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The rise and fall of Muammar Gaddafi

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Muammar Abu Meniar el-Gaddafi was born in the North African desert, south of Sirte, Libya in 1942. (The exact date is unknown although some sources day June 1, while others say sometime in September.)

The son of a poor Bedouin nomad, Gaddafi lived in his family's remote desert camp until he went away to school at age 9.Inspired by the speeches of Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser, while a student at a secondary school at Sebha, he became a committed Arab nationalist, organised his fellow students into revolutionary study groups at Sebha.

He continued the practice at the University of Libya in Tripoli, where he received a history degree in 1963. Following his graduation, Gaddafi entered the Libyan Military Academy in Benghazi where he found many of the cadets were sympathetic to his anti-Western nationalism.

Gaddafi was commissioned into the Libyan army in 1965, where he began laying groundwork for an overthrow of the Libyan monarch, King Idris, whom he considered a pawn of the Western European nations.

Within four years, Gaddafi had taken control of the army and on September 1, 1969, he led junior army officers to seize power in a bloodless military coup.

After he assumed command of the government as chairman of the ruling Revolutionary Council, Gaddafi declared himself Commander-In-Chief of Libya's armed forces and its government, with the rank of colonel.

One of his first tasks was building up the armed forces, but he also spent billions improving living standards, making him popular with the poor. Due to his Arab nationalist sentiments, he abandoned ties with Western powers and persued aims of uniting Arab countries by instigating the Arab Federation with Syria and Egypt in 1971, which soon broke down in argument and recrimination.

Gaddafi's relations with the West, became increasingly strained leading to accusations in 1986 that he sent agents to blow up a Berlin club frequented by American marines. The U.S. responded with air raids hitting one of Gaddafi's homes and killing his adopted daughter.

During his reign, Gaddafi designed a political system of local congresses where people were allowed to air their views and appoint representatives to the General People's Congress. Critics dismissed this move saying the Congress was dedicated to maintaining power and wealth in Gaddafi's hands.

He injected money into projects like the Great Man-Made River, a scheme to pipe water from desert wells to coastal communities. The project, which Gaddafi has described as the eighth wonder of the world, is estimated to have cost 20 billion dollars.

When Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over the Scottish village of Lockerbie in December 1988, killing two hundred and seventy people, Western intelligence agencies were quick to point the finger of blame at the Gaddafi regime.

United Nations Council sanctions following the bombing crippled Libya's economy but did not appear to dampen Gaddafi's revolutionary spirit and his anti-capitalist, anti-Western rhetoric.

Gaddafi's quirky style was legendary; he once pitched a tent on Cairo's presidential compound, on a visit. He also ignored traditions of his conservative society, surrounding himself with women bodyguards toting assault rifles.

He frequently criticized Arab leaders, attacking Saudi Arabia in 2003 for hosting thousands of U.S. troops since the 1991 Gulf War. Later in 2003 he caught the world by surprise announcing plans to abandon its weapons of mass destruction programme.

The announcement drew swift praise from London and Washington and an end to international isolation, with the U.S. and U.K. ending a broad trade embargo, and resuming full diplomatic relations.

On 4 March 2008 Gaddafi announced his intention to dissolve the country's existing administrative structure and disburse oil revenue directly to the people. The plan included abolishing all ministries; except those of defence, internal security, and foreign affairs, and departments implementing strategic projects.

And in 2009, Gaddafi personally told government officials that Libya would soon experience a "new political period" and would have elections for important positions such as minister-level roles and the National Security Advisor position (a Prime Minister equivalent). He also promised to include international monitors to ensure fair elections. His speech was said to have caused quite a stir.

In June 2009 Gaddafi arrived in Rome for a four day visit, his first trip to Libya's former colonial ruler where he was welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In 2009 in his first visit to the U.S. since he took power 40 years ago, Gaddafi accused major powers on the U.N.'s Security Council of betraying the principles of the U.N. charter. Gaddafi never held an official state position and was known simply as "Brother Leader and Guide of the Revolution".

HUMAN RIGHTS

Well the same people were, despite claims that he did not have respect for human rights; Gaddafi’s relationship with the West was going through something of a renaissance before the uprising began in February. He came bearing gifts — namely oil and gas — gifts the West found hard to turn down.

When the rising international oil prices began to raise Gaddafi's revenues in the 1970s, Gaddafi spent much of the revenues on arms purchases and on sponsoring his political projects abroad.Gaddafi's relatives adopted lavish lifestyles, including luxurious homes, Hollywood film investments and private parties with American pop stars.

That notwithstanding, between 2000 and 2011, Libya recorded favourable growth rates with an estimated 10.6 percent growth of GDP in 2010, the highest of any state in Africa. Gaddafi had promised "a home for all Libyans" and during his rule, new residential areas rose in empty Saharan regions. Entire populations living in mud-brick caravan towns were moved into modern homes with running water, electricity, and satellite TV.

During Gaddafi's rule, infant mortality rates went from 125/1000 live births, about average for Africa at the time, to 15.04/1,000, the best rate in Africa.Libyans who could afford it often had to seek medical care in neighbouring countries such as Tunisia and Egypt because of lack of decent medical care in Libya

REVOLUTION

On 17 February 2011, major political protests began in Libya against Gaddafi's government. During the following week these protests gained significant grounds, despite stiff resistance from the Gaddafi government.

By late February the country appeared to be rapidly descending into chaos, and the government lost control of most of Eastern Libya.

Fighting back, Gaddafi accused the rebels of being "drugged" and linked to al-Qaeda. However, 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 were also jailed for insubordination for refusing to follow orders from Gaddafi.

On 20 October 2011, a National Transitional Council (NTC) official told Al Jazeera that Gaddafi had been captured that morning by Libyan forces near his hometown of Sirte in a tunnel west of the town.

He had been in a convoy of vehicles that was targeted by a French air strike on a road about 3 kilometres (1.9 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. NTC fighters found the group and took Gaddafi prisoner.

Libya's Prime Minister and several NTC figures have confirmed Gaddafi's death, claiming he died of wounds suffered during his capture.

However, uncertainty still looms in Libya after the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as a vacuum is left in the lives of many Libyan faithful who have long waited this day to be liberated from the Gaddafi’s paws.

The question is “What will happen in Libya now in the political sense? What are the next steps for their people to build the government they want? And how long will this take?”

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