Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al - Gaddafi ( ) ( 194220 October 2011 ) , commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi , was a Libyan revolutionary and politician , and the " de facto " ruler of Libya for 42 years . Taking power in a 1969 coup d ' etat , he ruled as Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then as the " Brother Leader " of the Great Socialist People ' s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011 , when he was ousted in the Libyan civil war . After beginning as an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist , he later governed the country according to his own ideology , the Third International Theory . He eventually embraced Pan - Africanism , and served as Chairperson of the African Union from 2009 to 2010 . The son of an impoverished Bedouin goatherder , Gaddafi became involved in politics while at school in Sabha , subsequently enrolling in the Royal Military Academy , Benghazi . Founding a revolutionary cell within the military , in 1969 they seized power from King Idris in a bloodless coup . Becoming Chairman of the governing Revolutionary Command Council ( RCC ) , he dissolved the monarchy and proclaimed the Republic . Ruling by decree , he implemented measures to remove what he viewed as foreign imperialist influence from Libya , and strengthened ties to Arab nationalist governments . Intent on pushing Libya toward " Islamic socialism " , he introduced " sharia " as the basis for the legal system and nationalized the oil industry , using the increased revenues to bolster the military , implement social programs and fund revolutionary militants across the world . In 1973 he initiated a " Popular Revolution " with the formation of General People ' s Committee s ( GPCs ) , a system of direct democracy , but retained personal control over major decisions . He outlined his Third International Theory that year , publishing these ideas in " The Green Book " . In 1977 , he dissolved the Republic and created the " Jamahiriya " , a " state of the masses " part - governed by GPCs . Officially adopting a symbolic role in governance , he retained power as military commander - in - chief and head of the Revolutionary Committees responsible for policing and suppressing opponents . Overseeing unsuccessful border conflicts with Egypt and Chad , Gaddafi ' s support for foreign militants and alleged responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing led to Libya ' s label of " international pariah " . A particularly hostile relationship developed with the United States and United Kingdom , resulting in the 1986 U . S . bombing of Libya and United Nations - imposed economic sanctions . From 1999 , Gaddafi encouraged economic privatization , pan - African integration , and sought better relations with the West . In 2011 , an anti - Gaddafist uprising led by the National Transitional Council ( NTC ) broke out , resulting in civil war . NATO intervened militarily on the side of the NTC , resulting in the government ' s downfall . Retreating to Sirte , Gaddafi was captured and killed by NTC rebels . Gaddafi was a controversial and highly divisive world figure . Supporters lauded his anti - imperialist stance and his support for pan - Africanism and pan - Arabism , and he was decorated with various awards . Conversely , he was internationally condemned as a dictator and autocrat whose authoritarian administration violated the human rights of Libyan citizens and supported international terrorism . Early life . Childhood : 1942 / 43 – 1950 . Muammar Gaddafi was born in a tent near Qasr Abu Hadi , a rural area outside the town of Sirte in the deserts of western Libya . His family came from a small , relatively un - influential tribal group called the Qadhadhfa , who were Arabized Berber in heritage . His father , Mohammad Abdul Salam bin Hamed bin Mohammad , was known as Abu Meniar ( died 1985 ) , and his mother was named Aisha ( died 1978 ) ; Abu Meniar earned a meagar subsistence as a goat and camel herder . Nomadic Bedouin , they were illiterate and kept no birth records . As such , Gaddafi ' s date of birth is not known with certainty , and sources have set it in 1942 or in the spring of 1943 , although biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that it could have been pre - 1940 . His parents ' only surviving son , he had three older sisters . Gaddafi ' s upbringing in Bedouin culture influenced his personal tastes for the rest of the life . He repeatedly expressed a preference for the desert to the city , and retreated to the desert to meditate . At the time of his birth , Libya was occupied by Italy , witnessing the conflict between Italian and British troops as a part of the North African Campaign of World War II ; as a result , Gaddafi was aware of the involvement of European colonialists in his country from childhood . According to later claims , Gaddafi ' s paternal grandfather , Abdessalam Bouminyar , was killed by the Italian Army during the Italian invasion of 1911 . At World War II ' s end in 1945 , British and French forces had taken control of Libya , and although intending on dividing the nation between themselves , the General Assembly of the United Nations declared that the country be granted political independence . In 1951 , the UN created the United Kingdom of Libya , a federal state under the leadership of a pro - western monarch , Idris , who banned political parties and established an absolute monarchy . Education and political activism : 1950 – 1963 . Gaddafi ' s earliest education was of a religious nature , imparted by a local Islamic teacher . Subsequently moving to nearby Sirte to attend elementary school , he progressed through six grades in four years . Education in Libya was not free , but his father thought it would greatly benefit his son despite the financial strain . During the week Gaddafi slept in a mosque , and at weekends walked 20 miles to visit his parents . Bullied for being a Bedouin , he was proud of his identity and encouraged pride in other Bedouin children . From Sirte , he and his family moved to the market town of Sabha in Fezzan , south - central Libya , where his father worked as caretaker for a tribal leader while Muammar attended secondary school , something neither parent had done . Gaddafi was popular at school ; some friends made there received significant jobs in his later administration , most notably his best friend Abdul Salam Jalloud . Many teachers at Sabha were Egyptian , and for the first time Gaddafi had access to pan - Arab newspapers and radio broadcasts , most notably the Cairo - based " Voice of the Arabs " . Growing up , Gaddafi witnessed significant events rock the Arab world , including the 1948 Arab - Israeli War , the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 , the Suez Crisis of 1956 , and the short - lived existence of the United Arab Republic between 1958 and 1961 . Gaddafi admired the political changes implemented in the Arab Republic of Egypt under his hero Gamal Abdel Nasser . Nasser argued for Arab nationalism ; the rejection of Western colonialism , neo - colonialism , and zionism ; and a transition from capitalism to socialism . His book , " Philosophy of the Revolution " , was a key influence on Gaddafi ; outlining how to initiate a coup , it has been described as " the inspiration and blueprint of [ Gaddafi ' s ] revolution . " Gaddafi organized demonstrations and distributed posters criticizing the monarchy . In October 1961 , he led a demonstration protesting Syria ' s secession from the United Arab Republic . During this they broke windows of a local hotel accused of serving alcohol ; catching the authorities ' attention , they expelled his family from Sabha . Gaddafi moved to Misrata , there attending Misrata Secondary School . Maintaining his interest in Arab nationalist activism , he refused to join any of the banned political parties active in the city – including the Arab Nationalist Movement , the Arab Socialist Ba ' ath Party , and the Muslim Brotherhood – claiming he rejected factionalism . He read voraciously on the subjects of Nasser and the French Revolution of 1789 , as well as the works of Syrian political theorist Michel Aflaq and biographies of Abraham Lincoln , Sun Yat - Sen , and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk . Military training : 1963 – 1966 . Briefly studying History at the University of Libya in Benghazi , Gaddafi dropped out to join the military . Despite his police record , in 1963 he began training at the Royal Military Academy , Benghazi , alongside several like - minded friends from Misrata . The armed forces offered the only opportunity for upward social mobility for underprivileged Libyans , and Gaddafi recognised it as a potential instrument of political change . Libya ' s armed forces were trained by the British military , angering Gaddafi , who viewed the British as imperialists ; he refused to learn English , was rude to the British officers , and failed his exams . British trainers reported him for insubordination and abusive behaviour , stating their suspicion that he was involved in the assassination of the military academy ' s commander in 1963 . Such reports were ignored and Gaddafi quickly progressed through the course . With a group of loyal cadres , in 1964 Gaddafi founded the Central Committee of the Free Officers Movement , a revolutionary group named after Nasser ' s Egyptian predecessor . Led by Gaddafi , they met clandestinely and were organised into a clandestine cell system , offering their salaries into a single fund . Gaddafi travelled around Libya gathering intelligence and developing connections with sympathisers , but the government ' s intelligence services ignored him , considering him little threat . Graduating in August 1965 , Gaddafi became a communications officer in the army ' s signal corps . In April 1966 , he was assigned to the United Kingdom for further training ; over 9 months he underwent an English - language course at Beaconsfield , Buckinghamshire , a Royal Air Corps signal instructors course in Bovington Camp , Dorset , and an infantry signal instructors course at Hythe , Kent . Despite later rumours to the contrary , he did not attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst . The Bovington signal course ' s director reported that Gaddafi successfully overcame problems learning English , displaying a firm command of voice procedure . Noting that Gaddafi ' s favourite hobbies were reading and playing football , he thought him an " amusing officer , always cheerful , hard - working , and conscientious . " Gaddafi disliked England , claiming British Army officers racially insulted him and finding it difficult adjusting to the country ' s culture ; asserting his Arab identity in London , he walked around Piccadilly wearing traditional Libyan robes . He later related that while he travelled to England believing it more advanced than Libya , he returned home " more confident and proud of our values , ideals and social character . " Libyan Arab Republic . Coup d ' etat : 1969 . King Idris ' government was increasingly unpopular by the latter 1960s ; it had centralised Libya ' s federal system to take advantage of the country ' s oil wealth , exacerbating traditional regional and tribal divisions . Corruption and entrenched systems of patronage were widespread throughout the oil industry . Arab nationalism was increasingly popular , and protests flared up following Egypt ' s 1967 defeat in the Six Day War with Israel ; allied to the western powers , Idris ' administration was seen as pro - Israeli . Anti - western riots broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi , while Libyan workers shut down oil terminals in solidarity with Egypt . By 1969 , the U . S . Central Intelligence Agency was expecting segments of Libya ' s armed forces to launch a coup . Although claims have been made that they knew of Gaddafi ' s Free Officers Movement , they have since claimed ignorance , stating that they were monitoring Abdul Aziz Shalhi ' s Black Boots revolutionary group . In mid - 1969 , Idris travelled abroad to spend the summer in Turkey and Greece . Gaddafi ' s Free Officers recognized this as their chance to overthrow the monarchy , initiating " Operation Jerusalem " . On 1 September , they occupied airports , police depots , radio stations and government offices in Tripoli and Benghazi . Gaddafi took control of the Berka barracks in Benghazi , while Omar Meheisha occupied Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the city ' s anti - aircraft batteries . Khweldi Hameidi was sent to arrest crown prince Sayyid Hasan ar - Rida al - Mahdi as - Sanussi , and force him to relinquish his claim to the throne . They met no serious resistance , and wielded little violence against the monarchists . Having abolished the monarchy , Gaddafi proclaimed the foundation of the Libyan Arab Republic . Addressing the populace by radio , he proclaimed an end to the " reactionary and corrupt " regime , " the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all . " Due to the coup ' s bloodless nature , it was initially labelled the " White Revolution " , although was later renamed the " One September Revolution " after the date on which it occurred . Gaddafi insisted that the Free Officers ' coup represented a revolution , marking the start of widespread change in the socio - economic and political nature of Libya . He proclaimed that the revolution meant " freedom , socialism , and unity " , and over the coming years implemented measures to achieve this . Consolidating leadership : 1969 – 1973 . The 12 member central committee of the Free Officers proclaimed themselves the Revolutionary Command Council ( RCC ) , the government of the new republic . Gaddafi became RCC Chairman , and therefore the " de facto " head of state , also appointing himself to the rank of Colonel and becoming commander - in - chief of the armed forces . Jalloud became Prime Minister , while a civilian Council of Ministers headed by Sulaiman Maghribi was founded to implement RCC policy . Although theoretically a collegial body operating through consensus building , Gaddafi dominated the RCC , although some of the others attempted to constrain what they saw as his excesses . Gaddafi remained the government ' s public face , with the identities of the other RCC members only being publicly revealed on 10 January 1970 . All young men from ( typically rural ) working and middle - class backgrounds , and none had university degrees ; in this way they were distinct from the wealthy , highly educated conservatives who previously governed the country . The coup completed , the RCC proceeded with their intentions of consolidating the revolutionary government and modernizing the country . They purged monarchists and members of Idris ' Senussi clan from Libya ' s political world and armed forces ; Gaddafi believed this elite were opposed to the will of the Libyan people and had to be expunged . " People ' s Courts " were founded to try various monarchist politicians and journalists , and though many were imprisoned , none were executed . Idris was sentenced to execution " in absentia " . In May 1970 , the Revolutionary Intellectuals Seminar was held to bring intellectuals in line with the revolution , while that year ' s Legislative Review and Amendment united secular and religious law codes , introducing " sharia " into the legal system . Ruling by decree , the RCC maintained the monarchy ' s ban on political parties , in May 1970 banned trade unions , and in 1972 outlawed workers ' strikes and suspended newspapers . In September 1971 , Gaddafi resigned , claiming to be dissatisfied with the pace of reform , but returned to his position within a month . In February 1973 , he resigned again , once more returning the following month . Economic and social reform . With crude oil as the country ' s primary export , Gaddafi sought to improve Libya ' s oil sector . In October 1969 , he proclaimed the current trade terms unfair , benefiting foreign corporations more than the Libyan state , and by threatening to reduce production , in December Jalloud successfully increased the price of Libyan oil . In 1970 , other OPEC states followed suit , leading to a global increase in the price of crude oil . The RCC followed with the Tripoli Agreement , in which they secured income tax , back - payments and better pricing from the oil corporations ; these measures brought Libya an estimated $ 1 billion in additional revenues in its first year . Increasing state control over the oil sector , the RCC began a program of nationalization , starting with the expropriation of British Petroleum ' s share of the British Petroleum - N . B . Hunt Sahir Field in December 1971 . In September 1973 , it was announced that all foreign oil producers active in Libya were to be nationalized . For Gaddafi , this was an important step towards socialism . It proved an economic success ; while gross domestic product had been $ 3 . 8 billion in 1969 , it had risen to $ 13 . 7 billion in 1974 , and $ 24 . 5 billion in 1979 . In turn , the Libyans ' standard of life greatly improved over the first decade of Gaddafi ' s administration , and by 1979 the average per - capita income was at $ 8 , 170 , up from $ 40 in 1951 ; this was above the average of many industrialized countries like Italy and the U . K . The RCC attempted to suppress regional and tribal affiliation , replacing it with a unified pan - Libyan identity . In doing so , they tried discrediting tribal leaders as agents of the old regime , and in August 1971 a Sabha military court tried many of them for counter - revolutionary activity . Long - standing administrative boundaries were re - drawn , crossing tribal boundaries , while pro - revolutionary modernizers replaced traditional leaders , but the communities they served often rejected them . Realizing the failures of the modernizers , on 11 June 1967 Gaddafi created the Arab Socialist Union ( ASU ) , a mass mobilization vanguard party of which he was president . The ASU recognized the RCC as its " Supreme Leading Authority " , and was designed to further revolutionary enthusiasm throughout the country . The RCC implemented measures for social reform , adopting " sharia " as a basis . The consumption of alcohol was banned , night clubs and Christian churches were shut down , traditional Libyan dress was encouraged , while Arabic was decreed as the only language permitted in official communications and road signs . From 1969 to 1973 , the RCC introduced social welfare programs funded with oil money , which led to house - building projects and improved healthcare and education . In doing so , they greatly expanded the public sector , providing employment for thousands . Compulsory education was expanded from 6 to 9 years old , while adult literacy programs and free university education were implemented ; Beida University was founded , while Tripoli University and Benghazi University were expanded . These early social programs proved popular within Libya . This popularity was partly due to Gaddafi ' s personal charisma , youth and underdog status as a Bedouin , as well as his rhetoric emphasizing his role as the successor to the anti - Italian fighter Omar Mukhtar . Foreign relations . The influence of Nasser ' s Arab nationalism over the RCC was immediately apparent . The administration was instantly recognized by the neighbouring Arab nationalist regimes in Egypt , Syria , Iraq and Sudan , with Egypt sending experts to aid the inexperienced RCC . Gaddafi propounded Pan - Arab ideas , proclaiming the need for a single Arab state stretching across North Africa and the Middle East ; in December 1969 , Libya founded the Arab Revolutionary Front with Egypt and Sudan as a step towards political unification , and in 1970 Syria stated its intention to join . After