The Rise And Fall Of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

The Man known to history as moama Gaddafi was born M Muhammad Abu Mina Al Gaddafi he was born most likely sometime in 1941 though some Scholars suggest he was born in the 1930s or in 1943 to a bedwin family in the kadapa tribe that claimed descent from the prophet muhammmad near the desert village of kasar bhadi south of the city of CTA in the western deserts Of Libya his father Muhammad Abdul Salam bin hammad bin Muhammad simply known as Abu Minah was a subsistence goat and camel herder his mother was named Aisha bin Nan both

were Arab descendants and were part of the rural poor communities that made up the majority of Italian Libya Gaddafi was born in a land that had for Millennia been occupied by various Invaders he later wrote that men from his tribe feared the sea refusing To go near it because of the legacy of Seaborn Invaders the most recent invasions had occurred following the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century Libya then known as Tripoli had long been a semi-autonomous region of the Ottoman Empire at times functioning more as an independent state than a

part of the Turkish Le Empire this Independence came under threat in 1902 when European powers divided Africa into spheres of influence in their Discussions European leaders concluded that Italy had a legitimate claim to the territory known as Libya Italians saw Libya as rightfully their own claiming ownership based on their descent from the Romans who had previously conquered the territory over a thousand years earlier as Italian interest in conquering Libya grew the territory was racked by divisions as the Young Turk Revolution rocked the Ottoman Empire the Young Turk Revolution was a series of Constitutional reforms forced

by Turkish nationalists beginning in 1908 The Divided Elites across the Empire even in far off provinces such as Libya where supporters of the revolutionaries sought to oust political appointees of the Ottoman Sultan in the chaos following the revolution many libyans threw their support behind the invading Italians who in September of 1911 launched a major invasion of Libya the Italians soon seized many coastal cities however they Were unable to penetrate deeper into the Hinterlands of Libya leading to a long and bloody war between supporters of the Ottoman Empire and the Italian forces and their allies increasingly

however as the Ottoman Empire found itself embroiled in World War I the libyans were forced to fend for themselves helping to further the fracture the Libyan resistance into smaller bickering factions fighting and protracted negotiations lasted between the libyans And Italians until 1923 when Benito musolini the new fascist leader of Italy launched an allout invasion of the territory by 1926 over 20,000 Italian troops were stationed in Libya and the dictator used all available means including modern Weaponry such as tanks airplanes and poison gas Gaddafi's father fought against these Invaders along with thousands of other libyans however

their efforts were largely Unsuccessful not only did the Italians bring modern Weaponry to Bear against the people of Libya but they also created concentration camps that held likely over 100,000 libyans or 2third of the population perhaps as many as 7,000 people died in these camps the Italians also engaged in allout Warfare destroying local Wells and killing Livestock in order to subdue resistance Fighters they even constructed a tall 4 M thick barbed wire fence from the city Of Barda to the town of jagb in an effort to Halt supplies flowing in from British occupied Egypt as

Italians gained control of larger SES of Libya officials encouraged large numbers of immigrants from the Italian Mainland to migrate to the newly conquered territory particularly as melini's policies of vast Public Works began coming to Libya roads new settlements and other modern conveniences were all part of the Italian government's efforts to increase The European presence in Libya however they also actively discouraged local political participation instead favoring an Italian controlled government that frequently clashed with local Libyan tribes the Italians furthermore sought to suppress all Libyan literature in an effort to force libyans to become more like their

colonizers throughout this period many libyans continued to favor pan Islamic governments or those governments that United various nationalities under the common belief system of Islam however a growing portion of the Libyan population particularly the younger generation that came of age following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and the Italian occupation came to favor Arab nationalism or the belief in nation state based on Arab ethnicity rather than based on religion the first efforts at creating an independent nation state of Libya were in November of 1918 when The Tripoli Republic was formed and declared its

independence both from Ottoman and European powers however no recognition came from European powers particularly since the British in 1915 had promised the Italians control of Libya in order to gain their support during the Great War the results were Italian occupation and oppression of local political activity fleeing from the oppression many Libyan Exiles in the 1920s and 1930s conducted a fiery if Ineffective war of words against the Italians helping to develop a strong Libyan nationalist movement that would later impact Gaddafi during World War II few libyans were willing to support either the Allies or the axis

both sides contained former enemies the allies having both the British and French who had allowed Italy to conquer Libya and the axis having Italy libyans provided the Allies some assistance in exchange for Promises of Independence following The war however trust in European promises was never very strong among many of the Libyan Community following the war Libya was divided into spheres of control by the British and French Gaddafi as a child perhaps even saw some of the soldiers of these two allied powers over the next 10 years British French Italian and American negotiators continue to debate

the future of the Italian Colony Italian and British Officials initially favored a return of the colony to a divided Colonial status however these plans failed when they were opposed by the other parties though Libyan politics remained divided by region with some favoring a division of Libya into three separate Nations a growing outcry for Independence was recognized by the United Nations General Assembly on the 21st of November 1949 after extended and serious debate the delegates called for Libya to become An independent and sovereign state no later than the 1st of January 1952 following the appointment of

a commission comprised of international and Libyan delegates progress towards independence was rapid with the Libyan National Assembly on the 7th of October 1951 approving the formation of a constitutional hereditary monarchy built within the framework of a federal system King Idris I who was previously known as Muhammad Idris al- maldi Al sanusi was Chosen as the first monarch of Libya and Islam was declared the state religion during this period Libya remained a solid Ally of the West providing a stable Ally for Western Powers concerned with the expanding cold war between the United States and the Soviet

Union though initially hampered by crippling poverty and disunion gradually the Libyan State seemed to be headed towards greater Prosperity as deals with Italy and the discovery of oil in 1959 Provided King Idris greater Economic Security however rather than liberalize with the expanding Economy King Idris tightened his control of the state fighting back against efforts to generate political and social reform many libyans were angered that much of the Surplus profit generated by oil went to Westerner Pockets Des despite the fact that Western companies provided the bulk of the investment to power oil development oil revenues also

increased Wealth disparities between libyans which further frustrated many young libyans who viewed their government as outdated and in the pockets of Western Powers throughout the 1960s these tensions between the king's government and the people only heightened leaving many to seek a new solution to the corruption of the king's officials these problems were further inflamed by the spread of pan Arab nationalism an ideology based on the idea that Arabs could regain their Former glory if they United across the region against Outsiders this belief system gained greater following particularly among young Arabs across North Africa and the

Middle East especially following the humiliation of Arab armies by Israeli forces during The Six Day War fought between the 5th of June and the 10th of June 1967 many Arabs were furious at the West's response to Israel's Victory each of these factors helped to create The Perfect Storm necessary for a revolution as he tended his family's herds Gaddafi watched as his beloved people seemed to succumb to Western influence and local corruption Gaddafi first received his education at a local Muslim Elementary School where legend tells that he was looked down on for his bedin roots he

supposedly slept in the local mosque at night on school days and returned to his family on the weekends where he primarily lived with his mother And three sisters his father now a merchant was often traveling and gone from home Gaddafi was fiercely proud of his people and his Muslim Arab Heritage he likely was angered by the stories his father and others told about the atrocities committed by the Italians and other westerners during the World War period he perhaps mourned when the state of Israel was successfully created in 1948 signifying the loss of pales as an

