers Movement, they have since claimed ignorance, stating that they were instead monitoring Abdul Aziz Shalhi's Black Boots revolutionary group. Shalhi, who effectively served as Idris' chief of staff, and his brother Omar were the sons of Idris' former chief advisor Ibrahim Shalhi, who had been murdered by Queen Fatima's nephew in the fall of 1954. After their father's assassination, they became the favorites of Idris.

In mid-1969, Idris travelled abroad to spend the summer in Turkey and Greece amid widespread rumors of an abdication or a British-backed coup by the Shalhi brothers on 5 September. Gaddafi's Free Officers, recognizing this as their last chance to preempt the Shelhis in overthrowing the monarchy, initiated "Operation Jerusalem". If Gaddafi's Free Officers had not preempted the Shelhis, they would have almost certainly been defeated by the combined forces of Abdul Aziz Shelhi, the deputy commander of Libya's army, and the prominent families in Cyrenaica that supported the Shelhi family. On 1 September, Gaddafi's Free Officers occupied airports, police depots, radio stations, and government offices in Tripoli and Benghazi. Gaddafi took control of the Berka barracks in Benghazi, while Umar Muhayshi occupied Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the city's anti-aircraft batteries. Khweldi Hameidi took over the Tripoli radio station and was sent to arrest crown prince Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi and force him to relinquish his claim to the throne. They met no serious resistance and wielded little violence against the monarchists.

Once Gaddafi removed the monarchical government, he announced the foundation of the Libyan Arab Republic. Addressing the populace by radio, he proclaimed an end to the "reactionary and corrupt" regime, "the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all". Due to the coup's bloodless nature, it was initially labelled the "White Revolution", although was later renamed the "One September Revolution" after the date on which it occurred. Gaddafi insisted that the Free Officers' coup represented a revolution, marking the start of widespread change in the socio-economic and political nature of Libya. He proclaimed that the revolution meant "freedom, socialism, and unity", and over the coming years implemented measures to achieve this.

Consolidating leadership: 1969–1973

The 12-member central committee of the Free Officers proclaimed themselves the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), the government of the new republic. Lieutenant Gaddafi became RCC chairman, and therefore the de facto head of state, also appointing himself to the rank of colonel and becoming commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Jalloud became Prime Minister, while a civilian Council of Ministers headed by Sulaiman Maghribi was founded to implement RCC policy. Libya's administrative capital was moved from al-Beida to Tripoli.

The flag of republican Libya used by Gaddafi's government from 1969 to 1972

Although theoretically a collegial body operating through consensus building, Gaddafi dominated the RCC. Some of the others attempted to constrain what they saw as his excesses. Gaddafi remained the government's public face, with the identities of the other RCC members only being publicly revealed on 10 January 1970. All young men from (typically rural) working and middle-class backgrounds, none had university degrees; in this way they were distinct from the wealthy, highly educated conservatives who previously governed the country.

The coup completed, the RCC proceeded with their intentions of consolidating the revolutionary government and modernizing the country. They purged monarchists and members of Idris' Senussi clan from Libya's political world and armed forces; Gaddafi believed this elite were opposed to the will of the Libyan people and had to be expunged. People's Courts were founded to try various monarchist politicians and journalists, many of whom were imprisoned, although none executed. Idris was sentenced to execution in absentia. Three months after Gaddafi came to power, the army minister and interior minister, both of whom were from the eastern Barqa region, tried to overthrow him in a failed coup. In 1970, Idris' great nephew Ahmed al-Senussi tried to instigate another coup against Gaddafi; the monarchist plot was foiled in August and Ahmed was sentenced to death (commuted in 1988 and pardoned by Gaddafi in 2001).

In May 1970, the Revolutionary Intellectuals Seminar was held to bring intellectuals in line with the revolution, while that year's Legislative Review and Amendment united secular and religious law codes, introducing sharia into the legal system. Ruling by decree, the RCC maintained the monarchy's ban on political parties, in May 1970 banned trade unions, and in 1972 outlawed workers' strikes and suspended newspapers. In September 1971, Gaddafi resigned, claiming to be dissatisfied with the pace of reform, but returned to his position within a month. In July 1972, amid widespread speculation that Gaddafi had been ousted or jailed by his political opponents, a new 18-man cabinet was formed with only two of them, Jalloud and Abdel Moneim al-Houni, being military men; the rest were civilian technocrats per Gaddafi's insistence. In February 1973, Gaddafi resigned again, once more returning the following month.

Economic and social reform

Gaddafi at an Arab summit in Libya in 1969, shortly after the September Revolution that toppled King Idris I. Gaddafi sits in military uniform in the middle, surrounded by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (left) and Syrian President Nureddin al-Atassi (right).

The RCC's early economic policy has been characterized as being state capitalist in orientation. Many initiatives were established to aid entrepreneurs and develop a Libyan bourgeoisie. Seeking to expand the cultivatable acreage in Libya, in September 1969 the government launched a "Green Revolution" to increase agricultural productivity so that Libya could rely less on imported food. The hope was to make Libya self-sufficient in food production. All land that had either been expropriated from Italian settlers or which was not in use was repossessed and redistributed. Irrigation systems were established along the northern coastline and around various inland oases. Production costs often surpassed the value of the produce and thus Libyan agricultural production remained in deficit, relying heavily on state subsidies.

With crude oil as the country's primary export, Gaddafi sought to improve Libya's oil sector. In October 1969, he proclaimed the current trade terms unfair, benefiting foreign corporations more than the Libyan state, and threatened to decrease production. In December Jalloud successfully increased the price of Libyan oil. In 1970, other OPEC states followed suit, leading to a global increase in the price of crude oil. The RCC followed with the Tripoli Agreement of 20 March 1971, in which they secured income tax, back-payments and better pricing from the oil corporations; these measures brought Libya an estimated $1 billion in additional revenues in its first year.

Increasing state control over the oil sector, the RCC began a program of nationalization, starting with the expropriation of British Petroleum's share of the British Petroleum-N.B. Hunt Sahir Field in December 1971. In September 1973, it was announced that all foreign oil producers active in Libya were to see 51 per cent of their operation nationalized, including the stake of Nelson Bunker Hunt, son of H.L. Hunt, who had played a key role in the discovery of oil in Libya. Among the companies that were partially nationalized was Armand Hammer's Occidental Petroleum. For Gaddafi, this was an essential step towards socialism. It proved an economic success; while gross domestic product had been $3.8 billion in 1969, it had risen to $13.7 billion in 1974, and $24.5 billion in 1979. In turn, the Libyans' standard of life greatly improved over the first decade of Gaddafi's administration, and by 1979 the average per-capita income was at $8,170, up from $40 in 1951; this was above the average of many industrialized countries like Italy and the UK. In 1969, the government also declared that all foreign owned banks must either close down or convert to joint-stock operations.

In 1971, Egypt's Anwar Sadat, Libya's Gaddafi and Syria's Hafez al-Assad signed an agreement to form a federal Union of Arab Republics. The agreement never materialized into a federal union between the three Arab states.

The RCC implemented measures for social reform, adopting sharia as a basis. The consumption of alcohol was prohibited, night clubs and Christian churches were shut down, traditional Libyan dress was encouraged, and Arabic was decreed as the only language permitted in official communications and on road signs. The RCC doubled the minimum wage, introduced statutory price controls, and implemented compulsory rent reductions of between 30 and 40 per cent. Gaddafi also wanted to combat the strict social restrictions that had been imposed on women by the previous regime, establishing the Revolutionary Women's Formation to encourage reform. In 1970, a law was introduced affirming equality of the sexes and insisting on wage parity. In 1971, Gaddafi sponsored the creation of a Libyan General Women's Federation. In 1972, a law was passed criminalizing the marriage of any females under the age of sixteen and ensuring that a woman's consent was a necessary prerequisite for a marriage. Gaddafi's regime opened up a wide range of educational and employment opportunities for women, although these primarily benefited a minority in the urban middle-classes.

From 1969 to 1973, it used oil money to fund social welfare programs, which led to housebuilding projects and improved healthcare and education. House building became a major social priority, designed to eliminate homelessness and to replace the shanty towns created by Libya's growing urbanization. The health sector was also expanded; by 1978, Libya had 50 per cent more hospitals than it had in 1968, while the number of doctors had increased from 700 to over 3000 in that decade. Malaria was eradicated, and trachoma and tuberculosis greatly curtailed. Compulsory education was expanded from 6 to 9 years, while adult literacy programs and free university education were introduced. Beida University was founded, while Tripoli University and Benghazi University were expanded. In doing so, the government helped to integrate the poorer strata of Libyan society into the education system. Through these measures, the RCC greatly expanded the public sector, providing employment for thousands. These early social programs proved popular within Libya. This popularity was partly due to Gaddafi's personal charisma, youth and underdog status as a Bedouin, as well as his rhetoric emphasizing his role as the successor to the anti-Italian fighter Omar Mukhtar.

To combat the country's strong regional and tribal divisions, the RCC promoted the idea of a unified pan-Libyan identity. In doing so, they tried discrediting tribal leaders as agents of the old regime, and in August 1971 a Sabha military court tried many of them for counter-revolutionary activity. Long-standing administrative boundaries were re-drawn, crossing tribal boundaries, while pro-revolutionary modernizers replaced traditional leaders, yet the communities they served often rejected them. Realizing the failures of the modernizers, Gaddafi created the Arab Socialist Union (ASU) in June 1971, a mass mobilization vanguard party of which he was president. The ASU recognized the RCC as its "Supreme Leading Authority", and was designed to further revolutionary enthusiasm throughout the country. It remained heavily bureaucratic and failed to mobilize mass support in the way Gaddafi had envisioned.