Nasser died in November 1970 , his successor , Anwar Sadat , suggested that rather than a unified state , they create a political federation , implemented in April 1971 ; in doing so , Egypt , Syria and Sudan got large grants of Libyan oil money . In February 1972 , Gaddafi and Sadat signed an unofficial charter of merger , but it was never implemented as relations broke down the following year . Sadat became increasingly wary of Libya ' s radical direction , and the September 1973 deadline for implementing the Federation passed by with no action taken . After the coup , representatives of the Four Powers – France , the United Kingdom , the United States and the Soviet Union – were called to meet RCC representatives . The U . K . and U . S . quickly extended diplomatic recognition , hoping to secure the position of their military bases in Libya and fearing further instability . Hoping to ingratiate themselves with Gaddafi , in 1970 the U . S . informed him of at least one planned counter - coup . Such attempts to form a working relationship with the RCC failed ; Gaddafi was determined to reassert national sovereignty and expunge foreign colonial and imperialist influences . His administration insisted that the U . S . and U . K . remove their military bases from Libya , with Gaddafi proclaiming that " the armed forces which rose to express the people ' s revolution [ will not ] tolerate living in their shacks while the bases of imperialism exist in Libyan territory . " The British left in March and the Americans in June 1970 . Moving to reduce Italian influence , in October 1970 all Italian - owned assets were expropriated and the 12 , 000 - strong Italian community expelled from Libya alongside a smaller number of Jews ; the day became a national holiday . Aiming to reduce North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) power in the Mediterranean , in 1971 Libya requested that Malta cease to allow NATO to use its land for a military base , in turn offering them foreign aid . Compromising , Malta ' s government continued allowing NATO use of the island , but only on the condition that they would not use it for launching attacks on Arab territory . Orchestrating a military build - up , the RCC began purchasing weapons from France and the Soviet Union ; the commercial relationship with the latter led to an increasingly strained relationship with the U . S . , who were then engaged in the Cold War with the Soviets . Gaddafi was especially critical of the U . S . due to their support for Israel ; Gaddafi supported the Palestinians in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict , viewing the 1948 creation of Israel as a Western colonial occupation forced on the Arab world . Calling on the Arab states to wage " continuous war " against Israel , in 1970 he initiated a Jihad Fund to finance anti - Israeli militants , and in June 1972 created the First Nasserite Volunteers Centre to train anti - Israeli guerrillas . His relationship with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat of Fatah was strained , with Gaddafi considering him too moderate and calling for more violent action . Instead he supported militia like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine , Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command , the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine , As - Sa ' iqa , the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front , and the Abu Nidal Organization . He funded the Black September group who perpetrated the 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli athletes in West Germany , and had the killed militants ' bodies flown to Libya for a hero ' s funeral . Gaddafi also welcomed the three surviving attackers in Tripoli following their release in exchange for the hostages of hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615 a few weeks later and allowed for them going into hiding . Gaddafi financially supported other militant groups across the world , including the Black Panther Party , Nation of Islam , Tupamaros , 19th of April Movement and Sandinista National Liberation Front in the Americas , the Provisional Irish Republican Army , Action directe , ETA , the Red Brigades , and the Red Army Faction in Europe , and the Armenian Secret Army , Japanese Red Army , Free Aceh Movement , and Moro National Liberation Front in Asia . Gaddafi was indiscriminate in the causes he funded , sometimes switching from supporting one side in a conflict to the other , as in the Eritrean War of Independence . Throughout the 1970s these groups received financial support from Libya , which came to be seen as a leader in the Third World ' s struggle against colonialism and neocolonialism . Though many of these groups were labelled " terrorists " by critics of their activities , Gaddafi refuted such a characterisation , instead considering them revolutionaries engaged in liberation struggles . The " Popular Revolution " : 1973 – 1977 . On 16 April 1973 , Gaddafi proclaimed the start of a " Popular Revolution " in a Zuwara speech . He initiated this with a 5 - point plan , the first point of which dissolved all existing laws , to be replaced by revolutionary enactments . The second point proclaimed that all opponents of the revolution had to be removed , while the third initiated an administrative revolution that Gaddafi proclaimed would remove all traces of bureaucracy and the bourgeoisie . The fourth point announced that the population must form People ' s Committees and be armed to defend the revolution , while the fifth proclaimed the beginning of a cultural revolution to expunge Libya of " poisonous " foreign influences . He began to lecture on this new phase of the revolution in Libya , Egypt , and France . As part of this Popular Revolution , Gaddafi invited Libya ' s people to found General People ' s Committee s as conduits for raising political consciousness . Although offering little guidance for how to set up these councils , Gaddafi exclaimed that they would offer a form of direct political participation that was more democratic than a traditional party - based representative system . He hoped that the councils would mobilize the people behind the RCC , erode the power of the traditional leaders and the bureaucracy , and allow for a new legal system chosen by the people . The People ' s Committees led to a high percentage of public involvement in decision making , within the limits permitted by the RCC , but exasperated tribal divisions . They also served as a surveillance system , aiding the security services in locating individuals with views critical of the RCC , leading to the arrest of Ba ' athists , Marxists and Islamists . Operating in a pyramid structure , the base form of these Committees were local working groups , who sent elected representatives to the district level , and from there to the national level , divided between the General People ' s Congress and the General People ' s Committee . Above these remained Gaddafi and the RCC , who remained responsible for all major decisions . Third Universal Theory and " The Green Book " . In June 1973 Gaddafi created a political ideology underpinning the Popular Revolution : Third Universal Theory . Rejecting the capitalism of the western world and the atheism of the communist powers , it considered both the U . S . and Soviet Union to be imperialist . In this respect it was similar to the Three Worlds Theory developed by China ' s political leader Mao Zedong . As part of this theory , Gaddafi praised nationalism as a progressive force and advocated the creation of a pan - Arab state which would lead the Islamic and Third Worlds against imperialism . Gaddafi saw Islam as having a key role in this ideology , calling for an Islamic revival that returned to the origins of the Qur ' an , rejecting scholarly interpretations and the Hadith ; in doing so he angered many Libyan clerics . Over 1973 and 1974 his government deepened the legal reliance on " sharia " , for instance introducing flogging for those convicted of adultery or same - sex sexual activity . Gaddafi summarized Third Universal Theory in three short volumes published between 1975 and 1979 , collectively known as " The Green Book " . Volume one was devoted to the issue of democracy , outlining the flaws of representative systems in favour of direct , participatory GPCs . The second dealt with Gaddafi ' s beliefs regarding socialism , while the third explored social issues regarding the family and the tribe . While the first two volumes advocated radical reform , the third adopted a socially conservative stance , proclaiming that while men and women were equal , they were biologically designed for different roles in life . In ensuing years Gaddafists adopted quotes from " The Green Book " , such as " Representation is Fraud " , as slogans . Meanwhile , in September 1975 Gaddafi implemented further measures to increase popular mobilization , introducing objectives to improve the relationship between the Councils and the ASU . These radical reforms led to discontent , furthered by widespread opposition to the RCC ' s decision to spend oil money on foreign causes . In 1974 , Libya saw its first civilian attack on Gaddafi ' s government when a Benghazi army building was bombed . The following year , two RCC members , Bashir Saghir al - Hawaadi and Omar Mehishi , launched a failed coup against Gaddafi , and in the aftermath only five RCC members remained . This led to the RCC ' s official abolition in March 1977 . In September 1975 Gaddafi purged the army , arresting around 200 senior officers , and in October he founded the clandestine Office for the Security of the Revolution . In 1976 , student demonstrations broke out in Tripoli and Benghazi , but were attacked by police and Gaddafist students . The RCC responded with mass arrests , and introduced compulsory national service for young people . Dissent also arose from conservative clerics and