Arab State despite all the defeats Suffered by the Arabs one bright star seemed to shine in the Arab world Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser the new president of Egypt who had organized a coup to overthrow the Egyptian king faruko in 1952 when Gaddafi was around 10 years old Gaddafi became an avid listener of the radio program The Voice of the Arabs a show that originated from Cairo Egypt that supported the NASA regime by his teenage years Gaddafi had found his hero in Nassar nassar's Efforts to expel Western influence in Egypt socialize the nation and unite

Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa was thrilling to the young disciple of Libya according to Gaddafi himself it was during these years that he first began to Envision himself changing his nation and becoming a hero like Nasser even though he was a lowly school boy in the rural West of Libya Gaddafi organized local student protests during the 1956 suiz crisis also known As the second Arab Israeli War or the tripartite aggression in many Arab households which began in late 1956 when Israel the United Kingdom and France invaded Egypt in an effort to capture

the Suz canal and overthrow nasar who had recently nationalized the canal which had been owned by foreign powers Israel saw fought primarily to end nassar's blockade of their port in The Straits of Tran the invasion was a failure for the Europeans and only Strengthened naser's reputation and his prestige in the minds of many young Arabs such as the 15-year-old Gaddafi it also enraged many libyans and violent protests broke out across the country after libyans learned that British officials had considered using its bases in Libya to attack Egypt Gaddafi likely applauded the r and protests believing

that the nation was disentangling itself from the hold of Western Powers Gaddafi was seen as a leader among his peers and Was known for his powerful personality many of his classmates like himself desired to free Libya by eventually toppling King Idris as a teenager Gaddafi enrolled at Sabha High School in fezen kadhafi there he and his friends formed what they called a Central Committee and held secret meetings to discuss the political ideas of President Nasser and perhaps other leading Arab thinkers while also plotting to overthrow the Libyan monarchy as his Movement expanded he divided his

followers into cells of revolutionary operatives while still lacking much of the structure of a truly revolutionary movement Gaddafi was showing promise as a leader of Libyan Arab nationalists as he worked to create his movement Gaddafi increasingly came to dislike teachers and intellectuals believing such people to have an enormous self-regard and believed that they frequently misguided their students Gaddafi often later in Life singled out teachers for criticism in his speeches perhaps reflecting the experiences of his youth in 1961 Gaddafi was expelled from his school for leading a student protest against Syria withdrawing from the United Arab

Republic which it had established with Egypt in 1958 at the protest in the Town Center of sebha Gaddafi praised nasur and condemned British and American military bases in Libya his speech not only got Him expelled but also banned from studying in his home Province leaving his home and family Gaddafi traveled North to miss rata over 700 km North to finish his studies which he did in 1961 undeterred by his expulsion from his home Province Gaddafi set about expanding his network of revolutionaries while finishing his education his recruitment efforts expanded Beyond Miss rata and Gaddafi found

recruits in tripol janur jettin and homes allowing Him to create an even broader network of revolutionary cells throughout the country while building his Network Gaddafi briefly studied history at the University of Tripoli however more momentous was a gathering of his followers in 1963 members of the cells from Sabha misrata and Tripoli and likely other cities gathered to discuss future plans for the movement at this meeting the organizers and participants decided that Gaddafi and two others from the movement would enroll at the Bazi Military Academy though some suggest the idea originated from GFI alone their purpose

in enlisting in the Army was to begin recruiting supporters for a coup among the Army Gaddafi later recalled the Army was the only thing Inc capable of imposing the people's will by force Gaddafi soon insisted that others in his movement enlist as well and though some of his fellow revolutionaries were less Enthusiastic about enlisting in the Army Gaddafi's orders were to be followed to the letter as Gaddafi entered the Army he reorganized his movement to directly resemble that of nassar's Egyptian revolutionaries Gaddafi renaming it the free unionist officers movement and creating another Central Committee to

direct the movement some of his Boyhood friends were key members of Gaddafi's Inner Circle as he rose to power some of These men were Ali Al hudi Abdel Salam jalud Mustafa alh harui and Abu Bakr yunice jabir all who later held prestigious positions within Gaddafi's government frequently Gaddafi was punished for his Rebellion against officers and the military structure yet the young man continued to defy the system he hated meetings of the revolutionaries were held during holidays and in Secret locations throughout Libya members of The movement continued to recruit enthusiastically seeking to gain broad support particularly

in the military necessary to execute a successful coup they also gathered military supplies and hid them throughout Libya while in the academy Gaddafi demonstrated a brutal and Sinister aspect to his leadership when a Cadet committed a sexual offense under under the direction of Gaddafi the young Cadet had his hands and feet bound and was dragged to a firing location Where Gaddafi and his associates proceeded to shoot the young man without killing him until an officer arrived to finish the job at which Gaddafi and his fellow officers simply laughed Gaddafi himself graduated from the academy in

1965 during his training Gaddafi briefly traveled for further education to Turkey and the United Kingdom where he learned Advan Ved Communications techniques while in England Gaddafi mocked the British and everything the West stood for which he saw as corruption and Conquest from 1965 to 1969 recruits steadily poured into Gaddafi's movement as did stolen government ammunition and Supplies by early 1969 Gaddafi was done with dreaming about Revolution he was ready to enact it he and his inner circle believed they had enough support throughout the Libyan military structure to successfully stage the dreamed of coup multiple coup

dates were planned However each time events arose that necessitated it being pushed further back loyal military leadership had also heard rumors of a potential plot and Gaddafi himself was questioned multiple times and placed under surveillance many times Gaddafi and his fellow leaders were nearly captured during secret rendevu perhaps it was youthfulness and the lack of tight control that spared the movement from a quick suppression by military authorities leading military Officials later recalled that they were fairly certain Gaddafi and his followers were plotting a coup however they believed it a pipe dream that could never be

accomplished how wrong those officials proved to be when on the 1st of September 1969 Gaddafi and his followers launched their Revolution Gaddafi was tense during the start of the coup but he depended on his faith in Allah who he believed was on his side Gaddafi Rec Rec called that a Radio broadcast from Egypt had included the quranic line Allah will not deny the faithful their reward GFI saw this verse as a sign and trusted that at 2:30 a.m. the pre-arranged hour of the coup he and his co-conspirators would successfully establish a true Arab government that

would no longer bow to Western Nations at the preal hour Gaddafi and his followers work to control radio stations and other communication networks essential for the government Mistakes were made throughout the process conspirators not arriving at the correct destination officials escaping arrest and countless other problems plagued the coup however the Libyan government so divided and Powerless collapsed in the face of the determined conspirators King Idris who was away from the palace turned to the British for Aid however British officials had little stomach for any intervention in the Middle East the monarchy had fallen Quickly and