Foreign relations

Further information: Foreign relations of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi
Gaddafi (left) with Egyptian President Nasser in 1969. Nasser privately described Gaddafi as "a nice boy, but terribly naïve".

The influence of Nasser's Arab nationalism over the RCC was immediately apparent. The administration was instantly recognized by the neighbouring Arab nationalist regimes in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan, with Egypt sending experts to aid the inexperienced RCC. Gaddafi propounded pan-Arab ideas, proclaiming the need for a single Arab state stretching across North Africa and the Middle East. In December 1969, Libya signed the Tripoli Charter alongside Egypt and Sudan. This established the Arab Revolutionary Front, a pan-national union designed as a first step towards the eventual political unification of the three nations. In 1970 Syria declared its intention to join.

Nasser died unexpectedly in September 1970, with Gaddafi playing a prominent role at his funeral. Nasser was succeeded by Anwar Sadat, who suggested that rather than creating a unified state, the Arab states should create a political federation, implemented in April 1971; in doing so, Egypt, Syria, and Sudan received large grants of Libyan oil money. In July 1971, Gaddafi sided with Sadat against the Soviet Union in the 1971 Sudanese coup d'état and dispatched Libyan fighter jets to force down a British Airlines jetliner carrying the leading coup plotters, Farouk Osman Hamadallah and Babikir al-Nour. They were extradited back to Khartoum, where they were promptly executed by Sudanese leader Jaafar Nimeiry. In February 1972, Gaddafi and Sadat signed an unofficial charter of merger, but it was never implemented because relations broke down the following year. Sadat became increasingly wary of Libya's radical direction, and the September 1973 deadline for implementing the Federation passed by with no action taken.

After the 1969 coup, representatives of the Four Powers—France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union—were called to meet RCC representatives. The UK and the US quickly extended diplomatic recognition, hoping to secure the position of their military bases in Libya and fearing further instability. Hoping to ingratiate themselves with Gaddafi, in 1970 the US informed him of at least one planned counter-coup. Such attempts to form a working relationship with the RCC failed; Gaddafi was determined to reassert national sovereignty and expunge what he described as foreign colonial and imperialist influences. His administration insisted that the US and the UK remove their military bases from Libya, with Gaddafi proclaiming that "the armed forces which rose to express the people's revolution tolerate living in their shacks while the bases of imperialism exist in Libyan territory." The British left in March and the Americans in June 1970.

Moving to reduce Italian influence, in October 1970 all Italian-owned assets were expropriated, and the 12,000-strong Italian community was expelled from Libya alongside the smaller community of Libyan Jews. The day became a national holiday known as "Vengeance Day". Italy complained that this was in contravention of the 1956 Italo-Libyan Treaty, although no UN sanctions were forthcoming. Aiming to reduce NATO power in the Mediterranean, in 1971 Libya requested that Malta cease allowing NATO to use its land for a military base, in turn offering Malta foreign aid. Compromising, Malta's government continued allowing NATO to use the island, but only on the condition that NATO would not use it for launching attacks on Arab territory. Over the coming decade, Gaddafi's government developed stronger political and economic links with Dom Mintoff's Maltese administration, and under Libya's urging Malta did not renew the UK's airbases on the island in 1980. Orchestrating a military build-up, the RCC began purchasing weapons from France and the Soviet Union. The commercial relationship with the latter led to an increasingly strained relationship with the US, which was then engaged in the Cold War with the Soviets.

A 1973 anti-Gaddafist British newsreel including an interview with Gaddafi about his support for foreign militants

Gaddafi was especially critical of the US due to its support of Israel and sided with the Palestinians in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, viewing the 1948 creation of the State of Israel as a Western colonial occupation forced upon the Arab world. He believed that Palestinian violence against Israeli and Western targets was the justified response of an oppressed people who were fighting against the colonization of their homeland. Calling on the Arab states to wage "continuous war" against Israel, in 1970 he initiated a Jihad Fund to finance anti-Israeli militants. In June 1972 Gaddafi created the First Nasserite Volunteers Centre to train anti-Israeli guerrillas.

Like Nasser, Gaddafi favoured the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his group, Fatah, over more militant and Marxist Palestinian groups. As the years progressed however, Gaddafi's relationship with Arafat became strained, with Gaddafi considering him too moderate and calling for more violent action. Instead, he supported militias like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, As-Sa'iqa, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, and the Abu Nidal Organization. He funded the Black September Organization whose members perpetrated the 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli athletes in West Germany and had the killed militants' bodies flown to Libya for a hero's funeral.

Gaddafi financially supported other militant groups across the world, including the Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam, the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation, the Tupamaros, the 19th of April Movement and the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua, the ANC among other liberation movements in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, ETA, Action directe, the Red Brigades, and the Red Army Faction in Europe, and the Armenian Secret Army, the Japanese Red Army, the Free Aceh Movement, and the Moro National Liberation Front in the Philippines. Gaddafi was indiscriminate in the causes which he funded, sometimes switching from supporting one side in a conflict to the other, as in the Eritrean War of Independence. Throughout the 1970s these groups received financial support from Libya, which came to be seen as a leader in the Third World's struggle against colonialism and neocolonialism. Though many of these groups were labelled "terrorists" by critics of their activities, Gaddafi rejected this characterization, instead considering them to be revolutionaries who were engaged in liberation struggles.

The "Popular Revolution": 1973–1977

Gaddafi with Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu in Bucharest, 1974

On 16 April 1973, Gaddafi proclaimed the start of a "Popular Revolution" in a speech at Zuwarah. He initiated this with a five-point plan, the first point of which dissolved all existing laws, to be replaced by revolutionary enactments. The second point proclaimed that all opponents of the revolution had to be removed, while the third initiated an administrative revolution that Gaddafi proclaimed would remove all traces of bureaucracy and the bourgeoisie. The fourth point announced that the population must form People's Committees and be armed to defend the revolution, while the fifth proclaimed the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in Libya, to expunge the country of "poisonous" foreign influences. He began to lecture on this new phase of the revolution in Libya, Egypt, and France. As a process, it had many similarities with the Cultural Revolution implemented in China.

As part of this Popular Revolution, Gaddafi invited Libya's people to found General People's Committees as conduits for raising political consciousness. Although offering little guidance for how to set up these councils, Gaddafi claimed that they would offer a form of direct political participation that was more democratic than a traditional party-based representative system. He hoped that the councils would mobilize the people behind the RCC, erode the power of the traditional leaders and the bureaucracy, and allow for a new legal system chosen by the people. Many such committees were established in schools and colleges, where they were responsible for vetting staff, courses, and textbooks to determine if they were compatible with the country's revolutionary ideology.

The People's Committees led to a high percentage of public involvement in decision making, within the limits permitted by the RCC, but exacerbated tribal divisions and tensions. They also served as a surveillance system, aiding the security services in locating individuals with views critical of the RCC, leading to the arrest of Ba'athists, Marxists, and Islamists. Operating in a pyramid structure, the base form of these Committees were local working groups, who sent elected representatives to the district level, and from there to the national level, divided between the General People's Congress and the General People's Committee. Above these remained Gaddafi and the RCC, who remained responsible for all major decisions. In crossing regional and tribal identities, the committee system aided national integration and centralization and tightened Gaddafi's control over the state and administrative apparatus.

Third International Theory and The Green Book

Main articles: Third International Theory and The Green Book (Muammar Gaddafi)

In June 1973, Gaddafi created a political ideology as a basis for the Popular Revolution: Third International Theory. This approach regarded both the US and the Soviet Union as imperialist and thus rejected Western capitalism as well as Marxist–Leninist atheism. In this respect, it was similar to the Three Worlds Theory developed by China's political leader Mao Zedong. As part of this theory, Gaddafi praised nationalism as a progressive force and advocated the creation of a pan-Arab state which would lead the Islamic and Third Worlds against imperialism. Gaddafi saw Islam as having a key role in this ideology, calling for an Islamic revival that returned to the origins of the Qur'an, rejecting scholarly interpretations and the Hadith; in doing so, he angered many Libyan clerics. During 1973 and 1974, his government deepened the legal reliance on sharia, for instance by introducing flogging as punishment for those convicted of adultery or homosexual activity.

Gaddafi summarized Third International Theory in three short volumes published between 1975 and 1979, collectively known as The Green Book. Volume one was devoted to the issue of democracy, outlining the flaws of representative systems in favour of direct, participatory GPCs. The second dealt with Gaddafi's beliefs regarding socialism, while the third explored social issues regarding the family and the tribe. While the first two volumes advocated radical reform, the third adopted a socially conservative stance, proclaiming that while men and women were equal, they were biologically designed for different roles in life. During the years that followed, Gaddafists adopted quotes from The Green Book, such as "Representation is Fraud", as slogans. Meanwhile, in September 1975, Gaddafi implemented further measures to increase popular mobilization, introducing objectives to improve the relationship between the Councils and the ASU.

In 1975, Gaddafi's government declared a state monopoly on foreign trade. Its increasingly radical reforms, coupled with the large amount of oil revenue being spent on foreign causes, generated discontent in Libya, particularly among the country's merchant class. In 1974, Libya saw its first civilian attack on Gaddafi's government when a Benghazi army building was bombed. Much of the opposition centred around RCC member Umar Muhayshi. With fellow RCC members Bashir Saghir al-Hawaadi and Awad Ali Hamza, he began plotting a coup against Gaddafi. In 1975, their plot was exposed and Muhayshi fled to Tunisia, eventually receiving asylum from Sadat's Egypt. Hawaadi, Hamza, and Omar El-Hariri were arrested. Most of the other conspirators were executed in March 1976. Another RCC member, foreign minister Abdul-Munim al-Huni, also fled to Egypt. In the aftermath, only five RCC members remained: Gaddafi, Jalloud, Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Mustafa Kharubi, and Kweldi al-Hamidi. Thus, power was further concentrated in Gaddafi's hands. This ultimately led to the RCC's official abolition in March 1977.