the Muslim Brotherhood , who were persecuted as anti - revolutionary . In January 1977 two dissenting students and a number of army officers were publicly hanged ; Amnesty International condemned it as the first time in Gaddafist Libya that dissenters had been executed for purely political crimes . Foreign relations . Following Anwar Sadat ' s ascension to the Egyptian presidency , Libya ' s relations with Egypt deteriorated . Sadat was perturbed by Gaddafi ' s unpredictability and insistence that Egypt required a cultural revolution . In February 1973 , Israeli forces shot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 , which had strayed from Egyptian airspace into Israeli - held territory during a sandstorm . Gaddafi was infuriated that Egypt had not done more to prevent the incident , and in retaliation planned to destroy the " RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 " , a British ship chartered by American Jews to sail to Haifa for Israel ' s 25th anniversary . Gaddafi ordered an Egyptian submarine to target the ship , but Sadat cancelled the order , fearing a military escalation . Gaddafi was later infuriated when Egypt and Syria planned the Yom Kippur War against Israel without consulting him , and was angered when Egypt conceded to peace talks rather than pushing for total victory . Sadat and Gaddafi became openly hostile , the latter calling for Sadat ' s overthrow , while relations with Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry collapsed as Nimeiry took Sadat ' s side . By 1975 , Gaddafi was sponsoring the Sudan People ' s Liberation Army to overthrow Nimeiry . Focusing his attention elsewhere in Africa , in late 1972 and early 1973 , Libya invaded Chad to annex the uranium - rich Aouzou Strip . Offering financial incentives , he successfully convinced 8 African states to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1973 . Intent on propagating Islam , in 1973 Gaddafi founded the Islamic Call Society , which had opened 132 centres across Africa within a decade . In 1973 he converted Gabonese President Omar Bongo , an action which he repeated three years later with Jean - Bédel Bokassa , president of the Central African Republic . Gaddafi sought to develop closer links in the Maghreb ; in January 1974 Libya and Tunisia announced a political union , the Arab Islamic Republic . Although advocated by Gaddafi and Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba , the move was deeply unpopular in Tunisia and soon abandoned . Retaliating , Gaddafi sponsored anti - government militants in Tunisia into the 1980s . Turning his attention to Algeria , in 1975 Libya signed the Hassi Messaoud defence agreement allegedly to counter " Moroccan expansionism " , also funding the Polisario Front of Western Sahara in their independence struggle against Morocco . Seeking to diversify Libya ' s economy , Gaddafi ' s government began purchasing shares in major European corporations like Fiat as well as buying real estate in Malta and Italy , which would become a valuable source of income during the 1980s oil slump . Great Socialist People ' s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya . Foundation : 1977 . On 2 March 1977 the General People ' s Congress adopted the " Declaration of the Establishment of the People ' s Authority " at Gaddafi ' s behest . Dissolving the Libyan Arab Republic , it was replaced by the Great Socialist People ' s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ( , " ) " , a " state of the masses " conceptualized by Gaddafi . Officially , the " Jamahiriya " was a direct democracy in which the people ruled themselves through the 187 Basic People ' s Congress es , where all adult Libyans participated and voted on national decisions . These then sent members to the annual General People ' s Congress , which was broadcast live on television . In principle , the People ' s Congresses were Libya ' s highest authority , with major decisions proposed by government officials or Gaddafi himself requiring the consent of the People ' s Congresses . Debate remained limited , and major decisions regarding the economy and defence were avoided or dealt with cursorily ; the GPC largely remained " a rubber stamp " for Gaddafi ' s policies . On rare occasions , the GPC opposed Gaddafi ' s suggestions , sometimes successfully ; notably , when Gaddafi called on primary schools to be abolished , believing home schooling healthier for children , the GPC rejected the idea . In other instances , Gaddafi pushed through laws without the GPC ' s support , such as when he desired to allow women into the armed forces . Gaddafi proclaimed that the People ' s Congresses provided for Libya ' s every political need , rendering other political organizations unnecessary ; all non - authorized groups , including political parties , professional associations , independent trade unions and women ' s groups , were banned . With preceding legal institutions abolished , Gaddafi envisioned the " Jamahiriya " as following the Qur ' an for legal guidance , adopting " sharia " law ; he proclaimed " man - made " laws unnatural and dictatorial , only permitting God ' s law . Within a year he was backtracking , announcing that " sharia " was inappropriate for the " Jamahiriya " because it guaranteed the protection of private property , contravening " The Green Book " ' s socialism . His emphasis on placing his own work on a par with the Qur ' an led conservative clerics to accuse him of " shirk " , furthering their opposition to his regime . In July , a border war broke out with Egypt , in which the Egyptians defeated Libya despite their technological inferiority . The conflict lasted a week before both sides agreed to a peace treaty brokered by several Arab states . That year , Gaddafi was invited to Moscow by the Soviet government in recognition of their increasing commercial relationship . Revolutionary Committees and furthering socialism : 1978 – 1980 . In December 1978 , Gaddafi stepped down as Secretary - General of the GPC , announcing his new focus on revolutionary rather than governmental activities ; this was part of his new emphasis on separating the apparatus of the revolution from the government . Although no longer in a formal governmental post , he adopted the title of " Leader of the Revolution " and continued as commander - in - chief of the armed forces . He continued exerting considerable influence over Libya , with many critics insisting that the structure of Libya ' s direct democracy gave him " the freedom to manipulate outcomes " . On 2 March 1979 , the GPC announced the separation of government and revolution , the latter represented by new Revolutionary Committees , who operated in tandem with the People ' s Committees in schools , universities , unions , the police force and the military . Dominated by revolutionary zealots , the Revolutionary Committees were led by Mohammad Maghgoub and a Central Coordinating Office , and met with Gaddafi annually . Publishing weekly magazine " The Green March " ( " al - Zahf al - Akhdar " ) , in October 1980 they took control of all press . Responsible for perpetuating revolutionary fervour , they performed ideological surveillance , later adopting a significant security role , making arrests and putting people on trial according to the " law of the revolution " ( " qanun al - thawra " ) . With no legal code or safeguards , the administration of revolutionary justice was largely arbitrary and resulted in widespread abuses and the suppression of civil liberties : the " Green Terror . " 1978 saw the Libyan government push towards socialism . In March , they published guidelines for housing redistribution , attempting to ensure that every adult Libyan owned their own home and was not " enslaved " to paying rent . Most families were banned from owning more than one house , and houses that had formerly been rented were expropriated and sold to the tenants at a heavily subsidized price . In September , Gaddafi called for the People ' s Committees to eliminate the " bureaucracy of the public sector " and the " dictatorship of the private sector " ; the People ' s Committees seized control of several hundred companies , converting them into workers ' cooperatives run by elected representatives . In 1979 , the committees began redistribution of land in the Jefara plain , continuing through to 1981 . In May 1980 , measures to redistribute and equalize wealth were implemented ; anyone with over 1000 dinar in their bank account saw that extra money expropriated . The following year , the GPC announced that the government would take control of all import , export and distribution functions , with state supermarkets replacing privately owned businesses ; this led to a decline in the availability of consumer goods and the development of a thriving black market . The " Jamahiriya " ' s radical direction earned the government many enemies . In February 1978 Gaddafi discovered that his head of military intelligence was plotting to kill him , and began to increasingly entrust security to his Qaddadfa tribe . Many who had seen their wealth and property confiscated turned against the administration , and a number of western - funded opposition groups were founded by exiles . Most prominent was the National Front for the Salvation of Libya ( NFSL ) , founded in 1981 by Mohammed Magariaf , which orchestrated militant attacks against Libya ' s government , while another , al - Borkan , began killing Libyan diplomats abroad . Following Gaddafi ' s command to kill these " stray dogs " , under Colonel Younis Bilgasim ' s leadership , the Revolutionary Committees set up overseas branches to suppress counter - revolutionary activity , assassinating various dissidents . Though similar tactics were employed by Syria and Israel , Gaddafi was unusual in publicly bragging about his administration ' s use of hit squads ; in June 1980 , he ordered all dissidents to return home or be " liquidated wherever you are . " In 1979 , the U . S . placed Libya on their list of state sponsors of terrorism , while at the end of the year a demonstration torched the U . S . embassy in Tripoli in solidarity with the perpetrators of the Iran hostage crisis . The following year , Libyan fighters began intercepting U . S . fighter jets flying over the Mediterranean , signalling the collapse of relations between the two countries . Libyan relations with Lebanon and Shi ' ite communities across the world also deteriorated over the August 1978 disappearance of imam Musa al - Sadr when on a visit to Libya ; the Lebanese accused Gaddafi of having him killed or imprisoned , a charge he denied . Relations with Syria improved , as Gaddafi and Syrian President Hafez al - Assad shared an enmity with Israel and Egypt ' s Sadat . In 1980 , they proposed a political union , with Libya paying off Syria ' s £1 billion debt to the Soviet Union ; although pressures led Assad to pull out , they remained allies . Another key ally was Uganda , and in 1979 , Gaddafi sent 2 , 500 troops into Uganda to defend the regime of President Idi Amin from Tanzanian invaders . The mission failed ; 400 Libyans were killed and they were forced to retreat . He later came to regret his alliance with Amin , openly criticising him . " International Pariah " and " Mad Dog of the Middle East " : 1981 – 1986 . The early and mid - 1980s saw economic trouble for Libya ; from 1982 to 1986 , the country ' s annual oil revenues dropped from $ 21 billion to $ 5 . 4 billion . Focusing on irrigation projects , 1983 saw construction start on " Gaddafi ' s Pet Project " , the Great Manmade River ; although designed to be finished by the end of the decade , it remained incomplete at the start of the 21st century . Military spending increased , while other administrative budgets were cut back . Libya had long supported the Frolinat militia in neighbouring Chad , and in December 1980 , re - invaded Chad at the request of the Frolinat - controlled GUNT government to aid in the civil war ; in January 1981 , Gaddafi suggested a political merger . The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU ) rejected this , and called for a Libyan withdrawal , which came about in November 1981 . The civil war resumed , and so Libya sent troops back in , clashing with French forces who supported the southern Chadian forces . Many African nations had tired of Libya ' s policies of interference in foreign affairs ; by 1980 , nine African states had cut off diplomatic relations with Libya , while in 1982 the OAU cancelled its scheduled conference in Tripoli in order to prevent Gaddafi gaining chairmanship . Proposing political unity with Morocco , in August 1984 , Gaddafi and Moroccan monarch Hassan II signed the Oujda Treaty , forming the Arab - African Union ; such a union was considered surprising due to the strong political differences and longstanding enmity that existed between the two governments . Relations remained strained , particularly due to Morocco ' s friendly relations with the U . S . and Israel ; in August 1986 , Hassan abolished the union . Domestic threats continued to plague Gaddafi ; in May 1984 , his Bab al - Azizia home was unsuccessfully attacked by a joint NFSL - Muslim Brotherhood militia , and in the aftermath 5000 dissidents were arrested . In 1981 , the new US President Ronald Reagan declared Gaddafi an " international pariah " and the " mad dog of the Middle East " . He pursued a hard line approach to Libya , erroneously considering it a puppet regime of the Soviet Union . In turn , Gaddafi played up his commercial relationship with the Soviets , visiting Moscow again in April 1981 and 1985 , and threatening to join the Warsaw Pact . The Soviets were nevertheless cautious of Gaddafi , seeing him as an unpredictable extremist . Beginning military exercises in the Gulfe of Sirte – an area of sea that Libya claimed as a part of its territorial waters – in August 1981 the U . S . shot down two Libyan Su - 22 planes monitoring them . Closing down Libya ' s embassy in Washington D . C . , Reagan advised U . S . companies operating in the country to reduce the number of American personnel stationed there . In March 1982 , the U . S . implemented an embargo of Libyan oil , and in January 1986 ordered all U . S . companies to cease operating in the country , although several hundred workers remained . Diplomatic relations also broke down with the U . K . , after Libyan diplomats were accused of shooting dead Yvonne Fletcher , a British policewoman stationed outside their London embassy , in April 1984 . In Spring 1986 , the U . S . Navy again began performing exercises in the Gulf of Sirte ; the Libyan military retaliated , but failed as the U . S . sank several Libyan ships . After the U . S . accused Libya of orchestrating the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing , in which two American soldiers died , Reagan decided to retaliate militarily . The Central Intelligence Agency were critical of the move , believing that Syria were a greater threat and that an attack would strengthen Gaddafi ' s reputation ; however Libya was recognised as a " soft target . " Reagan was supported by the U . K . but opposed by other European allies , who highlighted that it would contravene international law . In Operation El Dorado Canyon , orchestrated on 15 April 1986 , U . S . military planes launched a series of air - strikes on Libya , bombing military installations in various parts of the country , killing around 100 Libyans , including several civilians . One of the targets had been Gaddafi ' s home . Himself unharmed , two of Gaddafi ' s sons were injured , and he claimed that his four - year - old adopted daughter Hanna was killed , although her existence has since been questioned . " Revolution within a Revolution " : 1987 – 1998 . The late 1980s saw a series of liberalising economic reforms within Libya designed to cope with the decline in oil revenues . In May 1987 , Gaddafi announced the start of the " Revolution within a Revolution " , which began with reforms to industry and agriculture and saw the re - opening of small business . Restrictions were placed on the activities of the Revolutionary Committees ; in March 1988 , their role was narrowed by the newly created Ministry for Mass Mobilization and Revolutionary Leadership to restrict their violence and judicial role , while in August 1988 Gaddafi publicly criticised them , asserting that " they deviated , harmed , tortured " and that " the true revolutionary does not practise repression . " In March , hundreds of political prisoners were freed , with Gaddafi falsely claiming that there were no further political prisoners in Libya . In June , Libya ' s government issued the Great Green Charter on Human Rights in the Era of the Masses , in which 27 articles laid out goals , rights and guarantees to improve the situation of human rights in Libya , restricting the use of the death penalty and calling for its eventual abolition . Many of the measures suggested in the charter would be implemented the following year , although others remained inactive . Also in 1989 , the government founded the Al - Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights , to be awarded to figures from the Third World who had struggled against colonialism and imperialism ; the first year ' s winner was South African anti - apartheid activist Nelson Mandela . From 1994 through to 1997 , the government initiated cleansing committees to root out corruption , particularly in the economic sector . In the aftermath of the 1986 U . S . attack , the army was purged of perceived disloyal elements , and in 1988 , Gaddafi announced the creation of a popular militia to replace the army and police . In 1987 , Libya began production of mustard gas at a facility in Rabta , although publicly denied it was stockpiling chemical weapons , and unsuccessfully attempted to develop nuclear weapons . The period also saw a growth in domestic Islamist opposition , formulated into groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group . A number of assassination attempts against Gaddafi were foiled , and in turn , 1989 saw the security forces raid mosques believed to be centres of counter - revolutionary preaching . In October 1993 , elements of the increasingly marginalised army initiated a failed coup in Misrata , while in September 1995 , Islamists launched an insurgency in Benghazi , and in July 1996 an anti - Gaddafist football riot broke out in Tripoli . The Revolutionary Committees experienced a resurgence to combat these Islamists . In 1989 , Gaddafi was overjoyed by the foundation of the Arab Maghreb Union , uniting Libya in an economic pact with Mauritania , Morocco , Tunisia and Algeria , viewing it as beginnings of a new Pan - Arab union . Meanwhile , Libya stepped up its support for anti - western militants such as the Provisional IRA , and in 1988 , Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in Scotland , killing 259 passengers . British police investigations identified two Libyans – Abdelbaset al - Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah – as the chief suspects , and in November 1991 issued a declaration demanding that Libya hand them over . When Gaddafi refused , citing the Montreal Convention , the United Nations ( UN ) imposed Resolution 748 in March 1992 , initiating economic sanctions against Libya which had deep repurcussions for the country ' s economy . The country suffered an estimated $ 900 million financial loss as a result . Further problems arose with the west when in January 1989 , two Libyan warplanes were shot down by the U . S . off the Libyan coast . Many African states opposed the UN sanctions , with Mandela criticising them on a visit to Gaddafi in October 1997 , when he praised Libya for its work in fighting apartheid and awarded Gaddafi the Order of Good Hope . They would only be suspended