Gaddafi and his followers was now wielded absolute control of the state libyans awoke on the 1st of September 1969 to the voice of Gaddafi on their radio sets he spoke rousingly declaring that Libya is a free self-governing republic she will advance on the road to Freedom the path of unity and social justice with God's help prosperity and equality will be seen to rule us all over the next few weeks Gaddafi and his Circle work to present Themselves to the people people as ideal rulers Gaddafi built his support of a group of educated middleclass libyans who

had rapidly accepted ideas of pan Arab nationalism many had been taught by nationalistic teachers from Egypt Palestine and Sudan who had been brought up to sta Libya's schools prior to the coup many had also done what Gaddafi did as a teenager and listened to radio broadcasts emanating from groups across the Middle East who advocated for a Shift towards an Arab Unity furthermore other libyans had traveled to Egyptian and Iraqi universities where the success of nationalist leaders had transformed those Nations many libyans were excited at the youth the lowly Origins and Charisma of the new revolutionary

leaders despite the excitement of some libyans others were concerned that the cadra of revolutionaries had seemingly sprung out of nowhere and seemed to have no experience in the realm of global Politics Gaddafi and his band of revolutionaries understood that they need needed to act quickly to ensure their movement's survival to ensure their success Gaddafi reached out to Egypt president nasur shocked like many other leaders across the globe sent his chief advisor to see what had occurred in Libya later nasur himself met Gaddafi and was amazed at how rustic the revolutionaries were truly it had been

a revolution that Surprised even the most dedicated pan arabist despite his surprise Naser sent a host of advisers and Military Officers to help Stave off a counterrevolution as Egyptian advisers arrived Gaddafi and his inner circle worked quickly to radically alter the political structure of the nation and destroy the last vestages of Royal Authority he and his friends arrested hundreds of individuals including royal family members politicians government Officials and army officers who posed the least threat at the time the punishments imposed on these opponents was light though Gaddafi and his revolutionaries humiliated their adversaries by holding

public trials that were televised Across the Nation furthermore Gaddafi helped to break Libyan tribal leaders hold on politics by redrawing administrative borders to intentionally break up traditional tribal boundaries and by replacing City Officials with his own supporters the Islamic University at albaa a place of opposition thought was closed and the Army was strengthened while cracking down on the opposition Gaddafi moved to strengthen his own position taking on the rank of Colonel the same rank Naser held Gaddafi seized command of the army at the same time that a civilian government was formed his fellow conspirators who

had been promised that after the coup the power would be Returned to the people began to recognize that Gaddafi had no intention of giving back his power some of the newly appointed civilian leaders attempted to Stage another coup in December of 1969 to over overthrow Gaddafi however they were met with dismal failure even some of his close allies were angered by Gaddafi's actions especially Muhammad njim a man who was a strong proponent of democracy other revolutionaries were troubled by Gaddafi's public attacks on his fellow conspirators and for his efforts to blame the failures of the

revolution on his allies by and large however the majority of Gaddafi's supporters remained AED by their leader and his Brilliance in mounting All Odds to overthrow the king and his Western backed supporters while some libyans were terrified at Gaddafi controlling the nation many were giddy with Glee at the Attacks on the western institutions in the country foreign military bases were closed and the British were finally expelled in March of 1970 the Americans following a few months later the last of the Libyan Jewish Community was also banished alongside Italian settlers the property assets of those who

had been expelled were seized by the Gaddafi regime who declared that it was merely anti-imperialism that prompted the seizures foreign banking capital in Libya as well as oil facilities were seized the oil facilities being nationalized for the Libyan State Gaddafi always a deeply religious man also launched a Brazen assault against Western cultural influence attacking and closing casinos and nightclubs while also Banning alcohol in accordance with certain Islamic teachings in 1972 Sharia law or Islamic religious law was established in place of the king's secular system Gaddafi also established The Islamic call Society a Muslim missionary body

funded with Libyan oil money that produced propaganda in favor of Islam and Libya while some libyans were outraged at the assault on their rights many others were excited the restoration of religious Authority and the expulsion of the West from Libya too many years of Imperial aspirations had hardened most libyans feelings regarding the West westerners were colonizers and conquerors who frequently broke their Promises and enabled corruption in local governments Gaddafi capitalized on these feelings to build up his own power and encourage Mass support for his plans Gaddafi and his closest supporters mobilized the state to ban

all political activity not approved by his inner circle the most dramatic law being law number 71 this law created in 1972 ordered the death penalty to be imposed on any Libyan engaging in Party politics a law which remained in force until Gaddafi's fall in 2011 the revolutionaries also banned unofficial trade unions the only approved unions being monitored closely by the government's Ministry of Labor the Free Press was hamstrung with 10 major newspapers being closed at the order of the state even State approved presses were rigidly censored to ensure only the state's messages could be disseminated

however even in the midst of these changes there Was little formal planning on how to reconstruct the nation or stimulate the economy while authoritarian measures were passed the economy collapsed and unemployment skyrocketed chaos seemed to be descending rapidly on Libya and many libyans began to grow distrustful of the young revolutionaries it was one thing to talk of ideals of Arab nationalism it was another to make it a reality even a once popular government began to lose its appeal when progress seems Stalled as these crises threatened the nation Gaddafi began to assert his control over his

fellow revolutionaries more and more of his former allies were offended by the lording manner of Gaddafi and his tyrannical attitudes a greater number of his allies began to complain about Gaddafi and his frequent childish out bursts in meetings when anyone opposed him for those who remained loyal they were incorporated into a new political movement the Gaddafi was gradually organizing to sideline the free unionist officers many of the members of the New Order included family members and other groups that had not initially participated in the revolution while he had gained political control Gaddafi was disappointed that

the revolution he wanted to occur in the social fabric of society was not occurring many libyans while liking his anti-western and pro-muslim rhetoric were unwilling to dramatically alter Their lives to support Gaddafi's vision of dramatic social change this led Gaddafi in 1972 to threaten to resign after which he traveled to Egypt for a brief time when he returned his fellow revolutionary leaders informed Gaddafi that they had accepted his resignation enraged Gaddafi reminded the Central Committee that they had not been elected to which they reminded Gaddafi that he had not either infuriated Gaddafi retorted I have

popular support and I Will give my resignation directly to the people the committee perhaps sensing a moment to oun their leader agreed with Gaddafi's proposal and set up a special meeting near Tripoli on the 16th of April 1973 for the people to hear Gaddafi's public resignation the meeting was to be held in the quiet town of zaara on the appointed day gdaf took his place on the stage and as he rose to speak he shocked all his listeners rather than resign Gaddafi brazenly called for a change to save the Revolution and change the laziness of

the Libyan people Gaddafi declared that it was time for a cultural revolution in launching his new Revolution Gaddafi in the words of one historian began an intense personalization of politics that became the staple of Libyan Society till 2011 in his program Gaddafi declared that there would be five major points first all existing laws were to be replaced by Revolutionary enactments second all anti-revolutionary elements of society were to be suppressed by the state third a revolution would be supported that would destroy the current administrative State and all aspects of Bourgeois Society fourth the people would be

armed in Mass to form a large militia to protect the Revolution and finally the removal of all ideas that contradicted the Quran in every town committees were to be formed which would be elected by The people and were to control all aspects of society purged from leadership positions were those Mayors School administrators and local leaders who had survived the previous purges Gaddafi urged his supporters in universities to tear up all the imported books which do not express arabism Islam socialism and progress by August of 1973 over 2,000 committees had been formed and numerous regime opponents