In September 1975, Gaddafi purged the army, arresting around 200 senior officers, and in October he founded the clandestine Office for the Security of the Revolution. In April 1976, he called upon his supporters in universities to establish "revolutionary student councils" and drive out "reactionary elements". During that year, anti-Gaddafist student demonstrations broke out at the universities of Tripoli and Benghazi, resulting in clashes with both Gaddafist students and police. The RCC responded with mass arrests and introduced compulsory national service for young people. In January 1977, two dissenting students and a number of army officers were publicly hanged; Amnesty International condemned it as the first time in Gaddafist Libya that dissenters had been executed for purely political crimes. Dissent also arose from conservative clerics and the Muslim Brotherhood, who accused Gaddafi of moving towards Marxism and criticized his abolition of private property as being against the Islamic sunnah; these forces were then persecuted as anti-revolutionary, while all privately owned Islamic colleges and universities were shut down.

Foreign relations

Following Anwar Sadat's ascension to the Egyptian presidency, Libya's relations with Egypt deteriorated. Over the coming years, the two slipped into a state of cold war. Sadat was perturbed by Gaddafi's unpredictability and insistence that Egypt required a cultural revolution akin to that being carried out in Libya. In February 1973, Israeli forces shot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, which had strayed from Egyptian airspace into Israeli-held territory during a sandstorm. Gaddafi's foreign minister Salah Busir was on board and allegedly targeted by Israel in retaliation for the Munich massacre. Gaddafi was infuriated that Egypt had not done more to prevent the incident, and in retaliation planned to destroy the Queen Elizabeth 2, a British ship chartered by American Jews to sail to Haifa for Israel's 25th anniversary. Gaddafi ordered an Egyptian submarine to target the ship, but Sadat cancelled the order, fearing a military escalation.

Gaddafi in 1976 with a child on his lap

Gaddafi was later infuriated when Egypt and Syria planned the Yom Kippur War against Israel without consulting him and was angered when Egypt conceded to peace talks rather than continuing the war. Gaddafi became openly hostile to Egypt's leader, calling for Sadat's overthrow. When Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry took Sadat's side, Gaddafi also spoke out against him, encouraging the Sudan People's Liberation Army's attempt to overthrow Nimeiry. In 1974, Gaddafi released Abdul-Aziz Shennib, a commander under King Idris, from prison and appointed him Libyan ambassador to Jordan. Shennib had attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with King Hussein of Jordan and was tasked by Gaddafi with Hussein's assassination. Shennib instead informed Hussein of the plot and defected to Jordan. Relations with Syria also soured over the events in the Lebanese Civil War. Initially, both Libya and Syria had contributed troops to the Arab League's peacekeeping force, although after the Syrian army attacked the Lebanese National Movement, Gaddafi openly accused Syrian President Hafez al-Assad of "national treason"; he was the only Arab leader to criticize Syria's actions. In late 1972 and early 1973, Libya invaded Chad to annex the uranium-rich Aouzou Strip.

Intent on propagating Islam, in 1973 Gaddafi founded the Islamic Call Society, which had opened 132 centres across Africa within a decade. In 1973 he converted Gabonese President Omar Bongo, an action which he repeated three years later with Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Central African Republic. Between 1973 and 1979, Libya provided $500 million in aid to African countries, namely to Zaire and Uganda, and founded joint-venture companies throughout the countries to aid trade and development. Gaddafi was also keen on reducing Israeli influence within Africa, using financial incentives to successfully convince eight African states to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973.

A strong relationship was also established between Gaddafi's Libya and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Pakistani government, with the two countries exchanging nuclear research and military assistance. In recognition of Gaddafi's support of Pakistan's right to pursue nuclear weapons and financial support for the "Islamic bomb," Lahore Stadium was renamed Gaddafi Stadium. Gaddafi also provided support for Pakistan in the Bangladesh Liberation War; he reportedly deployed F-5s to Sargodha AFB and penned a strongly worded letter to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi accusing her of aggression against Pakistan. Gaddafi's strong relationship with Pakistan ended after Bhutto was deposed by Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1977 as Zia distrusted Gaddafi and rejected further Libyan financing for the Pakistani nuclear program in favor of Saudi financing.

Gaddafi sought to develop closer links in the Maghreb; in January 1974 Libya and Tunisia announced a political union, the Arab Islamic Republic. Although advocated by Gaddafi and Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, the move was deeply unpopular in Tunisia, and it was soon abandoned. Retaliating, Gaddafi sponsored anti-government militants in Tunisia into the 1980s. Turning his attention to Algeria, in 1975 Libya signed, in Hassi Messaoud, a defensive alliance allegedly to counter alleged "Moroccan expansionism", also funding the Polisario Front of Western Sahara in its independence struggle against Morocco. Seeking to diversify Libya's economy, Gaddafi's government began purchasing shares in major European corporations like Fiat as well as buying real estate in Malta and Italy, which would become a valuable source of income during the 1980s oil slump.

Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Foundation: 1977

On 2 March 1977, the General People's Congress adopted the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Authority of the People" at Gaddafi's behest. Dissolving the Libyan Arab Republic, it was replaced by the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Arabic: الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الاشتراكية, al-Jamāhīrīyah al-‘Arabīyah al-Lībīyah ash-Sha‘bīyah al-Ishtirākīyah), a "state of the masses" conceptualized by Gaddafi. A new, all-green banner was adopted as the country's flag. Officially, the Jamahiriya was a direct democracy in which the people ruled themselves through the 187 Basic People's Congresses (BPCs), where all adult Libyans participated and voted on national decisions. These then sent members to the annual General People's Congress, which was broadcast live on television. In principle, the People's Congresses were Libya's highest authority, with major decisions proposed by government officials or with Gaddafi himself requiring the consent of the People's Congresses. Gaddafi became General Secretary of the GPC, although he stepped down from this position in early 1979 and appointed himself "Leader of the Revolution".

Flag of Libya (1977–2011)

Although all political control was officially vested in the People's Congresses, in reality Libya's existing political leadership continued to exercise varying degrees of power and influence. Debate remained limited, and major decisions regarding the economy and defence were avoided or dealt with cursorily; the GPC largely remained "a rubber stamp" for Gaddafi's policies. On rare occasions, the GPC opposed Gaddafi's suggestions, sometimes successfully; notably, when Gaddafi called on primary schools to be abolished, believing that homeschooling was healthier for children, the GPC rejected the idea. In other instances, Gaddafi pushed through laws without the GPC's support, such as when he desired to allow women into the armed forces. At other times, he ordered snap elections when it appeared that the GPC would enact laws he opposed. Gaddafi proclaimed that the People's Congresses provided for Libya's every political need, rendering other political organizations unnecessary; all non-authorized groups, including political parties, professional associations, independent trade unions, and women's groups, were banned. Despite these restrictions, St. John noted that the Jamahiriya system still "introduced a level of representation and participation hitherto unknown in Libya".

With preceding legal institutions abolished, Gaddafi envisioned the Jamahiriya as following the Qur'an for legal guidance, adopting sharia law; he proclaimed "man-made" laws unnatural and dictatorial, only permitting Allah's law. Within a year he was backtracking, announcing that sharia was inappropriate for the Jamahiriya because it guaranteed the protection of private property, contravening The Green Book's socialism. His emphasis on placing his own work on a par with the Qur'an led conservative clerics to accuse him of shirk, furthering their opposition to his regime. In July 1977, a border war broke out with Egypt, in which the Egyptians defeated Libya despite their technological inferiority. The conflict lasted one week before both sides agreed to sign a peace treaty that was brokered by several Arab states. Both Egypt and Sudan had aligned themselves with the US, and this pushed Libya into a strategic, although not political, alignment with the Soviet Union. In recognition of the growing commercial relationship between Libya and the Soviets, Gaddafi was invited to visit Moscow in December 1976; there, he entered talks with Leonid Brezhnev. In August 1977, he visited Yugoslavia, where he met its leader Josip Broz Tito, with whom he had a much warmer relationship. He also enjoyed a warm relationship with Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu. According to Romanian spy chief Ion Mihai Pacepa, Gaddafi once exclaimed to Ceaușescu, "My brother! You are my brother for the rest of my life!" After Pacepa defected to the US in July 1978, Gaddafi and Yasser Arafat contributed $1 million each to Ceaușescu's $4 million bounty on Pacepa.

Revolutionary Committees and furthering socialism: 1978–1980

If socialism is defined as a redistribution of wealth and resources, a socialist revolution clearly occurred in Libya after 1969 and most especially in the second half of the 1970s. The management of the economy was increasingly socialist in intent and effect with wealth in housing, capital and land significantly redistributed or in the process of redistribution. Private enterprise was virtually eliminated, largely replaced by a centrally controlled economy.

—Libyan Studies scholar Ronald Bruce St. John

In December 1978, Gaddafi stepped down as Secretary-General of the GPC, announcing his new focus on revolutionary rather than government activities; this was part of his new emphasis on separating the apparatus of the revolution from government. Although no longer in a formal government post, he adopted the title of "Leader of the Revolution" and continued as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Historian Dirk Vandewalle stated that despite the Jamahariya's claims to being a direct democracy, Libya remained "an exclusionary political system whose decision-making process" was "restricted to a small cadre of advisers and confidantes" surrounding Gaddafi.

Libya turned towards socialism. In March 1978, the government issued guidelines for housing redistribution, attempting to ensure every adult owned their own home. Most families were banned from owning more than one house, while former rental properties were expropriated by the state and sold to the tenants at a heavily subsidized price. In September, Gaddafi called for the People's Committees to eliminate the "bureaucracy of the public sector" and the "dictatorship of the private sector"; the People's Committees took control of several hundred companies, converting them into worker cooperatives run by elected representatives.

