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Muammar Gaddafi /ˈmoʊ.əmɑr ɡəˈdɑːfi/ or Colonel Gaddafi, was Libya's head of state from 1969, when he seized power in a bloodless military coup ( a sudden overthrowing and seizure of a government by the military ). , until 1977, when he stepped down from his official executive role as Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council of Libya and claimed subsequently to be merely a symbolic figurehead.
Critics have often described him as Libya's de-facto ( meaning in practice but not necessarily ordained by law ) autocrat ( An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state) , a claim his Libyan regime officially denied. In 2011, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya regime he established was overthrown in a civil war which consisted of an uprising aided by a NATO intervention. His 42-year leadership prior to the uprising made him the fourth longest-serving non-royal leader since 1900, as well as the longest-serving Arab leader. He variously styled himself as "the Brother Leader" and "Guide of the Revolution"; in 2008 a meeting of traditional African rulers bestowed on him the title "King of Kings".
Source: Wikipedia
The History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi spanned a period of over four decades from 1969 to 2011. Gaddafi became the de facto leader of the country on 1 September 1969 after leading a group of young Libyan military officers against King Idris I in a coup d'état. After the king had fled the country, the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) headed by Gaddafi abolished the monarchy and the old constitution and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic, with the motto "freedom, socialism, and unity"
( In other-words he literally wiped out the Libyan monarchy and became the president of Libya )
Source: Wikipedia
The Economy:
Libya enjoys large natural resources, which Gaddafi utilized to help develop the country. Under Gaddafi's jamahiriya direct democracy system, the country's literacy rate rose from 10% to 90%, life expectancy rose from 57 to 77 years, equal rights were established for women and black people, employment opportunities were established for migrant workers, and welfare systems were introduced that allowed access to free education, free healthcare, and financial assistance for housing. The Great Manmade River was also built to allow free access to fresh water across large parts of the country. In addition, financial support was provided for university scholarships and employment programs.The country was developed without taking any foreign loans. As a result, Libya was debt-free under Gaddafi's regime.
( Libya's Economy under Gaddafi's regime flourished to the point that it was debt free for Libyans black and white alike )
Gaddafi's Inevitable End:
The series of events that brought about Gaddafi's demise...
But did he really deserve this? Was he really a bad person? What will happen to Libya now? Wont their resource be manipulated by foreigners like the rest of/most African countries? Was it really the rebels who killed Gaddafi or is this a cover-up to some kind of conspiracy. But the fact is Gaddafi should have stepped down instead of trying to control the situation with violence.
( The Libyan Revolutionary Command Council was the twelve-person body that governed Libya after the 1969 revolution. Col. Muammar Gaddafi was its chairman. )
Critics have often described him as Libya's de-facto ( meaning in practice but not necessarily ordained by law ) autocrat ( An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state) , a claim his Libyan regime officially denied. In 2011, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya regime he established was overthrown in a civil war which consisted of an uprising aided by a NATO intervention. His 42-year leadership prior to the uprising made him the fourth longest-serving non-royal leader since 1900, as well as the longest-serving Arab leader. He variously styled himself as "the Brother Leader" and "Guide of the Revolution"; in 2008 a meeting of traditional African rulers bestowed on him the title "King of Kings".
Source: Wikipedia
The History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi spanned a period of over four decades from 1969 to 2011. Gaddafi became the de facto leader of the country on 1 September 1969 after leading a group of young Libyan military officers against King Idris I in a coup d'état. After the king had fled the country, the Libyan Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) headed by Gaddafi abolished the monarchy and the old constitution and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic, with the motto "freedom, socialism, and unity"
( In other-words he literally wiped out the Libyan monarchy and became the president of Libya )
Source: Wikipedia
The Economy:
Libya enjoys large natural resources, which Gaddafi utilized to help develop the country. Under Gaddafi's jamahiriya direct democracy system, the country's literacy rate rose from 10% to 90%, life expectancy rose from 57 to 77 years, equal rights were established for women and black people, employment opportunities were established for migrant workers, and welfare systems were introduced that allowed access to free education, free healthcare, and financial assistance for housing. The Great Manmade River was also built to allow free access to fresh water across large parts of the country. In addition, financial support was provided for university scholarships and employment programs.The country was developed without taking any foreign loans. As a result, Libya was debt-free under Gaddafi's regime.