arrested as well as scores of those accused of Sedition by personal rivals on the Committees rather than slim down the bureaucracy the government had nearly doubled in size enabling it to control almost all aspects of social life while the state apparatus was expanding rapidly Gaddafi's proposed militia had enlisted over 40,000 new recruits in the first year giving Gaddafi a deadly and loyal band of supporters Gaddafi was ready to compel the masses to March Into Revolution with him regardless of Whether they wanted to or not this societal Revolution and Gaddafi's articulation of it came to be

known as the third universal theory this theory was first announced to an International Conference of Arab and European youth at which Gaddafi stated his theories would serve all humanity and be based on truth his theories sought to navigate the political spectrum between communism and capitalism and was in Gaddafi's view to Be a new Middle Way Gaddafi argued that capitalism had turned societies into a circus that had been handed over to the individual without any restraints while communism turned humans into mere sheep controlled by the government Gaddafi argued that his theories would work best for the

countries deemed to be the third world and could help those Nations have the best chance of fighting back against stronger and more oppressive Nations Gaddafi's ideas were deeply tied to his Islamic faith and the prevailing Assumption of the third universal theory was that in order to succeed Humanity had to return to the kingdom of God however Gaddafi's Theory largely was socialism with a heavy dose of Islam added to the mix and Gaddafi was confident that his new invention was the only way for the third world to resist imperialism and the pull of capital ISM and

communism while his followers praised it the theory Drew significant Criticism for its lack of originality and its confused nature Gaddafi later articulated his ideas even further in his work entitled the green book a three-part series first published in 1975 which articulated Gaddafi's ideas of how to construct a better world in politics economics and in social issues the book argued that in order for society to have a true democracy it must be stateless Gaddafi believed that Parliaments and parties obstructed the progress of people and created division instead Gaddafi suggested the best approach was to have a

government made of small committees in which every citizen participated something he believed Libya was achieving he also argued that wages should be abolished and anything that could possibly exploit another human to be expressly forbidden in the green book Gaddafi also stated his views on society promoting the Family as the core Foundation of a utopian world he also argued against discrimination of women but also asserted men and women had differing roles with the woman primarily responsible for children the green book received criticism as well yet the theory worked for Gaddafi in that it provided him and

his supporters with an articulation of the convoluted Revolution they were enacting in Libya Gaddafi believed his political theories To be something akin to a a new gospel for the Modern Age and the masses while some viewed his views as confusing others celebrated this young man heading a revolution that promised to free an Islamic State from the grasp of Western Powers Gaddafi gave speaking tours in other Arabic States and spread the message of his Revolution to any and all who would listen from the popularity he received some believed that Gaddafi had let the praise go to

his head leading Him to believe that he was the leader of not just Libya but also Al the Islamic World some of his fellow revolutionaries grew more frustrated at Gaddafi's arrogance a few resigned and refused to support the new government some former friends went to more Extreme Measures such as attempting a coup in 1975 which like the previous attempted coup failed dramatically as it was discovered before it had even begun Gaddafi was firmly in power and Rebellion would not be Tolerated in the least on the 2nd of March 1977 in sebha Libya Gaddafi announced the

Declaration of the establishment of the authority of the people which marked the beginning of the jamaha or state of the masses this announcement created at least in theory the state envisioned by Gaddafi in his green book in conjunction with the Monumental event Gaddafi renamed Libya the Socialist people's Libyan Arab jamaha and changed the flag to be a Plain green flag Fidel Castro the Cuban dictator was invited to be the special guest of honor during the ceremonies Castro praised the libyans and crowds filled the streets celebrating the start of a new era in Libya despite all

his talk of allowing the people to lead Gaddafi continued to remain at the head of the state as the thousands of local committees began to function problems quickly arose lack of participation by the majority of libyans and ambiguity Over what the responsibilities even were of the local government resulted in chaos furthermore the government confiscated all private lands and only leased to individuals what they needed for their subsistance needs corruption was rampant and few had faith in the new system furthermore resistance was growing to Gaddafi system students took to the streets in protest just as Gaddafi

had years earlier but this time to protest against the man who was Supposedly the savior of Libya a year prior to Gaddafi's transformation of the state into his ideal Society students had been detained and arrested on mass in Tripoli and Ben Kazi for minor protests following the change to the Libyan state in March of 1977 Gaddafi turned even more aggressive against the students by publicly hanging a number of students involved in the protest the year before the hangings took place on Trip's alphat University campus with University students being forced to watch as their classmates were

killed but the Dem demonstration of power was not just for those in Tripoli the events were broadcast throughout the nation alongside several other public executions of alleged spies and participants in the 1975 attempted coup April the 7th would remain the day of public executions for the rest of the Gaddafi Reign however even as Gaddafi demonstrated his willingness to use Brutal force to suppress dissident he also created ways to heighten his power and protect his revolution in SE setember 1978 Gaddafi announced to the people that in the future a separation of power would occur between revolutionary

Authority and the people's Authority in March of 1979 Gaddafi and his remaining members of the original Central Committee resigned from their government positions to devote themselves to maintaining the Revolutionary Spirit of 1969 Gaddafi retained his role as commander of the Armed Forces and took on the title of leader of the Revolution or Brother Leader despite Gaddafi formerly leaving his official role in the state he and his inner circle continued to wield complete control of Libya in essence Gaddafi had moved the real state power in Libya beyond the control of the people and into the select

group that was Gaddafi's Inner Circle to further support himself and his regime Gaddafi began forming the Revolutionary committee's movement a paramilitary body that was officially organized in 1979 but had already been parti formed as early as 1976 initially on University campuses these groups were formed out of students filled with fervor for the Revolution and given the task of rooting out and removing dissident within Libya's Several universities regardless of whether they were staff or students Gaddafi declared in 1978 that these revolutionaries were to be everywhere secret or public to carry out the duty of urging the

masses to revolt in order to seize power and to destroy any organization that stands in the way in some Gaddafi had created his own secret police who armed with Devotion to Gaddafi's Revolution would root out any and all detractors of the regime before They became a threat Gaddafi christened these new recruits the prophets of the age of the masses soon Gaddafi endowed these committees with absolute control of selecting leadership of the local people's committees and congresses in order to carefully manage these Revolution Aries to protect himself and the regime Gaddafi created the Revolutionary committee's liaison

office a supervisory board filled with family Members and members of his family's tribe all people who had a deep-seated interest in Gaddafi's survival shrewdly Gaddafi placed one of his relatives and most loyal supporters Muhammad Maj tube at the head of this office and barred communication between the Revolutionary cells everything had to come through the central office thus protecting Gaddafi from from an internal Revolt the former revolutionary was not interested in dealing with a coup against Himself as revolutionary committees spread throughout Libyan Society they infiltrated schools committee rooms the workplace and media centers the decline of

