Muammar Gaddafi: Difference between revisions

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==Biography==

===Early years===

Born near Sirte, Italian Libya to a poor Bedouin family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. As a young man, he looked up to [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], the father of Arab nationalism. ~~Within the military, he founded a revolutionary group~~ that ~~deposed~~ the ~~Western-backed Senussi monarchy of [[Idris of~~ Libya~~|Idris]] in a 1969 coup~~.

Born near Sirte, Italian Libya to a poor Bedouin family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. He recalled the Italian occupation on his country. As a young man, he looked up to [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], the father of Arab nationalism. Gaddafi was fed up that Idris I had concentrated all the wealth in Libya after oil was discovered and that there were many foreign backers.

===Leader of Libya===

After seizing power, he abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951. He established laws based on the political ideology he had formulated, called the Third International Theory and published in ''The Green Book.'' After establishing the ''jamahiriya'' ("state of the masses") system in 1977, he officially stepped down from power in 1979 and has since then held a largely symbolic role within the country's governance. He also prohibited any communist activity, declaring in 1973 that anyone who participated in communist activities would be imprisoned~~. He also ordered the mass expulsion of Italians and Jews in Libya in a day known as the Day of Revenge~~.

On September 1, 1969, the Free Unionist Officers Movement, headed by Gaddafi, overthrew King [[Idris of Libya]]. The bloodless coup started in Benghazi and within a few days, power was seized in the capital of Tripoli. After seizing power, Gaddafi abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951. He established laws based on the political ideology he had formulated, called the Third International Theory and published in ''The Green Book.'' After establishing the ''jamahiriya'' ("state of the masses") system in 1977, he officially stepped down from power in 1979 and has since then held a largely symbolic role within the country's governance. On July 21, 1970, he ordered that all Italians and Jews must be expelled from Libya, a day that would remain a national holiday in Libya for over 30 years. He also prohibited any communist activity, declaring in 1973 that anyone who participated in communist activities would be imprisoned.

Rising oil prices and extraction in Libya led to increasing revenues after nationalizing oil. By exporting as much oil per capita as Saudi Arabia and through various welfare programs, Libya achieved the highest living standards in Africa. Early during his regime, Gaddafi and his relatives took over much of the economy. Gaddafi started several wars with neighboring countries Egypt and Chad and acquired chemical weapons. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. During his tenure, he warned that anyone who forms a political party ~~will~~ be executed.

In 1970, Gaddafi ordered the oil in Libya to be nationalized under the National Oil Corporation (NOC; Arabic: المؤسسة الوطنية للنفط). Rising oil prices and extraction in Libya led to increasing revenues after nationalizing oil. By exporting as much oil per capita as Saudi Arabia and through various welfare programs, Libya achieved some of the highest living standards in Africa. Early during his regime, Gaddafi and his relatives took over much of the economy. Gaddafi started several wars with neighboring countries Egypt and Chad and acquired chemical weapons. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. During his tenure, he warned that anyone who forms a political party would be executed.

===Allies and enemies===

During the [[Cold War]], Gaddafi developed strong ties to the Soviet Union and cultivated alliances with [[Idi Amin]] of Uganda (with Libya supporting Uganda during their war with Tanzania) and [[Hafez al-Assad]] of Syria during this time period, though his relations with Amin would sour later on. In 1980, Gaddafi and Assad proposed a political union, with Libya promising to pay off Syria's £1 billion debt to the Soviet Union; although pressures led Assad to pull out, they remained allies. He also sided with Palestine in the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel and forged an alliance with Palestine Liberation Organization leader [[Yasser Arafat]], but this alliance later collapsed when Gaddafi came to believe that Arafat was "too moderate" towards Israel, preferring more violent action. It has been rumored that Gaddafi funded the [[Black September]] group and aided them in carrying out the [[Munich Massacre]].

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Biography==
 ===Early years===
-Born near Sirte, Italian Libya to a poor Bedouin family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. As a young man, he looked up to [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], the father of Arab nationalism. Within the military, he founded a revolutionary group that deposed the Western-backed Senussi monarchy of [[Idris of Libya|Idris]] in a 1969 coup.
+Born near Sirte, Italian Libya to a poor Bedouin family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while at school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. He recalled the Italian occupation on his country. As a young man, he looked up to [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], the father of Arab nationalism. Gaddafi was fed up that Idris I had concentrated all the wealth in Libya after oil was discovered and that there were many foreign backers.
 ===Leader of Libya===
-After seizing power, he abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951. He established laws based on the political ideology he had formulated, called the Third International Theory and published in ''The Green Book.'' After establishing the ''jamahiriya'' ("state of the masses") system in 1977, he officially stepped down from power in 1979 and has since then held a largely symbolic role within the country's governance. He also prohibited any communist activity, declaring in 1973 that anyone who participated in communist activities would be imprisoned. He also ordered the mass expulsion of Italians and Jews in Libya in a day known as the Day of Revenge.
+On September 1, 1969, the Free Unionist Officers Movement, headed by Gaddafi, overthrew King [[Idris of Libya]]. The bloodless coup started in Benghazi and within a few days, power was seized in the capital of Tripoli. After seizing power, Gaddafi abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951. He established laws based on the political ideology he had formulated, called the Third International Theory and published in ''The Green Book.'' After establishing the ''jamahiriya'' ("state of the masses") system in 1977, he officially stepped down from power in 1979 and has since then held a largely symbolic role within the country's governance. On July 21, 1970, he ordered that all Italians and Jews must be expelled from Libya, a day that would remain a national holiday in Libya for over 30 years. He also prohibited any communist activity, declaring in 1973 that anyone who participated in communist activities would be imprisoned.
-Rising oil prices and extraction in Libya led to increasing revenues after nationalizing oil. By exporting as much oil per capita as Saudi Arabia and through various welfare programs, Libya achieved the highest living standards in Africa. Early during his regime, Gaddafi and his relatives took over much of the economy. Gaddafi started several wars with neighboring countries Egypt and Chad and acquired chemical weapons. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. During his tenure, he warned that anyone who forms a political party will be executed.
+In 1970, Gaddafi ordered the oil in Libya to be nationalized under the National Oil Corporation (NOC; Arabic: المؤسسة الوطنية للنفط). Rising oil prices and extraction in Libya led to increasing revenues after nationalizing oil. By exporting as much oil per capita as Saudi Arabia and through various welfare programs, Libya achieved some of the highest living standards in Africa. Early during his regime, Gaddafi and his relatives took over much of the economy. Gaddafi started several wars with neighboring countries Egypt and Chad and acquired chemical weapons. The United Nations called Libya under Gaddafi a pariah state. During his tenure, he warned that anyone who forms a political party would be executed.
 ===Allies and enemies===
 During the [[Cold War]], Gaddafi developed strong ties to the Soviet Union and cultivated alliances with [[Idi Amin]] of Uganda (with Libya supporting Uganda during their war with Tanzania) and [[Hafez al-Assad]] of Syria during this time period, though his relations with Amin would sour later on. In 1980, Gaddafi and Assad proposed a political union, with Libya promising to pay off Syria's £1 billion debt to the Soviet Union; although pressures led Assad to pull out, they remained allies. He also sided with Palestine in the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel and forged an alliance with Palestine Liberation Organization leader [[Yasser Arafat]], but this alliance later collapsed when Gaddafi came to believe that Arafat was "too moderate" towards Israel, preferring more violent action. It has been rumored that Gaddafi funded the [[Black September]] group and aided them in carrying out the [[Munich Massacre]].