in 1998 when Libya agreed to allow the extradition of the suspects to the Scottish Court in the Netherlands , in a process overseen by Mandela . Pan - Africanism , reconciliation and privatization : 1999 – 2011 . As the 20th century came to a close , Gaddafi increasingly rejected Arab nationalism , frustrated by the failure of his Pan - Arab ideals ; instead he turned to Pan - Africanism , emphasising Libya ' s African identity . From 1997 to 2000 , Libya initiated cooperative agreements or bilateral aid arrangements with 10 African states , and in 1999 joined the Community of Sahel - Saharan States . In June 1999 , Gaddafi visited Mandela in South Africa , and the following month attended the OAU summit in Algiers , calling for greater political and economic integration across the continent and advocating the foundation of a United States of Africa . He became one of the founders of the African Union ( AU ) , initiated in July 2002 to replace the OAU ; at the opening ceremonies , he proclaimed that African states should reject conditional aid from the developed world , a direct contrast to the message of South African President Thabo Mbeki . At the third AU summit , held in Libya in July 2005 , he called for a greater level of integration , advocating a single AU passport , a common defence system and a single currency , utilising the slogan : " The United States of Africa is the hope . " In June 2005 , Libya joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA ) , and in August 2008 Gaddafi was proclaimed " King of Kings " by an assembled committee of traditional African leaders . On 1 February 2009 , his " coronation ceremony " was held in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , coinciding with Gaddafi ' s election as AU chairman for a year . The era saw Libya ' s return to the international arena . In 1999 , Libya began secret talks with the British government to normalise relations . In 2001 , Gaddafi condemned the September 11 attacks on the U . S . by al - Qaeda , expressing sympathy with the victims and calling for Libyan involvement in the War on Terror against militant Islamism . His government continued suppressing domestic Islamism , at the same time as Gaddafi called for the wider application of " sharia " law . Libya also cemented connections with China and North Korea , being visited by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in April 2002 . Influenced by the events of the Iraq War , in December 2003 , Libya renounced its possession of weapons of mass destruction , decommissioning its chemical and nuclear weapons programs . Relations with the U . S . improved as a result , while U . K . Prime Minister Tony Blair met with Gaddafi in the Libyan desert in March 2004 . The following month , Gaddafi travelled to the headquarters of the European Union ( EU ) in Brussels , signifying improved relations between Libya and the EU , the latter ending its remaining sanctions in October . In October 2010 , the EU paid Libya €50 million to stop African migrants passing into Europe ; Gaddafi encouraged the move , saying that it was necessary to prevent the loss of European cultural identity to a new " Black Europe " . Removed from the U . S . list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2006 , Gaddafi nevertheless continued his anti - western rhetoric , and at the Second Africa - South America Summit in Venezuela in September 2009 , joined Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in calling for an " anti - imperialist " front across Africa and Latin America . Gaddafi proposed the establishment of a South Atlantic Treaty Organization to rival NATO . That month he also addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the first time , using it to condemn western aggression . In Spring 2010 , Gaddafi proclaimed " jihad " against Switzerland after Swiss police accused two of his family members of criminal activity in the country , resulting in the breakdown of bilateral relations . Libya ' s economy witnessed increasing privatization ; although rejecting the socialist policies of nationalized industry advocated in " The Green Book " , government figures asserted that they were forging " people ' s socialism " rather than capitalism . Gaddafi welcomed these reforms , calling for widescale privatization in a March 2003 speech . In 2003 , the oil industry was largely turned over to private corporations , and by 2004 , there was $ 40 billion of direct foreign investment in Libya , a sixfold rise on 2003 . Sectors of Libya ' s population reacted against these reforms with public demonstrations , and in March 2006 , revolutionary hard - liners took control of the GPC cabinet ; although scaling back the pace of change , they did not halt them . In 2010 , plans were announced that would have seen half the Libyan economy privatized over the following decade . While there was no accompanying political liberalization , with Gaddafi retaining predominant control , in March 2000 , the government devolved further powers to the municipal councils . Rising numbers of reformist technocrats attained positions in the country ' s governance ; best known was Gaddafi ' s son and heir apparent Saif al - Islam Gaddafi , who was openly critical of Libya ' s human rights record . He led a group who proposed the drafting of the new constitution , although it was never adopted , and in October 2009 was appointed to head the PSLC . Involved in encouraging tourism , Saif founded several privately run media channels in 2008 , but after criticising the government they were nationalised in 2009 . In October 2010 , Gaddafi apologized to African leaders on behalf of Arab nations for their involvement in the African slave trade . Libyan civil war . Origins : February – March 2011 . Following the start of the Arab Spring in 2011 , Gaddafi spoke out in favour of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali , then threatened by the Tunisian revolution . He suggested that Tunisia ' s people would be satisfied if Ben Ali introduced a " Jamahiriyah " system there . Fearing domestic protest , Libya ' s government implemented preventative measures , reducing food prices , purging the army leadership of potential defectors and releasing several Islamist prisoners . They proved ineffective , and on 17 February 2011 , major protests broke out against Gaddafi ' s government . Unlike Tunisia or Egypt , Libya was largely religiously homogenous and had no strong Islamist movement , but there was widespread dissatisfaction with the corruption and entrenched systems of patronage , while unemployment had reached around 30 % . Accusing the rebels of being " drugged " and linked to al - Qaeda , Gaddafi proclaimed that he would die a martyr rather than leave Libya . As he announced that the rebels would be " hunted down street by street , house by house and wardrobe by wardrobe " , the army opened fire on protests in Benghazi , killing hundreds . Shocked at the government ' s response , a number of senior politicians resigned or defected to the protesters ' side . The uprising spread quickly through Libya ' s less economically developed eastern half . By February ' s end , eastern cities like Benghazi , Misrata , al - Bayda and Tobruk were controlled by rebels , and the Benghazi - based National Transitional Council ( NTC ) had been founded to represent them . In the conflict ' s early months it appeared that Gaddafi ' s government – with its greater firepower – would be victorious . Both sides disregarded the laws of war , committing human rights abuses , including arbitrary arrests , torture , extrajudicial executions and revenge attacks . On 26 February the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1970 , suspending Libya from the UN Human Rights Council , implementing sanctions and calling for an International Criminal Court ( ICC ) investigation into the killing of unarmed civilians . In March , the Security Council declared a no fly zone to protect the civilian population from aerial bombardment , calling on foreign nations to enforce it ; it also specifically prohibited foreign occupation . Ignoring this , Qatar sent hundreds of troops to support the dissidents , and along with France and the United Arab Emirates provided the NTC with weaponry and training . NATO intervention : March – August 2011 . A week after the implementation of the no - fly zone , NATO announced that it would enforce it . On 30 April a NATO airstrike killed Gaddafi ' s sixth son and three of his grandsons in Tripoli , though Gaddafi and his wife were unharmed . Western officials remained divided over whether Gaddafi was a legitimate military target under the Security Council resolution . U . S . Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that NATO was " not targeting Gaddafi specifically " but that his command - and - control facilities were legitimate targets — including a facility inside his sprawling Tripoli compound that was hit with airstrikes 25 April . However , U . S . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for Gaddafi to be killed or captured . On 27 June , the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi , his son Saif al - Islam , and his brother - in - law Abdullah Senussi , head of state security for charges , concerning crimes against humanity . Libyan officials rejected the ICC , claiming that it had " no legitimacy whatsoever " and highlighting that " all of its activities are directed at African leaders " . That month , Amnesty International published their findings , in which they asserted that many of the accusations of mass human rights abuses made against Gaddafist forces lacked credible evidence , and were instead fabrications of the rebel forces which had been readily adopted by the western media . On 15 July 2011 , at a meeting in Istanbul , over 30 governments recognised the NTC as the legitimate government of Libya . Gaddafi responded to the announcement with a speech on Libyan national television , in which he called on supporters to " Trample on those recognitions , trample on them under your feet . . . They are worthless " . By mid - August , over 2000 of Libya ' s 2 , 335 tribes remained loyal to Gaddafi , and his approval rates soared to 85 % in the midst of NATO bombings . Now with NATO support in the form of air cover , the rebel militia pushed westward , defeating loyalist armies and securing control of the centre of the country . Gaining the support of Amazigh ( Berber ) communities of the Nafusa Mountains , who had long been persecuted as non - Arab speakers under Gaddafi , the NTC armies were able to encircle Gaddafi loyalists in several key areas of western Libya . In August , the rebels seized Zlitan and Tripoli , ending the last vestiges of Gaddafist power . On 25 August , the Arab League recognised the NTC to be " the legitimate representative of the Libyan state " , on which basis Libya would resume its membership of the League . Capture and death : September – October 2011 . Only a few towns in western Libya — such as Bani Walid , Sebha and Sirte — remained Gaddafist strongholds . Retreating to the latter after Tripoli ' s fall , Gaddafi announced his willingness to negotiate for a handover to a transitional government , a suggestion rejected by the NTC . Surrounding himself with bodyguards , he continually moved residences to escape NTC shelling , devoting his days to prayer and reading the Qur ' an . On 20 October , Gaddafi broke out of Sirte ' s District 2 in a joint civilian - military convoy , hoping to take refuge in the Jarref Valley . At around 8 . 30am , NATO bombers attacked , destroying at least 14 vehicles and killing at least 53 . The convoy scattered , and Gaddafi and those closest to him fled to a nearby villa , which was shelled by rebel militia from Misrata . Fleeing to a construction site , Gaddafi and his inner consort hid inside drainage pipes while his bodyguards battled the rebels ; in the conflict , Gaddafi suffered head injuries from a grenade blast while defence minister Abu - Bakr Yunis Jabr was killed . A Misratan militia took Gaddafi prisoner , beating him and stabbing him in the anus , causing serious injuries ; the events were filmed on a cell phone . Pulled onto the front of a pick - up truck , he fell off as it drove away . His semi - naked , lifeless body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to Misrata ; upon arrival , he was found to be dead . Official NTC accounts claimed that Gaddafi was caught in a cross - fire and died from his bullet wounds . Other eye - witness accounts claimed that rebels had fatally shot Gaddafi in the stomach ; a rebel identifying himself as Senad el - Sadik el - Ureybi later claimed responsibility . Gaddafi ' s son Mutassim , who had also been among the convoy , was also captured , and found dead several hours later , most probably from an extrajudicial execution . Around 140 Gaddafi loyalists were rounded up from the convoy ; tied up and abused , the corpses of 66 were found at the nearby Mahari Hotel , victims of extrajudicial execution . Libya ' s chief forensic pathologist , Dr . Othman al - Zintani , carried out the autopsies of Gaddafi , his son and Jabr in the days following their death ; although the pathologist initially told the press that Gaddafi had died from a gunshot wound to the head , the autopsy report was not made public . On the afternoon of Gaddafi ' s death , NTC Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril publicly revealed the news . Gaddafi ' s corpse was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the corpses of Yunis Jabr and Mutassim ; the bodies were publicly displayed for four days , with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them . In response to international calls , on 24 October Jibril announced that a commission would investigate Gaddafi ' s death . On 25 October , the NTC announced that Gaddafi had been buried at an unidentified location in the desert ; Al Aan TV showed amateur video footage of the funeral . Seeking vengeance for the killing , Gaddafist sympathisers fatally wounded one of those who had captured Gaddafi , Omran Shaaban , near Bani Walid in September 2012 . Personal and public life . Ideology . As a schoolboy , Gaddafi adopted the ideologies of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism , influenced in particular by Nasserism , the thought of Egyptian revolutionary and president Gamal Abdel Nasser , whom Gaddafi adopted as his hero . During the early 1970s , Gaddafi formulated his own particular approach to Arab nationalism and socialism , known as Third International Theory , which has been described as a combination of " utopian socialism , Arab nationalism , and the Third World revolutionary theory that was in vogue at the time " . He laid out the principles of this Theory in the three volumes of " The Green Book " , in which he sought to " explain the structure of the ideal society . " His Arab nationalist views led him to believe that there needed to be unity across the Arab world , combining the Arab nation under a single nation - state . He described his approach to economics as " Islamic socialism " , although biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that Gaddafi ' s socialism had a " curiously Marxist undertone " , with political scientist Sami Hajjar arguing that Gaddafi ' s model of socialism offered a simplification of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels ' theories . Gaddafi saw his socialist " Jamahiriyah " as a model for the Arab , Islamic , and Non - aligned worlds to follow . Gaddafi ' s ideological worldview was moulded by his environment , namely his Islamic faith , his Bedouin upbringing , and his disgust at the actions of European colonialists in Libya . He was driven by a sense of " divine mission " , believing himself a conduit of Allah ' s will , and thought that he must achieve his goals " no matter what the cost " . Raised within the Sunni branch of Islam , Gaddafi called for the implementation of " sharia " within Libya . He desired unity across the Islamic world , and encouraged the propagation of the faith elsewhere . On a 2010 visit to Italy , he paid a modelling agency to find 200 young Italian women for a lecture he gave urging them to convert . He also funded the construction and renovation of two mosques in Africa , including Uganda ' s Kampala Mosque . He nevertheless clashed with conservative Libyan clerics as to his interpretation of Islam . Many criticised his attempts to encourage women to enter traditionally male - only sectors of society , such as the armed forces . Gaddafi was keen to improve women ' s status , though saw the sexes as " separate but equal " and therefore felt women should usually remain in traditional roles . A fundamental part of Gaddafi ' s ideology was anti - zionism . He believed that the state of Israel should not exist , and that any Arab compromise with the Israeli government was a betrayal of the Arab people . Rallying against Jews in many of his speeches , his anti - Semitism has been described as " almost Hitlerian . " From the late 1990s , he came to moderate these views , coming to advocate the Isratine single - state solution to the Israeli – Palestinian conflict , in 2007 stating that it was " the fundamental solution " because the alternative would be the annihilation of " the Jews " by the Palestinians , who had " [ strategic ] depth " . Two years later he argued that a single - state solution would " move beyond old conflicts and look to a unified future based on shared culture and respect . " In large part due to their support of Israel , Gaddafi despised the United States , considering the country to be imperialist and lambasting it as " the embodiment of evil . " Personal life . Gaddafi was a very private individual , who saw himself as a " simple revolutionary " and " pious Muslim " called upon by Allah to continue Nasser ' s work . Reporter Mirella Bianco found that his friends considered him particularly loyal and generous , and asserted that he adored children . She was told by Gaddafi ' s father that even as a child he had been " always serious , even taciturn " , a trait he also exhibited in adulthood . His father also thought him courageous , intelligent , pious , and family oriented . According to Annick Cojean , a reporter for " Le Monde " he was sex - obsessed and brutal in his private life and his sexual crimes are only now coming to light . One woman , chosen by " The Guide " ( Gaddafi ) after a visit to her school , has spoken of Gaddafi repeatedly raping her , forcing her to drink and smoke and snort cocaine . Described by Blundy and Lycett as " extraordinarily vain " , Gaddafi owned a large variety of clothes , and would often change his outfit multiple times a day . He saw himself as a fashion icon , stating " Whatever I wear becomes a fad . I wear a certain shirt and suddenly everyone is wearing it . " According to a Brazilian plastic surgeon , Gaddafi had been his patient in 1995 . Gaddafi was a womaniser , and would often make sexual advances toward female reporters and members of his entourage , although rumours circulated in Libya that this was a front to hide his own homosexuality . The U . S . Central Intelligence Agency believed that Gaddafi had suffered from clinical depression , while the Israeli authorities claimed that he had been afflicted by epilepsy and hemorrhoid s . Although he disdained intellectuals generally , Blundy and Lycett described him as an " armchair philosopher " , though not a " logical thinker " . He described himself as a fan of Beethoven , and considered his favourite novels to be " Uncle Tom ' s Cabin " , " " , and Colin Wilson ' s " The Outsider " . He was also a fan of playing soccer . Following his ascension to power , Gaddafi moved into the Bab al - Azizia barracks , a six - mile long fortified compound located two miles from the centre of Tripoli . His home and office at Azizia was a bunker designed by West German engineers , while the rest of his family lived in a large two - story building . Within the compound were also two - tennis courts , a football pitch , several gardens , and a Bedouin tent with several camels , in which he entertained guests . His lifestyle was widely thought to be modest in comparison to those of many other Arab leaders . Gaddafi allegedly worked for years with Swiss banks to launder international banking transactions . In November 2011 , " The Sunday Times " identified property worth £1 billion in the UK that Gaddafi allegedly owned . Gaddafi had an Airbus A340 private jet , which he bought from Prince Al - Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia for $ 120 million in 2003 . Operated by Tripoli - based Afriqiyah Airways and decorated externally in their colours , it contained various luxuries including a jacuzzi . In public , Gaddafi was keen to present himself as a family man . He married his first wife , Fatiha al - Nuri , in 1969 . She was the daughter of General Khalid , a senior figure in King Idris ' administration , and was from a middle - class background . Although they had one son , Muhammad Gaddafi ( b . 