the Free Press resulted in a state controlled stream of propaganda into the homes of ordinary libyans no one reporter or news broadcaster was allowed to gain too much popularity before their removal by Gaddafi in essence Gaddafi and his new band of revolutionaries had reformed Society to create a world where Libyans were disconnected from the outside world and the reality of Their Own World by 1980 the isolation of libyans was almost complete as Gaddafi's revolutionary committees were instructed to liquidate any and all opponents of the Revolution Gaddafi's followers launched a wave of Terror in an effort

to root out opposition thousands were arrested and a climate of fear settled onto the the populace of Libya not even the various Imperial colonizers had been Able to achieve such absolute control of Libyan Society countless horrific stories could be told of the oppression and the terror that faced libyans throughout the rest of Gaddafi's Reign public executions and televised interrogations cemented in the minds of many the understanding that to fight was to suffer and to die no one it seemed had the capacity to challenge the regime as his agents worked to qu any resistance Gaddafi's economic

policies Were further crushing the minimal Prosperity that had been gained prior to his rise to power the devaluation of the Libyan dinar the confiscation of private property and the destruction of private Commerce and trade caused Untold havoc on the Libyan economy under Gaddafi's instruction the state moved into occupying all aspects of libyans lives consumer shortages were common and what little Imports made their way into the state-run supermarkets were often poor Quality Gaddafi and his regime also banned private doctors or lawyers forcing all within those professions to work for the state as private sector jobs were

crushed and squeezed out by Gaddafi's policies the majority of libyans turned to the state for jobs controlling all of the oil Revenue Gaddafi and his followers were more than happy to expand the state apparatus to provide more jobs many of which were pointless desk jobs the government Provided everything work Health Care welfare a home a car yet the people were still poor and public servant salaries were frozen in 1981 and remained so until the late 2000s the result of Gaddafi's state-run economy was poverty and astronomical amounts of waste of public funds Gaddafi's policies not only

hurt the cities but also the rural regions of the country as he encouraged increased production which resulted in depleted water stores and Overused lands libyans throughout the 1980s and into the 21st century suffered from their leaders ideas and Revolution as Gaddafi set to transform the economy in the 1980s he used the military as part of his toolkit having long been a heavy spender when it came to weapons buying large amounts of weapons from the Soviet Union Gaddafi sought to strengthen his nation and regime by militarizing the majority of libyans beginning in the schools Military uniforms

and milit topics were compulsory at the nation's Schools students were in essence drafted into the military whether it was attempting to buy nuclear weapons or irrigating miles of desert for farmland or buying off segments of the population Gaddafi plowed forward with a Relentless determination and pride he ruled Libya with an iron fist creating official positions removing positions merging government offices establishing new ones All came under the direct command of the brother leader and libyans throughout the nation understood that they depended on Gaddafi for survival Gaddafi was not content with only controlling Libya a true radical

he believed that his Revolution and his forces ought to make their power felt abroad while causing concerns among American leaders that his state was aligned with the Soviet Union nothing could be further from the truth Gaddafi Wanted Russian guns but he saw Russia as an imperial power one to be resisted and eventually destroyed Gaddafi wanted all to see him as a helper of the oppressed and those resisting colonialism however more importantly he saw himself as a revolutionary for the Arab world he believed that his Revolution held the answers to crushing Israel expelling westerners and returning

the Middle East to its former glory his attitude and plans to conquer Israel were mocked and Resented by rival leaders who were frustrated with the young hotthead from Libya he further enraged fellow Arab leaders when at a celebration in Libya in June of 1970 Gaddafi threatened the visiting foreign dignitaries including his hero Egyptian president nasar with Revolution if they did not unite together nasar angrily slammed his fist on the table and ordered Gaddafi to shut up though briefly reminded of his place Gaddafi was undeterred he believed that Upon naser's death in 1970 he himself would

hold the place Naser had occupied in International politics he also declared that Libya and by extension himself would be the Catalyst in unifying Arabs everywhere into a single nation much as Prussia had unified Germany and Piedmont had unified Italy while the rest of the region had moved on from the vision of a pan Arab Nation Gaddafi clung to this Vision with a tenacity which characterized the rest Of his life in speeches and in his writings Gaddafi constantly envisioned his Nation leading Arabs to a brighter future as other leaders across the region resisted his efforts to

unite their countries with his own Gaddafi began working behind the scenes to destroy those who opposed him during the 1970s and 1980s Gaddafi was accused of helping orchestrate an assassination attempt on the Tunisian prime minister Hadi nuera and supplying and training Rebel tunisians who attacked a mining town near the Tunisian Libyan border when France sent Aid to help IIA Gaddafi allowed mobs to attack and burn the French Embassy in Tripoli he supported an attempted coup in Morocco as well as one in Sudan and had attempted to ferment rebellions in Egypt as his fellow Arab leaders

sought to quell the Firebrand revolutionary Gaddafi only intensified his efforts he angered fellow Arabs by supporting the Iranians and Iraqi Kurds against Saddam Hussein Iraq's nationalistic leader and considered one of the middle east's leading Arab figures in the 1980s Gaddafi ironically considered Hussein a thug and did everything in his powers to fight him furthermore Gaddafi saw the Iranians as far more anti-western than many Arabs a prime virtue in his eyes however one area he did agree on was supporting the Palestinians with his oil money Gaddafi bankrolled a wide range of Palestinian groups and sought to

particularly support the most radical and militant groups during the 1970s and 1980s he founded camps dedicated to training Arabs from across the middle east in fighting the state of Israel and established what he termed the Jihad fund to finance military action by Palestinians for Gaddafi Terror was a legitimate weapon to be used in fighting the state of Israel even in his views on The Israeli Palestinian conflict Gaddafi was too radical and led many Arabs to view him as a ludicrous and insane leader as Gaddafi worked to stir up the Middle East he also began using

his oil money to buy political capital in Africa and across the globe Gaddafi was determined to be seen as a leader who supported the weak against the strong he funded communist insurgents in Italy and Japan Muslim insurgents in the Philippines the Irish Republican Army Basque Separatists and dozens of other movements in the Americas however a large chunk of his oil funds went to his ventures in Africa Gaddafi first sent Libyan dollars and troops to Aid the Ugandan dictator president Idi Amin who was locked in a conflict with Tanzania in 1972 he continued to support Arman

even as International opinion darkened and Aman's forces were routed in 1978 Gaddafi sent 2,500 Libyan soldiers to The rescue of his ally only to learn that his troops had been completely routed Gaddafi also began aiding Emperor Jean badel basa of the central Central African Republic especially after his conversion to Islam in 1976 Gaddafi channeled Millions to basa only to learn that the Monarch had returned to Christianity still he continued to support the emperor and fed the cash strapped dictator funds to continue his ruthless rule of the Central African Republic in the same way that he

erratically funded tyrants he also provided support to anti-colonial and anti- aarte movements throughout Africa including Nelson Mandela's African National Congress Gaddafi became a force to be reckoned with in Africa and many leaders came to take the dictator of Libya seriously however his most notorious interference was in the African nation of Chad as he supported Muslim rebels in Their bloody civil war against the Christian government by the 1980s the war had turned against the Muslim Rebels to such a point that their leader goni EDI began to seek for peace Gaddafi refused to allow the conflict to