In March 1979, the GPC announced the separation of government and revolution, the latter being represented by new Revolutionary Committees, who operated with the People's Committees in schools, universities, unions, the police force, and the military. Dominated by revolutionary zealots, mostly youths, the Revolutionary Committees were based in Tripoli and met with Gaddafi annually. Membership was drawn from within the BPCs. The revolutionary committee system became "a key—if not the main—mechanism through which exercises political control in Libya". Publishing a weekly magazine, The Green March, starting October 1980 they took control of the press. Responsible for perpetuating the revolution, they performed ideological surveillance, adopting a significant security role, making arrests and putting people on trial according to the "law of the revolution". With no legal or safeguards, the administration of revolutionary justice was largely arbitrary and resulted in widespread abuse and the suppression of civil liberties: the "Green Terror".

In 1979, the committees began the redistribution of land in the Jefara plain, continuing through 1981. In May 1980, measures to redistribute and equalize wealth were implemented; anyone with over 1000 dinar in their bank account saw that extra money expropriated. The following year, the GPC announced that the government would take control of all import, export and distribution functions, with state supermarkets replacing privately owned businesses; this led to a decline in the availability of consumer goods and the development of a thriving black market. Gaddafi was frustrated by the slow pace of social reform on women's issues, and in 1979 launched a Revolutionary Women's Formation, to replace the more gradualist Libyan General Women's Federation. In 1978 he had established a Women's Military Academy in Tripoli, encouraging all women to enlist for training. The measure was hugely controversial and voted down by the GPC in February 1983. Gaddafi remained adamant, and when it was again voted down by the GPC in March 1984, he refused to abide by the decision, declaring that "he who opposes the training and emancipation of women is an agent of imperialism, whether he likes it or not."

The Jamahiriya's radical direction earned the government many enemies. Most internal opposition came from Islamic fundamentalists, inspired by the events of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In February 1978, Gaddafi discovered that his head of military intelligence was plotting to kill him and increasingly entrusted security to his Qadhadfa tribe. Many who had seen their wealth confiscated turned against the administration, and Western-funded opposition groups were founded by exiles. Most prominent was the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), which orchestrated militant attacks against Libya's government. Another, al-Borkan, began killing Libyan diplomats abroad. Following Gaddafi's command to kill these "stray dogs", the Revolutionary Committees set up overseas branches to suppress counter-revolutionary activity, assassinating dissidents. Although Syria and Israel also employed hit squads, Gaddafi was unusual in publicly bragging about his use of them; in April 1980, he ordered all dissidents to return home by June 10 or be "liquidated wherever you are". Within a three months period in 1980, at least ten Libyan dissidents were murdered in Europe, including ex-diplomats, ex-army officers, businessmen, journalists, and student activists in disparate locations such as London, Greece and Austria. At least eleven more were assassinated in 1981. In 1984, Gaddafi was tricked by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak into announcing the assassination of former Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush in Cairo; Bakkhoush not only turned up alive but held a press conference with Egypt's Interior Minister. In 1979, Gaddafi created the Islamic Legion, through which several thousand Africans were military trained.

Libya had sought to improve US relations under President Jimmy Carter, for instance by courting his brother, businessman Billy Carter, and paying for the services of former CIA officers, but in 1979 the US placed Libya on its list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism". Relations were further damaged when a demonstration torched the US embassy in solidarity with the perpetrators of the Iran hostage crisis. Libyan fighters began intercepting US fighter jets flying over the Mediterranean, signalling the collapse of relations between the countries. Italian media have alleged that the Itavia Flight 870 was shot down during a dogfight involving Libyan, United States, French and Italian Air Force fighters in an assassination attempt by NATO members on a Libyan politician, perhaps even Gaddafi, flying in the same airspace.

Libyan relations with Lebanon and Shi'ite communities deteriorated due to the 1978 disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr when visiting Libya; the Lebanese accused Gaddafi of having him killed or imprisoned, a charge he denied. Relations with Pakistan broke down in this period. Despite Gaddafi's repeated appeals to Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq to spare Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's life, Bhutto was executed in 1979. In retaliation and for Zia's refusal to share Pakistan's nuclear technology, Gaddafi began training Al-Zulfiqar, an anti-Zia insurgency led by Bhutto's sons Murtaza and Shahnawaz, expelled all 150,000 Pakistanis living in Libya, and provided asylum for the Bhutto family. Relations with Syria improved, as Gaddafi and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad shared an enmity with Israel and Egypt's Sadat. In 1980, they proposed a political union, with Libya promising to pay off Syria's £1-billion debt to the Soviet Union; although pressures led Assad to pull out, they remained allies. Another key ally was Uganda, and in 1979, during the Uganda–Tanzania War, Gaddafi sent 2,500 troops to defend President Idi Amin from Tanzanian invaders. The mission failed; 400 Libyans were killed, and Libya was forced to retreat. Gaddafi came to regret his alliance with Amin, openly criticizing him as a "fascist" and a "show-off".

Conflict with the US and its allies: 1981–1986

The early 80s saw economic trouble in Libya; from 1982 to 1986, annual oil revenues dropped from $21 to $5.4 billion. Focusing on irrigation projects, 1983 saw construction start on Libya's largest and most expensive infrastructure project, the Great Man-Made River; although designed to be finished by the end of the decade, it remained incomplete at the start of the 21st century. Military spending increased, while other administrative budgets were cut. Foreign debt rose, and austerity measures were introduced to promote self-reliance; in 1985 there was a mass deportation of foreign workers, mostly Egyptian and Tunisian. Domestic threats continued to plague Gaddafi; in May 1984, his Bab al-Azizia home was unsuccessfully attacked by a militia—linked to the NFSL or Muslim Brotherhood—and in the aftermath 5,000 dissidents were arrested. In spring 1985, members of the military tried to assassinate Gaddafi twice. The first was a plot by conservative officers to assassinate him at a villa on the outskirts of Tripoli; the second was an assault on his convoy. In November 1985, Colonel Hassan Ishkal, the third most powerful man in Libya, head of the military region of Sirte, died in a suspicious car accident. Ishkal's death was attributed to Jalloud, Khalifa Hunaysh or Gaddafi.

Construction for the Great Man-Made River Project

Libya had long supported the FROLINAT militia in neighbouring Chad, but FROLINAT became divided over its ties to Libya in 1976. In January 1978, the anti-Libya faction within FROLINAT, led by Hissène Habré, switched sides and allied with Chadian President Félix Malloum. Meanwhile, the pro-Libya faction within FROLINAT, led by Goukouni Oueddei, renamed itself People's Armed Forces (FAP). In December 1980, Gaddafi reinvaded Chad at the request of the FAP-controlled GUNT government to aid in the civil war; in January 1981, Gaddafi suggested a political merger. The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) rejected this and called for a Libyan withdrawal, which came in November 1981. The civil war resumed, and Libya sent troops back in.

In 1982, the GUNT government was overthrown by Habré's forces and Oueddei fled to Libya, where Gaddafi provided him with arms to continue to guerrilla war against Habré. In November 1984, Gaddafi met with French President François Mitterrand; both agreed to withdraw from Chad. Oueddei broke with Gaddafi in 1985 due to the former's intentions to negotiate a truce with Habré. Consequently, he was placed under house arrest by Gaddafi and allegedly arrested by Libyan police and shot in the stomach. Oueddei survived the shooting and fled to Algeria, but continued to claim he and Gaddafi enjoyed a good relationship. When Gaddafi ordered the remnant of GUNT to attack Habré in February 1986 in violation of his agreement with Mitterrand, France launched Operation Épervier, which escalated into the Toyota War. Libya suffered a humiliating defeat as it was completely expelled from Chad and its commander Khalifa Haftar captured, along with 600-700 Libyan soldiers. Gaddafi disavowed Haftar and the other prisoners; one possible contributing factor to this repudiation may have been that Gaddafi had signed an agreement to withdraw Libyan forces, and Haftar's operations had been in violation of this. An embittered Haftar then joined the anti-Gaddafi National Front for the Salvation of Libya, became a CIA asset, and was given refuge in the US.

Many African nations were tired of Libya's interference in their affairs; by 1980, nine African states had severed diplomatic relations, while in 1982 the OAU cancelled its scheduled conference in Tripoli to prevent Gaddafi gaining chairmanship. Some African states, such as Jerry Rawlings's Ghana and Thomas Sankara's Burkina Faso, had warm relations with Libya during the 1980s.

Proposing political unity with Morocco, in August 1984, Gaddafi and Moroccan monarch Hassan II signed the Oujda Treaty, forming the Arab–African Union; such a union was considered surprising due to the political differences and longstanding enmity that existed between the two. In a sign of warming relations, Gaddafi promised to stop funding the Polisario Front and Hassan II extradited former RCC member Umar Muhayshi to Libya, where he was immediately killed. But relations deteriorated, particularly due to Morocco's friendship with the US and Israel; in August 1986, Hassan abolished the union. Angered by the snub, Gaddafi plotted with Abu Nidal to assassinate Hassan in 1987, but the plot was aborted.