1970 ) , their relationship was strained , and they divorced in 1970 . Gaddafi ' s second wife was Safia Farkash , née el - Brasai , a former nurse from Obeidat tribe born in Bayda . They met in 1969 , following his ascension to power , when he was hospitalized with appendicitis ; he claimed that it was love at first sight . The couple remained married until his death . Together they had seven biological children : Saif al - Islam Gaddafi ( born 1972 ) , Al - Saadi Gaddafi ( b . 1973 ) , Mutassim Gaddafi ( 1974 – 2011 ) , Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi ( b . 1975 ) , Ayesha Gaddafi ( b . 1976 ) , Saif al - Arab Gaddafi ( 1982 – 2011 ) , and Khamis Gaddafi ( 1983 – 2011 ? ) . He also adopted two children , Hanna Gaddafi and Milad Gaddafi . Public image . A cult of personality devoted to Gaddafi existed in Libya . His face appeared on a wide variety of items , including postage stamps , watches , and school satchels . Quotations from " The Green Book " appeared on a wide variety of places , from street walls to airports and pens , and were put to pop music for public release . Gaddafi claimed that he disliked this personality cult , but that he tolerated it because Libya ' s people adored him . Biographers Blundy and Lycett believed that he was " a populist at heart . " Throughout Libya , crowds of supporters would turn up to public events at which he appeared ; described as " spontaneous demonstrations " by the government , there are recorded instances of groups being coerced or paid to attend . He was typically late to public events , and would sometimes not show up at all . Although Bianco thought he had a " gift for oratory " , he was considered a poor orator by biographers Blundy and Lycett . Biographer Daniel Kawczynski noted that Gaddafi was famed for his " lengthy , wandering " speeches , which typically involved criticising Israel and the U . S . Gaddafi was notably confrontational in his approach to foreign powers , and generally shunned western ambassadors and diplomats , believing them to be spies . He once said that HIV was " a peaceful virus , not an aggressive virus " and assured attendees at the African Union that " if you are straight you have nothing to fear from AIDS " . He also said that the H1N1 influenza virus was a biological weapon manufactured by a foreign military , and he assured Africans that the tsetse fly and mosquito were " God ' s armies which will protect us against colonialists " . Should these ' enemies ' come to Africa , " they will get malaria and sleeping sickness " . Gaddafi was preoccupied with his own security , regularly changing where he slept and sometimes grounding all other planes in Libya when he was flying . He made very particular requests when traveling to foreign nations . During his trips to Rome , Paris , Moscow , and New York , he resided in a bulletproof tent , following his Bedouin traditions . Starting in the 1980s , he travelled with his all - female Amazonian Guard , who were allegedly sworn to a life of celibacy . Investigating the regime ' s human rights abuses after the civil war , psychologist Seham Sergewa reported that several of the guards claimed to have been pressured into joining the group , and that they claimed to had been raped by Gaddafi and senior officials . He hired several Ukrainian nurses to care for him and his family ' s health , and traveled everywhere with his trusted Ukrainian nurse Halyna Kolotnytska , a " voluptuous blonde " . Kolotnytska ' s daughter denied the suggestion that the relationship was anything but professional . Legacy . Gaddafi remained a controversial and divisive figure on the world stage throughout his life and after death . Supporters praised Gaddafi ' s administration for the creation of an almost classless society through domestic reform . They stress the regime ' s achievements in combating homelessness and ensuring access to food and safe drinking water . Highlighting that under Gaddafi , all Libyans enjoyed free education to a university level , they point to the dramatic rise in literacy rates after the 1969 revolution . Supporters have also applauded achievements in medical care , praising the universal free healthcare provided under the Gaddafist administration , with diseases like cholera and typhoid being contained and life expectancy raised . Biographers Blundy and Lycett noted that under the first decade of Gaddafi ' s leadership , life for most Libyans " undoubtedly changed for the better " as material conditions and wealth drastically improved , while Libyan studies specialist Lillian Craig Harris remarked that in the early years of his administration , Libya ' s " national wealth and international influence soared , and its national standard of living has risen dramatically . " Such high standards declined during the 1980s , as a result of economic stagnation . Gaddafi claimed that his " Jamahiriya " was a " concrete utopia " , and that he had been appointed by " popular assent " , with some Islamic supporters believing that he exhibited " barakah " . Critics labelled Gaddafi " despotic , cruel , arrogant , vain and stupid " , with western governments and press presenting him as the " vicious dictator of an oppressed people " . During the Reagan administration , the United States regarded him as " Public Enemy No . 1 " and Reagan famously dubbed him the " mad dog of the Middle East " . Critics asserted that under Gaddafi ' s administration , the Libyan people lived in a climate of fear , due to his government ' s pervasive surveillance of civilians . Despite officially banning the police force , Gaddafi ' s Libya was typically described by western commentators as " a police state " . Opponents were critical of Libya ' s human rights abuses ; according to Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) , those arrested often failed to receive a fair trial , and were sometimes subjected to torture or extrajudicial execution , most notably in the Abu Salim prison , including an alleged massacre in 29 June 1996 in which HRW estimated that 1 , 270 prisoners were massacred . His government ' s treatment of non - Arab Libyans has also come in for criticism from human rights activists , with native Berbers , Italians , Jews , refugees , and foreign workers all facing persecution in Gaddafist Libya . Dissidents favourable to capitalist economics charged Gaddafi with mismanaging the economy through his experiments with socialism , with critics arguing that Libya ' s great oil wealth could have been better spent on domestic development rather than funding foreign militants . Conservative Islamic critics thought him a heretic , with some accusing him of " shirk " . International reactions to Gaddafi ' s death were divided . US President Barack Obama stated that it meant that " the shadow of tyranny over Libya has been lifted , " while UK Prime Minister David Cameron stated that he was " proud " of his country ' s role in overthrowing " this brutal dictator " . Contrastingly , former Cuban President Fidel Castro commented that in defying the rebels , Gaddafi would " enter history as one of the great figures of the Arab nations " , while Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez described him as " a great fighter , a revolutionary and a martyr . " Nelson Mandela expressed sadness at the news , praising Gaddafi for his anti - apartheid stance , remarking that he backed the African National Congress during " the darkest moments of our struggle " . Gaddafi was mourned by many as a hero across Sub - Saharan Africa , for instance , a vigil was held by Muslims in Sierra Leone . The " Daily Times of Nigeria " stated that while undeniably a dictator , Gaddafi was the most benevolent in a region that only knew dictatorship , and that he was " a great man that looked out for his people and made them the envy of all of Africa . " AllAfrica . com reported that while many Libyans and Africans would mourn Gaddafi , this would by ignored by western media and that as such it would take 50 years before historians decided whether he was " martyr or villain . " Following his defeat in the civil war , Gaddafi ' s system of governance was dismantled and replaced under the interim government of the NTC , who legalised trade unions and press freedom . In July 2012 , elections were held to form a new General National Congress ( GNC ) , who officially took over governance from the NTC in August . The GNC proceeded to elect Mohammed Magariaf as president of the chamber , and then voted Mustafa A . G . Abushagur as Prime Minister ; when Abushagar failed to gain congressional approval , the GNC instead elected Ali Zeidan to the position . In January 2012 , the GNC officially renamed the " Jamahiriyah " as the " State of Libya " .