stop and attempted to arrest oedi while he was in Libya the results were disastrous the people of Chad collectively turned against Gaddafi and began marching towards Libya between 8,000 and 10,000 Libyan soldiers many of whom were Conscripts were killed in the fighting which lasted until September of 1987 when chadian soldiers moved into Libyan territory not only did the war end in a disastrous defeat but it also led to many Libyan soldiers defecting to Chad and joining the Libyan opposition the war was costly but Gaddafi seemed to care little about the repercussions while pouring funds into

various projects across Africa and the Middle East Gaddafi remained steadfastly Committed to overthrowing imperialism in any form be it from the west or from the Soviet Union by 1977 Libya had completely alienated the United States of America's leadership who saw Gaddafi as sponsoring terrorism and Insurgency relations further soured as Gaddafi created an international arm to his secret police which he titled the international mataba to resist imperialism racism and reactionary forces in 1982 headed by musak Kusa one of the most feared men in Libya this new force was tasked with spreading Gaddafi's Revolution abroad and punishing

those libyans outside the country who dared to challenge Gaddafi based out of Libyan embassies Gaddafi's revolutionaries began looking to round up those they termed stray dogs or Libyan dissidents Gaddafi was paranoid that perhaps those anti- raimist would topple his creation and he sought to brutally suppress them Even going so far as to tolerate plain hijackings and attacks on foreign soil however even before the establishment of the international mataba Gaddafi's people were at work trying to silence the opposition in April of 1980 two Libyan expatriates Muhammad Ramadan a Libyan journalist with BBC's Arabic service and Mahmud

Abu NAFA a lawyer were shot and killed in London soon afterwards more murders of libyans occurred in Italy When foreign opposition mounted Gaddafi brushed the international anger aside he had once stated some people will die and people will forget about them but the result will be that right will Triumph Good Will Triumph progress will Triumph this type of attitude combined with Gaddafi's support of terrorism and ties to the Soviet Union earned him the ire of US President Ronald Reagan whom Gaddafi derided as a second rate actor Reagan called Gaddafi the Mad Dog of the Middle

East and saw his meddling in world affairs as a proxy for Soviet Ambitions even prior to Gaddafi's founding of the international mataba Reagan had broken off diplomatic relations in 1981 and had approved us planes to shoot down two Libyan aircraft in a dispute in the Gulf of serte tensions throughout the 1980s were Skyhigh between the United States and Gaddafi Gaddafi never want to back down to a challenge particularly a challenge From the West continued to brazenly support revolutions throughout the globe Gaddafi had made many foes over the years not the least being the United States

of America in the 1970s and 1980s Gaddafi enraged Sunni Muslims for his declarations that rejected anything outside of the Quran furthermore his religious views often maddened local and international Muslim leaders who condemned Gaddafi's actions and labeled him a heathen while religious leaders Abroad continued to denounce Gaddafi local religious leaders suffered house arrest persecution and death for defying Gaddafi's religious views many others chafed at the brutality and lack of freedom in the Libyan State outside of Libya Gaddafi had alienated many leaders in the Middle East and Africa who saw him as a threat in the west

the reactions to Gaddafi were mixed some favored ignoring the man particularly those leaders of Nations that were most Dependent on the flow of oil coming from Libyan Shores others such as leaders in the United Kingdom and the United States saw Gaddafi as Reckless and dangerous to humanity after a bombing in a Berlin nightclub killed several Americans Americans revealed that Gaddafi had been behind the attack on the 15th of April 1986 10 days after the nightclub bombing 18 us F-111 bombers launched an attack on Libya dropping around 60 tons of bombs Throughout the country Gaddafi was

aware an attack would be coming the Italian Prime Minister tipping the middle-aged revolutionary off about the United States's plan while the targets were largely military targets or the Gaddafi compound some stray bombs landed in civilian areas killing a number of civilians Gaddafi himself was nearly a casualty however the attack was a warning to Gaddafi To Tread carefully the raid humiliated Gaddafi and Demonstrated his military's weakness despite all the funds he had lavished on it the raid also opened a door for Gaddafi's internal opponents to try and overthrow the dictator little support for Gaddafi arose from

the people and though the attempted insurrections were put down Gaddafi was aware there were cracks in his power however to the the outside world Gaddafi put on a show of stepping up his saber rattling against the US in September of 1986 Gaddafi threatened to raise armies throughout the globe to put a fire under the feet of the United States in 1987 he threatened to unleash Freedom Fighters who would die Heroes as they fought the United States He famously stated that Yankees have no morals they have no conscience they should not be treated as humans while

Gaddafi AED many Arab leaders failed to demonstrate resounding support for the leader from Libya many Agreed with the United States's assessment that Libya should be treated as a pariah on the world stage and that Gaddafi was a lunatic despite these feelings no one did anything to Halt Gaddafi increasingly isolated by the end of the 1980s Gaddafi's Revolution was grinding away the lives of his people at an alarming rate following the bombings in 1986 a combination of of us sanctions and dropping oil prices inflamed an already Bad economic situation food and Medicine became harder to come

by and many turned to an already expensive Black Market the terrible situation in Libya prompted increased resistance to the regime and greater coordination between the various Libyan opposition groups sheltered outside of Libya's borders Gaddafi was a revolutionary radical but he was not a fool sensing mounting tensions in his Nation could began to implement some surface level reforms to appease the Masses he launched attacks on the Revolutionary committees that had for over a decade done the majority of the work keeping Gaddafi in power through Terror and intimidation Gaddafi staged Productions of his releasing political prisoners and

of publicly criticizing the revolutionaries other reforms were likewise surface level ignoring the greater more pressing problems in his Nation he also reversed some of his more aggressive socialist policies Particularly those which had targeted private business and companies as well as the ban on private trade still many libyans remained wary after having watched the radical changes in their leaders stances while economic changes in the early 1990s eased some of the most pressing problems a new wave of challenges flowed rapidly onto Libya's Shores on the 27th of November 1991 the United States and United Kingdom called for

Libya to surrender two of its Citizens that were believed to be part of the bombing of a Pan-American World Airways flight over the Scottish town of lockaby which killed over 260 people as well as to accept Libya's role in the atrocity and pay indemnities predictably Gaddafi was outraged though later sources indicate that the libyans were only a part of a larger terrorist plot Gaddafi launched a series of Highly explosive speeches claiming himself to be the victim and the sole defender of Arabs and of oppressed peoples across the world however threats of American and British sanctions

terrified Gaddafi knowing full well how dire the economic situation was in Libya Gaddafi made some conciliatory gestures and pled with the United Nations to intervene Gaddafi even shared his involvement with terrorist groups in hopes of obtaining Western Goodwill such efforts came too little too late and on the 31st of March 1992 the UN secretary Council accepted Resolution 748 which launched a host of sanctions against Libya however while the sanctions and asset freezes that came in 1993 hurt the Libyan economy European states such as Italy Spain and Germany helped protect the main source of Libyan wealth

