Gaddafi

Muammar al-Gaddafi, often transliterated Gaddafi, was a Libyan political leader who ruled Libya from a 1969 military coup until his overthrow and death in 2011. Born in 1942 near Sirte, he joined the Libyan Army after studying at military institutions. On September 1, 1969, he led a coup that toppled King Idris I and established the Libyan Arab Republic, which he later described as the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Gaddafi promoted a revolutionary ideology centered on his Green Book and the concept of a direct democracy known as Jamahiriya, in which he claimed power flowed from the people through popular committees. In practice, authority was highly centralized under his leadership. He authored and promoted The Green Book, which combined elements of Arab nationalism, socialism, and Islam. His government nationalized a large portion of the oil industry and used revenues for social programs, while dissent was frequently suppressed.

In foreign policy, Gaddafi pursued anti-imperialist and pan-Arabist goals and supported various revolutionary movements and militant groups around the world. Relations with the West fluctuated, including a 1986 U.S. strike following Libyan involvement in international incidents, and later a 2003 decision to accept responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and to renounce weapons of mass destruction programs. Sanctions were lifted in 2004 after Libyan cooperation.

The 2011 Libyan Civil War, sparked by widespread protests and a NATO military intervention, ended Gaddafi’s rule. He was killed on October 20, 2011, near his hometown of Sirte. His legacy remains highly controversial, reflecting both the country’s modernization gains and the repression associated with his decades-long rule.