( Libya's Economy under Gaddafi's regime flourished to the point that it was debt free for Libyans black and white alike )
Because of the supremacy powers, debt is their greatest form of control, these powers have exploited this to utilize Africa's natural resources to their own benefits, claiming that they are "helping" the situation with aid and promoting free market systems. The aid that is issued to these African countries are either stolen by politicians or even if a country is governed by a fair government the aid has limitations and conditions on to how and where it is to be used, e.g to build a road to resources like oil even if this road wont help the people who need roads at all and this oil or any other resource is to be manipulated by foreign investors and wont actually be used to develop or benefit the country and in addition the simple act of aid leaves the country in debt. Free markets also have their draw backs, simply the fact that mixed economies more like free markets inherently produce class division and hardly have interest in developing a country or helping those un-able to participate in the economy, they instead control the economy with debt, debt in the form of having to pay for electricity, education, healthcare all of which in a state-directed economy ( like in Gaddafi's Libya ) planning is more extensive towards a countrys development. Gaddafi's regime was against this ( he never took any aid from foreign countries, utilized Libya's own resources and gave his people the opportunities to earn scholarships and work in libya as engineers, doctors e.t.c and in result he was always a target for these supreme powers who had no control over Libya and where threatened by its growing Economy, it is also said France owed Gaddafi money and Gaddafi was wealthy enough to help other African countries in need of aid without supremacy-countries intervening ).
Gaddafi's plan was to unite Africa under his rule, yes he might have been a dictator but he had good intentions.
Gaddafi's plan was to unite Africa under his rule, yes he might have been a dictator but he had good intentions.
Gaddafi's Inevitable End:
The series of events that brought about Gaddafi's demise...
Gaddafi's violent response to the protesters prompted defections from his government.Gaddafi's "number two" man, Abdul Fatah Younis, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil and several key ambassadors and diplomats resigned from their posts in protest.Other government officials refused to follow orders from Gaddafi, and were jailed for insubordination.
In connection with the Libyan uprising, Gaddafi's attempts to influence public opinion in Europe and the United States came under increased scrutiny. Since the beginning of the 2011 conflict a number of countries pushed for the international isolation of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments recognised the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate government of Libya.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "The United States views the Gaddafi regime as no longer having any legitimate authority in Libya ... And so I am announcing today that, until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the TNC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis." Gaddafi responded to the announcement with a speech on Libyan national television, in which he said "Trample on those recognitions, trample on them under your feet ... They are worthless".
On 25 August 2011, with most of Tripoli having fallen out of Gaddafi's control, the Arab League proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state", on which basis Libya would resume its membership of the League.
During the Battle of Tripoli, Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces. Rebel forces entered Green Square in the city center, tearing down posters of Gaddafi and flying flags of the rebellion. He continued to give addresses through radio, calling upon his supporters to crush the rebels.
On 20 September 2011, Gaddafi made a final speech, declaring that "Anyone who says Qaddafi's government has fallen is nothing but ridiculous and a joke. Qaddafi doesn't have a government, therefore that government can't fall. Qaddafi is out of power since 1977 when I have passed the power to the People's Committees of the Jamahiriya. When 2,000 tribes meet and declare that only the Libyan people represent Libya, doesn't that say enough? This is the answer to NATO which has said the National Transitional Council from Benghazi represents the Libyan people. The Libyan people are here and they are with me, nobody can represent us. So no legitimacy to anything else or anyone else, the power belongs to the people. All Libyans are members of the People's Committees. Anything else is false."[4][5]
On 20 October 2011, a National Transitional Council (NTC) official told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi had been captured that day by Libyan forces near his hometown of Sirte. He had been in a convoy of vehicles that was targeted by a French air strike on a road about 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Sirte, killing dozens of loyalist fighters. Gaddafi survived but was wounded and took refuge with several of his bodyguards in a drain underneath the road west of the city. Around noon NTC fighters found the group and took Gaddafi prisoner. Shortly afterward, he was shot dead. At least four mobile phone videos showed rebels beating Gaddafi and manhandling him on the back of a utility vehicle before his death.