oil these states the largest importers of Libyan oil lobbied hard and successfully to prevent the United States's suggestion of sanctioning the Libyan oil industry Gaddafi at least for the moment could Retain retain control of events as the sanctions began to take effect unhappiness in Libya Rose the terror of the Gaddafi regime and the lack of basic necessities LED some Libyan officers to begin plotting to Stage aoup having come into contact with Libyan opposition groups in Germany these officers began laying the groundwork for a coup in a similar manner to Gaddafi's own plotting decades earlier however

unlike the monarchy Gaddafi took no chances on the 11th October 1993 the conspirators were arrested and the plot extinguished as quickly as it had begun what angered Gaddafi most was that many of the officers were from a tribe considered to be close allies Gaddafi determined to make an example that few would forget as their interrogations were broadcast on TV Gaddafi forced the wbe revolutionaries to claim they were Stooges of the United States and Cunningly Gaddafi forced their own tribe to punish them and their families the loyal elements of the war fella tribe which many of

the conspirators had been a part of set about destroying the homes of the revolutionaries and terrifying the family members connected to the conspirators finally in January 1997 the horrific drama ended when six officers were executed by firing squad and two civilians hanged other dissidents emerged though These came not from the military but rather from militant Islamic groups who were determined to destroy what they saw as as the Heathen Gaddafi State Gaddafi was shocked given the emphasis his revolution had placed on incorporating Islam into the social structure he watched wearily as the neighboring state of Algeria

plunged into Civil War in the 1990s as islamist elements rebelled against the Army in Libya underground groups of islamist activists were Launching their own revolution in the 1980s growing numbers of activists publicly denounced Gaddafi and despite the brutal crackdowns more and more of the Libyan population became sympathetic after a failed Jihad by local militants in 1989 Gaddafi spent the 1990s cracking down through Mass arrests which inevitably led to torture and brutal suppression Gaddafi also launched a speaking Vendetta against the islamist movement decrying the militants and Their allies as Heretics and enemies of progress in 1995

the regime uncovered a network of islamist cells and launched it most brutal campaign yet thousands were imprisoned and those militants who escaped to the Jebel akar or the Green Mountains in eastern Libya were soon engaged in a desperate fight many of these Fighters had experience in fighting more heavily armed enemies having served with the mujahadin in Afghanistan fighting the Soviet Union's Invasion the rebels nearly succeeded in assassinating Gaddafi in November 1996 when a militant threw a grenade at him while he was visiting the town of bra in response Gaddafi launched a scorched Earth campaign targeting

anyone even remotely associated with the Rebels the Revolutionary committees were once again given free reign their atrocities being broadcast on National Television the Army tightened control of the East which turned into a security Zone in 1996 at the Abu slim prison the reim massacred 1,286 political prisoners and and buried the victims in Mass Graves to further heighten his control Gaddafi in 1997 introduced the charter of Honor a law which imposed Collective punishment on families and tribes who harbored militants such as restricting access to water or electricity he also economically abandoned the eastern half of the

country punishing it for its Support of the islamist rebels isolated even from the rest of the country the East began to appear as a post-war Zone with a abandoned and ruined infrastructure in gulfing cities such as Bazi the brutal Crackdown had pushed the resistant underground and left Gaddafi in power but it failed to kill off the memory of the rebels furthermore the record high inflation of an average of 35% made life difficult to say the least While most libyans suffered Well-connected Elites and Traders saw their wealth only rise creating a new and Powerful upper class

corruption was Rife in every part part of the realm and the social system seemed to be on the verge of collapse The NeverEnding crisis of the 1990s seemed to be tempering as many nations lifted their costly embargos on Libya in 1998 furthermore anti-western protests erupted when a Scottish Court convicted A Libyan of Murder in the 1992 PanAm flight incident as American officials continue to battle with Gaddafi over his responsibility for the bombing the dictator saw this only as confirmation of the United States imperialism and became incensed at American demands that Libya compensate the victims however

a core group of advisers understanding the dangers of another period of isolation convinced their leader to work with the Americans still Gaddafi declared his and Libya's innocence in the bombing all the while terrifying Western leaders who threw their spy networks knew that Gaddafi was assembling designs and materials for a nuclear bomb these fears were laid aside following the 9/11 Terror attacks in the United States and a slew of other attacks throughout the West Gaddafi saw his moment to regain the upper hand and gleefully declared that he had long warned the west of the dangers of

islamists like Osama Bin Laden the desperate need of the West for Arab allies took a curious turn when Gaddafi condemned the 9/11 attacks and offered the United States his support for a man who had spent the majority of his life attacking the United States this shift was quite a turn however as with many other moments during his Reign his personal Vendetta against Libyan islamists took precedent over his hatred of the United States Libya quickly began sharing all its information on Libyan Islamists seeking to Garner the Goodwill of the West even going so far as to

abandon its nuclear and chemical weapons programs though deeply suspicious Americans underestimated the desire that Gaddafi had to preserve his regime Gaddafi knew that unless something was done to rectify the economic crisis his days were numbered by December 2003 Libya had agreed to terminate its weapons of mass destruction program and allow inspectors Into the state while some American leaders such as Secretary of State Coen Powell gloated that Gaddafi had been cowed by the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan a claim which Gaddafi furiously denied rumors circulated among libyans that Gaddafi was next which in some circles

was welcomed no one wanted the Americans back on Libyan soil but in the same breath many wondered if it could be much worse than having Gaddafi remain in power Gaddafi however had Towed the line and had brought his country back into the good books of The Americans and British by June 2004 the US once again had diplomatic relations with Libya and in September of 2004 the US lifted its sanctions and by 2006 had removed Libya from its list of state sponsors of terrorism relations quickly evolved to be more sympathetic and during the tenure of President

Barack Obama Gaddafi visited the United States for the first time in September of 2009 To participate in the United Nation's General Assembly despite Gaddafi's softening stance on the west he refused to reform and instead Unleashed A Renewed fervor for revolution in the 2000s he called on the Youth of Libya to reinvigorate the Revolution while promising the people that nothing in the government would change however he did allow more foreign investments and provide token improvements to Garner the approval of The West some of gfi's children such as his son Saif al- Islam a Vienna educated free

market loyalist were at the Forefront of pushing their father to reform the crumbling State however efforts to reform were constantly hampered by Gaddafi and his allies who were reluctant to abandon the old ways that had been at the heart of the regime for over four decades furthermore efforts to reintroduce privatization into the economy failed to stop the Growth of an oligarchic class that reaped the rewards of a new friendship with the West including many of Gaddafi's children who took excess to a new and dangerous level talks of democracy were cheap and never serious though Western

officials hoped and believed the rhetoric of libyans like Gaddafi's son Saif that change would soon come in many ways it was all a f Gaddafi and most officials had no intention to change no matter how Persuasive his son or others could be as the regime experienced this period of change with wealth flowing once again into certain libyans Pockets the vast majority of libyans never truly felt the impact of Reform Gaddafi was erratic and brutal most depended on the state to survive and it seemed that Libya was locked in time as a backwards anti-western and socialist