In 1981, the new US president, Ronald Reagan, pursued a hardline approach to Libya, viewing it as a puppet regime of the Soviet Union. Gaddafi played up his commercial relationship with the Soviets, revisiting Moscow in 1981 and 1985, and threatening to join the Warsaw Pact. The Soviets were nevertheless cautious of Gaddafi, seeing him as an unpredictable extremist. In August 1981, the US staged military exercises in the Gulf of Sirte – an area which Libya claimed. The US shot down two Libyan Su-22 planes which were on an intercept course. Closing down Libya's embassy in Washington, Reagan advised US companies operating in Libya to reduce Americans stationed there. In December 1981, the White House claimed Gaddafi had dispatched a hit squad to assassinate Reagan, allegedly led by Carlos the Jackal, who had been living in Libya under Gaddafi's protection after the 1975 OPEC siege. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Counselor to the President Edwin Meese, chief of staff James Baker, and deputy chief of staff Michael Deaver were considered potential targets and given special security. US ambassador to Italy Maxwell M. Rabb, who was Jewish, was urgently recalled due to threats against his life. Gaddafi denied the allegations. Gaddafi was accused of having ties to the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions, which had murdered US military attaché Charles R. Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. In March 1982, the US implemented an embargo of Libyan oil, and in January 1986 ordered all US companies to cease operating in the country, although several hundred workers remained when the Libyan government doubled their pay. In spring 1986, the US Navy again performed exercises in the Gulf of Sirte; the Libyan military retaliated, but failed as the US sank Libyan ships. Diplomatic relations also broke down with the UK, after Libyan diplomats were accused in the killing of Yvonne Fletcher, a British policewoman stationed outside their London embassy, in April 1984.

In 1980, Gaddafi hired former CIA agent Edwin P. Wilson, living in Libya as a fugitive from US justice, to plot the murder of an anti-Gaddafi Libyan graduate student at Colorado State University named Faisal Zagallai. Zagallai was shot in the head in October 1980, in Fort Collins, Colorado by a former Green Beret and associate of Wilson named Eugene Tafoya. Zagallai survived the attack and Tafoya was convicted of third-degree assault and conspiracy to commit assault. Wilson was lured back to the US and sentenced to 32 years due to his ties to Gaddafi. In 1984, Gaddafi publicly executed Al-Sadek Hamed Al-Shuwehdy, an aeronautical engineer studying in the US.

After the US accused Libya of orchestrating the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing, in which two US soldiers died, Reagan decided to retaliate. The CIA was critical of the move, believing Syria was a greater threat and that an attack would strengthen Gaddafi's reputation; however, Libya was recognized as a "soft target". Reagan was supported by the UK, but opposed by other European allies, who argued it contravened international law. In Operation El Dorado Canyon, orchestrated on 15 April 1986, US military planes launched air-strikes, bombing military installations, killing around 100 Libyans, including civilians. One target had been Gaddafi's home. Himself unharmed, two of Gaddafi's sons were injured, and he claimed his adopted daughter Hanna was killed, although her existence has since been questioned. Gaddafi retreated to the desert to meditate. There were sporadic clashes between Gaddafists and army officers who wanted to overthrow the government. Although the US was condemned internationally, Reagan received a popularity boost at home. Publicly lambasting US imperialism, Gaddafi's reputation as an anti-imperialist was strengthened domestically and across the Arab world, and, in June 1986, he ordered the names of the month to be changed in Libya.

"Revolution within a Revolution": 1987–1998

The late 1980s saw a series of liberalizing economic reforms within Libya designed to cope with the decline in oil revenues. In May 1987, Gaddafi announced the start of the "Revolution within a Revolution", which began with reforms to industry and agriculture and saw the re-opening of small business. Restrictions were placed on the activities of the Revolutionary Committees; in March 1988, their role was narrowed by the newly created Ministry for Mass Mobilization and Revolutionary Leadership to restrict their violence and judicial role, while in August 1988 Gaddafi publicly criticized them. In March, hundreds of political prisoners were freed, with Gaddafi falsely claiming that there were no further political prisoners in Libya. In June, Libya's government issued the Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses, in which 27 articles laid out goals, rights, and guarantees to improve the situation of human rights in Libya, restricting the use of the death penalty and calling for its eventual abolition. Many of the measures suggested in the charter would be implemented the following year, although others remained inactive. Also in 1989, the government founded the Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights, to be awarded to figures from the Third World who had struggled against colonialism and imperialism; the first year's winner was South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. From 1994 through to 1997, the government initiated cleansing committees to root out corruption, particularly in the economic sector.

In the aftermath of the 1986 US attack, the army was purged of perceived disloyal elements, and in 1988, Gaddafi announced the creation of a popular militia to replace the army and police. In 1987, Libya began production of mustard gas at a facility in Rabta, although publicly denied it was stockpiling chemical weapons, and unsuccessfully attempted to develop nuclear weapons. The period also saw a growth in domestic Islamist opposition, formulated into groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. Several assassination attempts against Gaddafi were foiled, and in turn, 1989 saw the security forces raid mosques believed to be centres of counter-revolutionary preaching. In December 1993, former Libyan foreign minister Mansour Rashid El-Kikhia, a leader of an anti-Gaddafi coalition in exile, was abducted in Cairo. His body was not found until 2012 in a morgue that belonged to Gaddafi's intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi.

In October 1993, elements of the increasingly marginalized army, led by officers from the powerful Warfalla tribe, initiated a failed coup in Misrata and Bani Walid allegedly with help from the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, Khalifa Haftar, and the CIA, while in September 1995, Islamists launched an insurgency in Benghazi, and in July 1996 an anti-Gaddafist football riot broke out in Tripoli. In March 1996, Haftar again briefly returned to Libya to instigate an uprising against Gaddafi in the mountains of eastern Libya. The Revolutionary Committees experienced a resurgence to combat these Islamists.

In 1989, Gaddafi was overjoyed by the foundation of the Arab Maghreb Union, uniting Libya in an economic pact with Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, viewing it as beginnings of a new pan-Arab union. Gaddafi was able to recover some influence in Chad after Hissène Habré was overthrown by Idriss Déby in a Libya-sponsored coup in 1990. Déby also gave Gaddafi detailed information about CIA operations in Chad. Meanwhile, Libya stepped up its support for anti-Western militants such as the Provisional IRA, and in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in Scotland, killing 243 passengers and 16 crew members, plus 11 people on the ground. British police investigations identified two Libyans – Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah – as the chief suspects, and in November 1991 issued a declaration demanding that Libya hand them over. When Gaddafi refused, citing the Montreal Convention, the United Nations (UN) imposed Resolution 748 in March 1992, initiating economic sanctions against Libya which had deep repercussions for the country's economy. The country suffered an estimated US$900 million financial loss as a result. On 5 November 1995, US President Bill Clinton declared the US would continue to induce pressure on Libya, also recognizing that Libyan terrorists were responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. Further problems arose with the West when in January 1989, two Libyan warplanes were shot down by the US off the Libyan coast and in September 1989, UTA Flight 772 was blown up over the Ténéré desert in Niger, killing all 170 people on board (156 passengers and 14 crew members).

In 1996, Gaddafi wrote a letter to the newly elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's daughter Sheikh Hasina, pleading with her to spare the lives of her father's assassins Syed Faruque Rahman and Khandaker Abdur Rashid. Rahman and Rashid both had business ties to Libya.

Many Arab and African states opposed the UN sanctions, with Mandela criticizing them on a visit to Gaddafi in October 1997, when he praised Libya for its work in fighting apartheid and awarded Gaddafi the Order of Good Hope. They would only be suspended in 1998 when Libya agreed to allow the extradition of the suspects to the Scottish Court in the Netherlands, in a process overseen by Mandela. As a result of the trial, Fhimah was acquitted and al-Megrahi convicted. Privately, Gaddafi maintained that he knew nothing about who perpetrated the bombing and that Libya had nothing to do with it.

Pan-Africanism, reconciliation and privatization: 1999–2011

Links with Africa and conflicts in the Arab League

Gaddafi wearing an insignia showing the image of the African continent

During the final years of the 20th century, Gaddafi—frustrated by the failure of his pan-Arab ideals and the refusal of the Arab world to challenge the international air embargo imposed on Libya—increasingly rejected Arab nationalism in favour of pan-Africanism, emphasizing Libya's African identity. In a 1998 interview, Gaddafi claimed that "the Arab world is finished" and expressed his wish for Libya to become a "black country." From 1997 to 2000, Libya initiated cooperative agreements or bilateral aid arrangements with 10 African states, and in 1999 joined the Community of Sahel-Saharan States. In June 1999, Gaddafi visited Mandela in South Africa, and the following month attended the OAU summit in Algiers, calling for greater political and economic integration across the continent and advocating the foundation of a United States of Africa. He became one of the founders of the African Union (AU), initiated in July 2002 to replace the OAU. At the opening ceremonies, he called for African states to reject conditional aid from the developed world, a direct contrast to the message of South African President Thabo Mbeki. There was speculation that Gaddafi wanted to become the AU's first chair, raising concerns within Africa that this would damage the Union's international standing, particularly with the West.

At the third AU summit, held in Tripoli, Libya, in July 2005, Gaddafi called for greater integration, advocating a single AU passport, a common defence system, and a single currency, using the slogan: "The United States of Africa is the hope." His proposal for a Union of African States, a project originally conceived by Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah in the 1960s, was rejected at the 2001 Assembly of Heads of States and Government (AHSG) summit in Lusaka by African leaders who thought it "unrealistic" and "utopian". In June 2005, Libya joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In March 2008 in Uganda, Gaddafi gave a speech once again urging Africa to reject foreign aid. In August 2008, Gaddafi was proclaimed "King of Kings" by a committee of traditional African leaders; they crowned him in February 2009, in a ceremony held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. That same month, Gaddafi was elected as the chairperson of the African Union, a position he retained for one year. In October 2010, Gaddafi apologized to African leaders for the historical enslavement of Africans by the Arab slave trade.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi continued to have testy relationships with most of his fellow Arab leaders. In the 2003 Arab League summit, Gaddafi was involved in a public verbal altercation with Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, then the Crown Prince. Gaddafi accused Saudi Arabia of having made an "alliance with the devil" when it invited the US to intervene in the 1991 Gulf War. Abdullah responded that Gaddafi was a "liar" and an "agent of colonizers" and threatened Gaddafi that "your grave awaits you." Two weeks after the summit, Gaddafi allegedly plotted with the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar to assassinate Abdullah. The plot was overseen by Libyan intelligence chief Moussa Koussa, Mohammed Ismail (a colonel in Gaddafi's military intelligence), and Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi (an American citizen and founder of American Muslim Council). The assassination conspiracy was foiled by Saudi intelligence with the help of the FBI and CIA. Amoudi was sentenced to 23 years in prison in the US and stripped of his American citizenship. Ismail was arrested by Saudi Arabia, pardoned by Abdullah in 2005, and later acquired UAE citizenship due to his close ties with its ruler Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. After the failure of the assassination plot, Gaddafi continued to discuss instigating a regime change in Saudi Arabia with multiple power brokers in the Persian Gulf, including Qatar's Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Oman's foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, and Kuwaiti extremist preacher Hakem al-Mutairi.

