Muammar al-Qaddafi summary

Muammar al-Qaddafi, or Muʿammar al-Qadhdhāfī, (born 1942, near Sirte, Libya—died October 20, 2011, Sirte), Ruler of Libya (1969–2011). The son of a Bedouin farmer, he was born in a tent in the Libyan desert. He attended the University of Libya and Libya’s military academy. He was a devout Muslim and ardent Arab nationalist. As a captain in the army, he led the 1969 coup that deposed King Idrīs I. Qaddafi espoused his own form of Islamic socialism, and his foreign policy was anti-Western and anti-Israel. In 1970 he closed U.S. and British military bases and expelled Italians and Jews. He banned alcoholic beverages and gambling and closed all Christian churches. In 1973 he nationalized the oil industry. He made unsuccessful attempts to unify Libya with other countries. Qaddafi’s government was repeatedly linked with terrorist incidents in Europe and elsewhere, and he supported groups trying to overthrow neighboring governments. He narrowly escaped death in 1986 when U.S. planes bombed sites in Libya, including his own residence. In early 2011 protests against his regime led to a civil war and his subsequent removal from power later that year. Qaddafi remained a fugitive for several weeks following his ouster. In October 2011 he was killed by rebel forces.