Gaddafi's body was subsequently flown to Misrata and was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the bodies of Defense Minister Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr and his son and national security adviser Moatassem Gaddafi. The bodies were put on public display, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them. Many took pictures on their cell phones.
Libya's Prime Minister and several NTC figures confirmed Gaddafi's death, claiming he died of wounds suffered during his capture. News channels aired a graphic video claiming to be of Gaddafi's bloodied body after capture.
In connection with the Libyan uprising, Gaddafi's attempts to influence public opinion in Europe and the United States came under increased scrutiny. Since the beginning of the 2011 conflict a number of countries pushed for the international isolation of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. On 15 July 2011, at a meeting in Istanbul, more than 30 governments recognised the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate government of Libya.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "The United States views the Gaddafi regime as no longer having any legitimate authority in Libya ... And so I am announcing today that, until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the TNC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis." Gaddafi responded to the announcement with a speech on Libyan national television, in which he said "Trample on those recognitions, trample on them under your feet ... They are worthless".
On 25 August 2011, with most of Tripoli having fallen out of Gaddafi's control, the Arab League proclaimed the anti-Gaddafi National Transitional Council to be "the legitimate representative of the Libyan state", on which basis Libya would resume its membership of the League.
During the Battle of Tripoli, Gaddafi lost effective political and military control of Tripoli after his compound was captured by rebel forces. Rebel forces entered Green Square in the city center, tearing down posters of Gaddafi and flying flags of the rebellion. He continued to give addresses through radio, calling upon his supporters to crush the rebels.
On 20 September 2011, Gaddafi made a final speech, declaring that "Anyone who says Qaddafi's government has fallen is nothing but ridiculous and a joke. Qaddafi doesn't have a government, therefore that government can't fall. Qaddafi is out of power since 1977 when I have passed the power to the People's Committees of the Jamahiriya. When 2,000 tribes meet and declare that only the Libyan people represent Libya, doesn't that say enough? This is the answer to NATO which has said the National Transitional Council from Benghazi represents the Libyan people. The Libyan people are here and they are with me, nobody can represent us. So no legitimacy to anything else or anyone else, the power belongs to the people. All Libyans are members of the People's Committees. Anything else is false."[4][5]
On 20 October 2011, a National Transitional Council (NTC) official told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi had been captured that day by Libyan forces near his hometown of Sirte. He had been in a convoy of vehicles that was targeted by a French air strike on a road about 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Sirte, killing dozens of loyalist fighters. Gaddafi survived but was wounded and took refuge with several of his bodyguards in a drain underneath the road west of the city. Around noon NTC fighters found the group and took Gaddafi prisoner. Shortly afterward, he was shot dead. At least four mobile phone videos showed rebels beating Gaddafi and manhandling him on the back of a utility vehicle before his death.
Gaddafi's body was subsequently flown to Misrata and was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the bodies of Defense Minister Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr and his son and national security adviser Moatassem Gaddafi. The bodies were put on public display, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them. Many took pictures on their cell phones.
Libya's Prime Minister and several NTC figures confirmed Gaddafi's death, claiming he died of wounds suffered during his capture. News channels aired a graphic video claiming to be of Gaddafi's bloodied body after capture.
But did he really deserve this? Was he really a bad person? What will happen to Libya now? Wont their resource be manipulated by foreigners like the rest of/most African countries? Was it really the rebels who killed Gaddafi or is this a cover-up to some kind of conspiracy. But the fact is Gaddafi should have stepped down instead of trying to control the situation with violence.