The Gaddafi–Abdullah feud came into public view again in the 2009 Arab League summit when Gaddafi accused Abdullah, who had become King of Saudi Arabia in 2005, of being created by Britain and protected by the US. Alluding to their 2003 altercation, Gaddafi taunted Abdullah for ostensibly avoiding a confrontation with him for six years and quoted Abdullah's 2003 "grave awaits you" threat back at him before storming out of the meeting to visit a museum. Abdullah also left the meeting hall in anger. A Saudi official later claimed that Gaddafi and Abdullah had held a 30 minutes meeting at the sideline of the summit and that the "personal problem" between them was "over." However, Gaddafi had given weapons and money to the Houthis to attack Saudi Arabia.

Rebuilding links with the West

Gaddafi at the AU summit

In 1999, Libya began secret talks with the British government to normalize relations. In 2001, Gaddafi publicly condemned the September 11 attacks on the US by al-Qaeda, expressing sympathy with the victims and calling for Libyan involvement in the US-led War on Terror against militant Islamism. His government continued suppressing domestic Islamism, at the same time as Gaddafi called for the wider application of sharia law. Libya also cemented connections with China and North Korea, being visited by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in April 2002. However, relations with China became strained in May 2006 due to a visit to Tripoli by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian. Influenced by the events of the Iraq War, in December 2003, Libya renounced its possession of weapons of mass destruction, decommissioning its chemical and nuclear weapons programs. Relations with the US improved as a result. British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Gaddafi in March 2004; the pair developed close personal ties. In 2003, Libya paid US$2.7 billion to the families of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing as it was the condition the US and UK had made for terminating the remaining UN sanctions. Libya continued to deny any role in the bombing. In 2009, Gaddafi attempted to strong-arm global energy companies operating in Libya to cover Libya's settlement with the families of the victims of Lockerbie.

Video showing the meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Muammar Gaddafi, in 2008

In 2004, Gaddafi traveled to the headquarters of the European Union (EU) in Brussels—signifying improved relations between Libya and the EU—and the EU dropped its sanctions on Libya. As a strategic player in Europe's attempts to stem illegal migration from Africa, in October 2010, the EU paid Libya over €50 million to stop African migrants passing into Europe; Gaddafi encouraged the move, saying that it was necessary to prevent the loss of European cultural identity to a new "Black Europe". Gaddafi also completed agreements with the Italian government that they would invest in various infrastructure projects as reparations for past Italian colonial policies in Libya. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gave Libya an official apology in 2006, after which Gaddafi called him the "iron man" for his courage in doing so. In August 2008, Gaddafi and Berlusconi signed a historic cooperation treaty in Benghazi; under its terms, Italy would pay $5 billion to Libya as compensation for its former military occupation. In exchange, Libya would take measures to combat illegal immigration coming from its shores and boost investment in Italian companies.

After the US removed Libya from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2006, Gaddafi nevertheless continued his anti-Western rhetoric. At the 2008 Arab League summit, held in Syria, he warned fellow Arab leaders that they could be overthrown and executed by the US like Saddam Hussein. At the Second Africa-South America Summit, held in Venezuela in September 2009, he called for a military alliance across Africa and Latin America to rival NATO. That same month he traveled to New York City and addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time on 23 September 2009, using it to condemn "Western aggression," and spoke for just over 90 minutes instead of the allotted 15. In the Spring of 2010, Gaddafi proclaimed jihad against Switzerland after Swiss police accused two of his family members of criminal activity in the country, resulting in the breakdown of bilateral relations.

Gaddafi allegedly financed Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2007 French presidential election. He also financed Austrian far-right politician Jörg Haider starting in 2000.

Economic reform

Libya's economy witnessed increasing privatization; although rejecting the socialist policies of nationalized industry advocated in The Green Book, government figures asserted that they were forging "people's socialism" rather than capitalism. Gaddafi welcomed these reforms, calling for wide-scale privatization in a March 2003 speech; he promised that Libya would join the World Trade Organization. These reforms encouraged private investment in Libya's economy. By 2004, there was US$40 billion of direct foreign investment in Libya, a six-fold rise over 2003. Sectors of Libya's population reacted against these reforms with public demonstrations, and in March 2006, revolutionary hard-liners took control of the GPC cabinet; although scaling back the pace of the changes, they did not halt them. In 2010, plans were announced that would have seen half the Libyan economy privatized over the following decade, these plans appear to have been soon abandoned however, as the companies that the government stated they were going to float on the stock market, among them the National Commercial Bank and the Libyan Iron and Steel Company were never floated and remained 100% state-owned. Many socialist policies remained however, with subsidiaries of logistics company HB Group being nationalized in 2007. Agriculture remained largely untouched by the reforms, with farms remaining cooperatives, the Agricultural Bank of Libya remaining wholly state-owned and state interventionist policies and price controls remaining. The oil industry remained largely state-owned, with the wholly state-owned National Oil Corporation retaining a 70% share in Libya's oil industry, the government also imposed a 93% tax on all oil that foreign companies produced in Libya. Price controls and subsidies over oil and food remained in place, and state-provided benefits such as free education, universal healthcare, free housing, free water and free electricity remained in place. Libya also changed its stance on the WTO after the removal of technocrat Shukri Ghanem, with Gaddafi condemning the WTO as a neocolonial terrorist organisation, and urging African and Third World countries not to join it.

While there was no accompanying political liberalization, with Gaddafi retaining predominant control, in March 2010, the government devolved further powers to the municipal councils. Rising numbers of reformist technocrats attained positions in the country's governance; best known was Gaddafi's son and heir apparent Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was openly critical of Libya's human rights record. He led a group who proposed the drafting of a new constitution, although it was never adopted. Involved in encouraging tourism, Saif founded several privately run media channels in 2008, but after criticizing the government, they were nationalized in 2009.

Libyan Civil War and death

Main article: Libyan Civil War (2011) Further information: 2011 military intervention in Libya

Origins and development: February–August 2011

An anti-Gaddafist placard being displayed by demonstrators in Ireland in 2011

Following the start of the Arab Spring in 2011, Gaddafi spoke out in favour of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, then threatened by the Tunisian Revolution. He suggested that Tunisia's people would be satisfied if Ben Ali introduced a Jamahiriyah system there. Fearing domestic protest, Libya's government implemented preventive measures by reducing food prices, purging the army leadership of potential defectors, and releasing several Islamist prisoners. This proved ineffective, and on 17 February 2011, major protests broke out against Gaddafi's government. Unlike Tunisia or Egypt, Libya was largely religiously homogeneous and had no strong Islamist movement, but there was widespread dissatisfaction with the corruption and entrenched systems of patronage, while unemployment had reached around 30 percent.

Accusing the rebels of being "drugged" and linked to al-Qaeda, Gaddafi proclaimed that he would die a martyr rather than leave Libya. As he announced that the rebels would be "hunted down street by street, house by house and wardrobe by wardrobe", the army opened fire on protesters in Benghazi, killing hundreds. Shocked at the government's response, a number of senior politicians resigned or defected to the protesters' side. The uprising spread quickly through Libya's less economically developed eastern half. By February's end, eastern cities such as Benghazi, Misrata, al-Bayda, and Tobruk were controlled by rebels, and the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council (NTC) formed to represent them.

Pro-Gaddafi protests in Tripoli, May 2011

In the conflict's early months it appeared that Gaddafi's government—with its greater fire-power—would be victorious. Both sides disregarded the laws of war, committing human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial executions, and revenge attacks. On 26 February, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1970, suspending Libya from the UN Human Rights Council, implementing sanctions and calling for an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the killing of unarmed civilians. In March, the Security Council declared a no-fly zone to protect the civilian population from aerial bombardment, calling on foreign nations to enforce it; it also specifically prohibited foreign occupation. Ignoring this, Qatar sent hundreds of troops to support the dissidents and, along with France and the United Arab Emirates, provided weaponry and military training to the NTC. NATO announced that it would enforce the no-fly zone. On 30 April a NATO airstrike killed Gaddafi's sixth son and three of his grandsons in Tripoli. This Western military intervention was criticized by various leftist governments, including those that had criticized Gaddafi's response to the protests, because they regarded it as an imperialist attempt to secure control of Libya's resources.

In June, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law Abdullah Senussi, head of state security, for charges concerning crimes against humanity. That month, Amnesty International published their report, finding that Gaddafi's forces were responsible for numerous war crimes but added that a number of allegations of human rights abuses lacked credible evidence. The report added that "much Western media coverage has from the outset presented a very one-sided view of the logic of events, portraying the protest movement as entirely peaceful and repeatedly suggesting that the regime's security forces were unaccountably massacring unarmed demonstrators". In July, over 30 governments recognized the NTC as the legitimate government of Libya; Gaddafi called on his supporters to "Trample on those recognitions, trample on them under your feet ... They are worthless". In August, the Arab League recognized the NTC as "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".

