Muammar al-Gaddafi

"Leader and Guide of the Revolution"

Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (Arabic: معمر القذافي, b. 1942) became dictator of Libya in a coup that he led in 1969, and has ruled it ever since. In the 1970s, Gaddafi attempted to become assume the leadership position of all Arabs left by the death of President Gemal Abdel-Nasser of Egypt, but other Arab nations mostly ignored him. He attempted to extend his influence in Africa by supporting Uganda's Idi Amin in the Uganda-Tanzania War with military aid and equipment, including Tu-22 jet bombers. In the 1980s, Gaddafi became a sponsor of terrorism and President Ronald Reagan ordered a retaliatory bombing of his palace and key Libyan targets.

In the 1990s, Gaddafi changed course and severed all ties with terrorism to normalize relations with the West. In 2006, the "decision of the US to restore full diplomatic relations with Libya marks the crowning success of his efforts to have his country accepted back into the international community."