state tensions underneath the surface burst violently through the fabric of Libyan Society when at 3:30 p.m. on the 15th of February 2011 a young lawyer from Ben Kazi named fatti turbill who was representing the families of those men killed at the Abu slim prison massacre in 1996 was arrested his crime was his organizing a day of Rage or mass protest planned for the 17th of February to call for reforms and a constitution Gaddafi and his supporters were also keenly aware of the troubles Brewing across the Middle East tunisians and Egyptians had Ousted their long-term leaders

resulting in new governments it was the start of what would become known as the Arab Spring and Gaddafi perhaps sensed that something had to be done before his Nation succumbed as well public demonstrations were increasing and Gaddafi was moving quickly to cut off the Viper of Revolution he condemned the Arab Spring Revolutions in Tunisia held meaningless but showy public talks with ordinary libyans and provided empty Promises of change and increased handouts these niceties were also accompanied by the regime's usual heavy-handed oppression of arresting and questioning potential revolutionaries however unlike in previous decades where the Libyan

state had snuffed out Revolution before it began Gaddafi was far too late when word spread that turbill the young lawyer had been detained outrage swelled into direct protest and crowd swelled the Streets of benazzi the outside world watched breathlessly as the crowds shifted from protesters to riers police stations burned and chants gradually focused not on reform but on Revolution the people wanted the regime to end Gaddafi Unleashed his revolutionary forces on the people killing dozens and scattering the rest on the 17th of February 2011 however the next day the masses returned to the street once

again Calling for change as violence escalated in Ben Kazi revolts in other cities began to take shape Gaddafi moved quickly to cut off the City by disrupting internet and cell phone coverage it proved futile Revolution was spreading and it was spreading fast as protests spread to cities throughout Libya the regime's forces worked to brutally quash any resistance deaths mounted and the crowds continued to grow swelled with libyans Tired of the violence and fear that had been the staple of their daily lives for so long though shocked Gaddafi quickly rallied his troops to Tripoli where he

hoped to begin reinstating his rule with the nation in chaos some of Gaddafi's old allies and one friend from his school days turned on him by joining the revolution never had a Revolt become so serious in all of Gaddafi's time as ruler of Libya he decided to crush the rebels in a way they would not soon Forget Gaddafi believed it was time to bring in the second jamah by announcing new changes to the old political system the new Gaddafi inspired Revolution to be fueled by the deaths of the rebels even Gaddafi's reform-minded son Saif al--

Islam turned on the revolutionaries the Crackdown in Tripoli was initially successful and soon Gaddafi and his family had tamed the revolution in the western half of Libya the East was another matter Entirely the revolutionaries in the East established what they called the national transitional Council or NTC a coalition of various groups working together to oust Gaddafi many of the leaders within the NTC were former Gaddafi officials and reformers who had defected once the Rebellion successfully weathered the initial crackdowns largely technocrats who had supported reforms the leadership of the NTC worked feverishly to unite the Libyan

Opposition into a coherent and stable Camp however the rebels lacked arms and were lacking in military training the initial gains of the Rebel forces were quickly reversed in March of 2011 and it appeared that Gaddafi was on his way to regaining control of Libya as his forces surrounded the rebel stronghold of Ben Kazi on the 17th of March 2011 GFI declared I will finish the Battle of benazzi tonight I will chase you flat by flat many onlookers feared that the city Would be flooded with civilian blood however once again the West halted Gaddafi's plans on

March 17th the United Nations security Council voted for a no fly zone over Libya and authorized the use of military action to protect civilians the combined leadership of France and the United Kingdom was the force behind the drive to intervene in Libya and found support from a portion of the Arab League long hostile to Western involvement with the United States directing the intervention French and British Plains along with other nations began to attack Libyan forces Gaddafi seized the moment to declare that the West Was Was preparing for an invasion of Libya despite the show of

force Gaddafi was not concerned he was determined to fight to a bloody end as NATO forces helped the rebel forces capture the key city of misera after a long and bloody battle that nearly destroyed the entire Infrastructure of the city Gaddafi increasingly circled his troops around the capital of Tripoli and he tightened his control of the city people disappeared daily and regime forces marched through the city con constantly efforts were made through his son Saif to negotiate with the west and the rebels but few were interested in such talks Gaddafi was seen as too unpredictable

to be trusted Promises of open elections and democracy seemed Hollow after the months of Devastation that had rained down on the civilians near benazzi besides the NTC seemed to be a model government willing to help the people and reopen Libya Gaddafi lashed out frequently against the NTC and condemned them as coll collaborators of the colonial Powers by August 2011 the rebels and their NATO allies had nearly encircled Tripoli and began marching into the city the Gaddafi forces melted away and crowds surged Into the streets in support of the Revolution and ransacked his home however Gaddafi

and his family were nowhere to be found when Rebel forces had encircled Tripoli Gaddafi and a small Convoy of loyal supporters had fled to his hometown of Siera the other members of the Gaddafi Clan fled to sanctuaries inside and outside Libya hoping that they could escape the consequences of their father's rule meanwhile Rebel forces enacted their Full revenge on gfi's supporters destroying the towns of bani wed and Siera human rights abuses were numerous and the anger the rebels felt at not finding Gaddafi in bani Walid led to want and destruction of the city the battle

for Siera dragged on well into October the regim forces fighting desperately knowing that surrender would result in death Gaddafi himself remained in Siera surviving on rice and pasta he had scavenged from the ruins of the city He read the Quran and made phone calls for help on his satellite phone as he attempted to flee Siera a NATO flyover launched a withering attack that caught the Convoy by surprise Gaddafi was wounded in both legs and was dragged into a sewer to hide Rebel forces soon arrived and dragged out Gaddafi raining blows on the 60-some year old

man pleading for Mercy finally a young teenage rebel shot Gaddafi killing the once proud leader of Libya his body was dragged through the streets of Siera before being sent to Misa where his body was displayed as a war trophy though the NTC pleaded with the rebels to allow the body to be buried the people refused to comply Gaddafi was to have not a single honor or respect paid to him the bloody man who had controlled Libya and remade it to mold his image elicited the hatred and Venom of his people even days and weeks after

his death crowds lined up to Take pictures over the next 4 days of the rotting bodies of Gaddafi and one of his sons on the 25th of October 2011 Gaddafi was buried in an unknown location in the Libyan Desert the man who believed he would become the next father of the Arabs and leader of the developing world had died in a gutter killed by a teenage boy though he had reigned Terror down on the Libyan people for 40 years years his Reign ended through the will of the people the People he always declared he was

meant to represent Mo Gaddafi was in many ways typical of the breed of postcolonial dictators that came to prominence across much of the developing world in the latter half of the 20th century often claiming to rule in the name of the people of their respective countries but succumbing to tyrannical and egotistical rule brutal oppression and risky Wars as terrible as they were there is a body of Opinion that states that with the overthrow of dictators like Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein the resulting power vacuum led to more deaths and Chaos than if both men had remained

in power this assertion is countered by others however who state that the people of countries like Libya deserved better than Gaddafi and the road to democracy although long and bloody must be trod or at least attempted in the hope of building a better Future what do you think of moama Gaddafi was he a strong man and radical revolutionary forced to Violence by the pressures of the west or was he a true Tyrant who cared little for the health and safety of his people please let us know in the comment section and in the meantime thank

you very much for watching [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause]