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."

At present Gaddafi is not well seen in EU and USA but the Libyan people seem to be thriving with him as leader, especially given the fact that his country is currently in the midst of a bloody civil war and that he is perpetrating a genocide against his own people. A delegation of medical professionals from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus wrote in an appeal "Russian President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin that after becoming acquainted with Libyan life, it was their view that in few nations did people live in such comfort". Russia is a state run by criminals.

See also

• Libyan uprising 2011