Aided by NATO air cover, the rebel militia pushed westward, defeating loyalist armies and securing control of the centre of the country. Gaining the support of Amazigh (Berber) communities of the Nafusa Mountains, who had long been persecuted as non-Arabic speakers under Gaddafi, the NTC armies surrounded Gaddafi loyalists in several key areas of western Libya. In August, the rebels seized Zliten and Tripoli, ending the last vestiges of Gaddafist power. It is probable that without the NATO air strikes supporting the rebels, they would not have been able to advance west and Gaddafi's forces would have ultimately retaken control of eastern Libya.

Capture and killing

Main articles: Killing of Muammar Gaddafi and International reactions to the death of Muammar Gaddafi

After the fall of Tripoli, only a few towns in western Libya such as Bani Walid, Sebha, and Sirte remained Gaddafist strongholds. Gaddafi was reportedly planning to catch up with his Sebha commander Ali Kanna's Tuareg forces and seek asylum in Burkina Faso. Instead, Gaddafi retreated to his hometown of Sirte, where he convened a meeting with his son Mutassim and intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi and learned that his youngest son Khamis had been killed by a NATO airstrike on 29 August. In the weeks that followed, Gaddafi continued to broadcast defiant audio messages through Syria-based Arrai TV. On 10 September, General Massoud Abdel Hafiz announced the formation of the Republic of Fezzan in Sebha, where Gaddafi would be president for life. Sebha fell on 22 September.

Surrounding himself with bodyguards and a small entourage, including Mutassim, security chief Mansour Dhao, and defense minister Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Gaddafi continually changed residences to escape NATO and NTC shelling, devoting his days to prayer and reading the Qur'an. On 20 October, Gaddafi recorded a farewell audio message for his family, later publicized by AlHadath, and then broke out of Sirte's District 2 in a joint civilian-military convoy. According to Dhao, it was a "suicide mission" as Gaddafi wanted to die in the Jarref Valley, close to where he was born. At around 08:30, NATO bombers attacked, destroying at least 14 vehicles and killing at least 53 people. The convoy scattered, and Gaddafi and those closest to him fled to a nearby villa, which was shelled by rebel militia from Misrata. Fleeing to a construction site, Gaddafi and his inner cohort hid inside drainage pipes while his bodyguards battled the rebels; in the conflict, Gaddafi suffered head injuries from a grenade blast while Jabr was killed. The Misrata militia took Gaddafi prisoner, causing serious injuries as they tried to apprehend him; the events were filmed on a mobile phone. A video appears to picture Gaddafi being poked or stabbed in the anus "with some kind of stick or knife" or possibly a bayonet. Pulled onto the front of a pick-up truck, he fell off as it drove away. His semi-naked body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to Misrata; upon arrival, he was found to be dead. Official NTC accounts claimed that Gaddafi was caught in a crossfire and died from bullet wounds. Other eye-witness accounts claimed that rebels had fatally shot Gaddafi in the stomach.

That afternoon, NTC Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril publicly revealed the news of Gaddafi's death. His corpse was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the corpses of Yunis Jabr and Mutassim; the bodies were publicly displayed for four days, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them. Footage of Gaddafi's death was broadcast extensively across media networks internationally. In response to international calls, on 24 October Jibril announced that a commission would investigate Gaddafi's death. On 25 October, the NTC announced that Gaddafi had been buried at an unidentified location in the desert.

Political ideology

Main article: Third International Theory

We call it the Third Theory to indicate that there is a new path for all those who reject both materialist capitalism and atheist communism. The path is for all the people of the world who abhor the dangerous confrontation between the Warsaw and North Atlantic military alliances. It is for all those who believe that all nations of the world are brothers under the aegis of the rule of God.

—Muammar Gaddafi

Gaddafi's ideological worldview was molded by his environment, namely his Islamic faith, his Bedouin upbringing, and his disgust at the actions of Italian colonialists in Libya. As a schoolboy, Gaddafi adopted the ideologies of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, influenced in particular by Nasserism, the thought of the Egyptian President Nasser, whom Gaddafi regarded as his hero; Nasser privately described Gaddafi as "a nice boy, but terribly naïve". During the early 1970s, Gaddafi formulated his own particular approach to Arab nationalism and socialism, known as Third International Theory, which The New York Times described as a combination of "utopian socialism, Arab nationalism, and the Third World revolutionary theory that was in vogue at the time". In addition to Nasser, Gaddafi also cited Charles de Gaulle, Sun Yat-sen, Abraham Lincoln and Josip Broz Tito as political inspirations. He regarded this system as a practical alternative to the then-dominant international models of Western capitalism and Marxism–Leninism. He laid out the principles of this Theory in the three volumes of The Green Book, in which he sought to "explain the structure of the ideal society".

The Libyan studies specialist Ronald Bruce St. John regarded Arab nationalism as Gaddafi's "primordial value", stating that during the early years of his government, Gaddafi was "the Arab nationalist par excellence". Gaddafi called for the Arab world to regain its dignity and assert a major place on the world stage, blaming Arab backwardness on stagnation resulting from Ottoman rule, European colonialism and imperialism, and corrupt and repressive monarchies. Gaddafi's Arab nationalist views led him to the pan-Arabist belief in the need for unity across the Arab world, combining the Arab nation under a single nation-state. To this end, he had proposed a political union with five neighbouring Arab states by 1974, although without success. In keeping with his views regarding Arabs, his political stance was described as nativist. Gaddafi also had international ambitions, wanting to export his revolutionary ideas throughout the world. Gaddafi saw his socialist Jamahiriyah as a model for the Arab, Islamic, and non-aligned worlds to follow, and in his speeches declared that his Third International Theory would eventually guide the entire planet. He nevertheless had minimal success in exporting the ideology outside of Libya.

Along with Arab nationalism, anti-imperialism was also a defining feature of Gaddafi's regime during its early years. He believed in opposing Western imperialism and colonialism in the Arab world, including any Western expansionism through the form of Israel. He offered support to a broad range of political groups abroad that called themselves "anti-imperialist", especially those that set themselves in opposition to the United States. For many years, anti-Zionism was a fundamental component of Gaddafi's ideology. He believed that the state of Israel should not exist and that any Arab compromise with the Israeli government was a betrayal of the Arab people. In large part due to their support of Israel, Gaddafi despised the United States, considering the country to be imperialist and lambasting it as "the embodiment of evil". He sought to distinguish "oriental" Jews who had lived in the Middle East for generations from the European Jews who had migrated to Palestine during the 20th century, calling the latter "vagabonds" and "mercenaries" who should return to Europe. He rallied against Jews in many of his speeches, with Blundy and Lycett claiming that his antisemitism was "almost Hitlerian". As Pan-Africanism increasingly became his focus in the early 21st century, Gaddafi became less interested in the Israel-Palestine issue, calling for the two communities to form a new single-state that he termed "Isratin". This would have led the Jewish population to become a minority within the new state.

Islamic modernism and Islamic socialism

Gaddafi rejected the secularist approach to Arab nationalism that had been pervasive in Syria, with his revolutionary movement placing a far stronger emphasis on Islam than previous Arab nationalist movements had done. He deemed Arabism and Islam to be inseparable, referring to them as "one and indivisible", and called on the Arab world's Christian minority to convert to Islam. He insisted that Islamic law should be the basis for the law of the state, blurring any distinction between the religious and secular realms. He desired unity across the Islamic world, and encouraged the propagation of the faith elsewhere; on a 2010 visit to Italy, he paid a modelling agency to find 200 young Italian women for a lecture he gave urging them to convert. According to the Gaddafi biographer Jonathan Bearman, in Islamic terms Gaddafi was a modernist rather than a fundamentalist, for he subordinated religion to the political system rather than seeking to Islamicise the state as Islamists sought to do. He was driven by a sense of "divine mission", believing himself a conduit of God's will, and thought that he must achieve his goals "no matter what the cost". His interpretation of Islam was nevertheless idiosyncratic, and he clashed with conservative Libyan clerics. Many criticized his attempts to encourage women to enter traditionally male-only sectors of society, such as the armed forces. Gaddafi was keen to improve women's status, although saw the sexes as "separate but equal" and therefore felt women should usually remain in traditional roles.

The purpose of the socialist society is the happiness of man, which can only be realized through material and spiritual freedom. Attainment of such freedom depends on the extent of man's ownership of his needs; ownership that is personal and sacredly guaranteed, i.e. your needs must neither be owned by somebody else, nor subject to plunder by any part of society.

—Muammar Gaddafi

Gaddafi described his approach to economics as "Islamic socialism". For him, a socialist society could be defined as one in which men controlled their own needs, either through personal ownership or through a collective. Although the early policies pursued by his government were state capitalist in orientation, by 1978 he believed that private ownership of the means of production was exploitative and thus he sought to move Libya away from capitalism and towards socialism. Private enterprise was largely eliminated in favour of a centrally controlled economy. The extent to which Libya became socialist under Gaddafi is disputed. Bearman suggested that while Libya did undergo "a profound social revolution", he did not think that "a socialist society" was established in Libya. Conversely, St. John expressed the view that "if socialism is defined as a redistribution of wealth and resources, a socialist revolution clearly occurred in Libya" under Gaddafi's regime.

Gaddafi was staunchly anti-Marxist, and in 1973 declared that "it is the duty of every Muslim to combat" Marxism because it promotes atheism. In his view, ideologies like Marxism and Zionism were alien to the Islamic world and were a threat to the ummah, or global Islamic community. Nevertheless, Blundy and Lycett noted that Gaddafi's socialism had a "curiously Marxist undertone", with political scientist Sami Hajjar arguing that Gaddafi's model of socialism offered a simplification of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels's theories. While acknowledging the Marxist influence on Gaddafi's thought, Bearman stated that the Libyan leader rejected Marxism's core tenet, that of class struggle as the main engine of social development. Instead of embracing the Marxist idea that a socialist society emerged from class struggle between the proletariat and bourgeoisie, Gaddafi believed that socialism would be achieved through overturning "unnatural" capitalism and returning society to its "natural equilibrium". In this, he sought to replace a capitalist economy with one based on his own romanticized ideas of a traditional, pre-capitalist past. This owed much to the Islamic belief in God's natural law providing order to the universe.

Personal life

Main article: Personal life of Muammar Gaddafi
Gaddafi (right) with Nimeiry and Nasser in 1969

A very private individual, Gaddafi was given to rumination and solitude and could be reclusive. Gaddafi described himself as a "simple revolutionary" and "pious Muslim" called upon by God to continue Nasser's work. Gaddafi was an austere and devout Muslim, although according to Vandewalle, his interpretation of Islam was "deeply personal and idiosyncratic." He was also a football enthusiast and enjoyed both playing the sport and horse riding as a means of recreation. He regarded himself as an intellectual; he was a fan of Beethoven and said his favourite novels were Uncle Tom's Cabin, Roots, and The Outsider.

Gaddafi regarded personal appearance as important, with Blundy and Lycett referring to him as "extraordinarily vain." Gaddafi had a large wardrobe, and sometimes changed his outfit multiple times a day. He favoured either a military uniform or traditional Libyan dress, tending to eschew Western-style suits. He saw himself as a fashion icon, stating "Whatever I wear becomes a fad. I wear a certain shirt and suddenly everyone is wearing it." Following his ascension to power, Gaddafi moved into the Bab al-Azizia barracks, a 6-square-kilometre (2.3 square miles) fortified compound located 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) from the centre of Tripoli. In the 1980s, his lifestyle was considered modest in comparison to those of many other Arab leaders.

He was preoccupied with his own security, regularly changing where he slept and sometimes grounding all other planes in Libya when he was flying. He made particular requests when travelling to foreign countries. During his trips to Rome, Paris, Madrid, Moscow, and New York City, he resided in a bulletproof tent, following his Bedouin traditions. Gaddafi was notably confrontational in his approach to foreign powers and generally shunned Western ambassadors and diplomats, believing them to be spies.

Gaddafi with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in 2010

In the 1970s and 1980s, there were reports of his making sexual advances toward female reporters and members of his entourage. Starting in the 1980s, he travelled with his all-female Amazonian Guard, who were allegedly sworn to a life of celibacy. After Gaddafi's death, the Libyan psychologist Seham Sergewa, part of a team investigating sexual offences during the civil war, stated that five of the guards told her they had been raped by Gaddafi and senior officials. After Gaddafi's death, the French journalist Annick Cojean [fr; fa; de; zh] published a book alleging that Gaddafi had had sexual relations with women, some in their early teenage years, who had been specially selected for him. One of those Cojean interviewed, a woman named Soraya, claimed that Gaddafi kept her imprisoned in a basement for six years, where he repeatedly raped her, urinated on her, and forced her to watch pornography, drink alcohol, and snort cocaine. The alleged sexual abuse was said to have been facilitated by Gaddafi's Chief of Protocol Nuri al-Mismari and Mabrouka Sherif. Gaddafi also hired several Ukrainian nurses to care for him; one described him as kind and considerate and was surprised that allegations of abuse had been made against him.

Gaddafi married his first wife, Fatiha al-Nuri, in 1969. Although they had one son, Muhammad Gaddafi (born 1970), their relationship was strained, and they divorced in 1970. Gaddafi's second wife was Safia Farkash, née el-Brasai, a former nurse from the Obeidat tribe born in Bayda. They met in 1969, following his ascension to power, when he was hospitalized with appendicitis; he claimed that it was love at first sight. The couple remained married until his death. Together they had seven biological children: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (born 1972), Al-Saadi Gaddafi (born 1973), Mutassim Gaddafi (1974–2011), Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi (born 1975), Ayesha Gaddafi (born 1976), Saif al-Arab Gaddafi (1982–2011), and Khamis Gaddafi (1983–2011). He also adopted two children, Hana Gaddafi and Milad Gaddafi. Several of his sons gained a reputation for lavish and anti-social behaviour in Libya, which proved a source of resentment toward his administration. At least three of his cousins were prominent figures in Gaddafi's regime. Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam is Libya's former Special Envoy to Egypt and a leading figure of the Gaddafi regime. Mansour Dhao was his chief of security and led the People's Guard. Sayyid Gaddaf al-Dam was a brigadier general and described as the second most powerful person in Libya in the 1980s.

Public life

13th Anniversary of 1 September Revolution on postage stamp, Libya 1982

According to Vandewalle, Gaddafi "dominated political life" during his period in power. The sociologist Raymond A. Hinnebusch described the Libyan as "perhaps the most exemplary contemporary case of the politics of charismatic leadership", displaying all of the traits of charismatic authority outlined by the sociologist Max Weber. According to Hinnebusch, the foundations of Gaddafi's "personal charismatic authority" in Libya stemmed from the blessing he had received from Nasser coupled with "nationalist achievements" such as the expulsion of foreign military bases, the extraction of higher prices for Libyan oil, and his vocal support for the Palestinian and other anti-imperialist causes.

A cult of personality devoted to Gaddafi existed in Libya through most of his rule. His biographer Alison Pargeter noted that "he filled every space, moulding the entire country around himself." Depictions of his face could be found throughout the country, including on postage stamps, watches, and school satchels. Quotations from The Green Book appeared on a wide variety of places, from street walls to airports and pens, and were put to pop music for public release. In private, Gaddafi often complained that he disliked this personality cult surrounding him, but that he tolerated it because the people of Libya adored him. The cult served a political purpose, with Gaddafi helping to provide a central identity for the Libyan state.

Several biographers and observers characterized Gaddafi as a populist. He enjoyed attending lengthy public sessions where people were invited to question him; these were often televised. Throughout Libya, crowds of supporters would arrive at public events where he appeared. Described as "spontaneous demonstrations" by the government, there are recorded instances of groups being coerced or paid to attend. He was typically late to public events, and would sometimes fail to arrive. Although Bianco thought he had a "gift for oratory", he was considered a poor orator by Blundy and Lycett. The biographer Daniel Kawczynski noted that Gaddafi was famed for his "lengthy, wandering" speeches, which typically involved criticizing Israel and the US. The journalist Ruth First described his speeches as being "an inexhaustible flow; didactic, at times incoherent; peppered with snatches of half-formed opinions; admonitions; confidences; some sound common sense, and as much prejudice".

Awards and honours

Main article: List of awards and honours bestowed upon Muammar Gaddafi

Reception and legacy

Main article: Reception and legacy of Muammar Gaddafi

Supporters praised Gaddafi's administration for the creation of a more equal society through domestic reform. They stressed the regime's achievements in combating homelessness, ensuring access to food and safe drinking water, and to dramatic improvements in education. Supporters have also applauded achievements in medical care, praising the universal free healthcare provided under the Gaddafist administration, with diseases like cholera and typhoid being contained and life expectancy raised.

Gaddafi's government's treatment of non-Arab Libyans came in for criticism from human rights activists, with native Berbers, Italian colonists, Jews, refugees, and foreign workers all facing persecution in Gaddafist Libya. Human rights groups also criticized the treatment of migrants, including asylum seekers, who passed through Gaddafi's Libya on their way to Europe. During the Civil War, various leftist groups endorsed the anti-Gaddafist rebels—but not the Western military intervention—by arguing that Gaddafi had become an ally of Western imperialism by cooperating with the War on Terror and efforts to block African migration to Europe. Gaddafi was widely perceived as a terrorist, especially in the US and UK.

Posthumous assessment

International reactions to Gaddafi's death were divided. Gaddafi was mourned as a hero by many across sub-Saharan Africa but was widely condemned elsewhere.

Following his defeat in the civil war, Gaddafi's system of governance was dismantled and replaced by the interim government of the NTC, which legalized trade unions and freedom of the press. In January 2013, the GNC officially renamed the Jamahiriyah as the "State of Libya". Gaddafi loyalists then founded a new political party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya. Led by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the Popular Front was allowed to participate in the future general election.

See also

Notes

  1. English pronunciation: /ˈmoʊəmɑːr ɡəˈdæfi/ MOH-ə-mar gə-DAF-ee or /ɡəˈdɑːfi/ gə-DAH-fee; Arabic: مُعمّر محمد أبو منيار القذّافي, romanizedMuʿammar Muḥammad ʾAbū Minyār al-Qaḏḏāfī, Standard Arabic pronunciation: [muˈʕamːar alqaˈðːaːfi] , Libyan Arabic pronunciation: [ɡəˈðːaːfiː] (eastern dialects) or [ɡəˈdːaːfiː] (western dialects).

    Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by The Straight Dope lists 32 spellings known from the US Library of Congress, while ABC identified 112 possible spellings.

    A 2007 interview with Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi confirms that Saif spelled his own name Qadhafi and the passport of Gaddafi's son Mohammed used the spelling Gathafi. According to Google Ngram the variant Qaddafi was slightly more widespread, followed by Qadhafi, Gaddafi and Gadhafi. Scientific romanizations of the name are Qaḏḏāfī (DIN, Wehr, ISO) or (rarely used) Qadhdhāfī (ALA-LC).
  1. For purposes of this article, 20 October 2011—the date on which Gaddafi died—is considered to be the date he left office. Other dates might have been chosen:
    • On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments, including the United States, withdrew recognition from Gaddafi's government and recognized the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate government of Libya.
    • On 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli, Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces.
    • On 25 August 2011, the Arab League proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state".
    • On 16 September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly sat the representatives of the National Transitional Council as Libya's official delegation.

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Preceded byIdrisas King of Libya Chairman of the Revolutionary
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Preceded byMahmud Sulayman al-Maghribi Prime Minister of Libya
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