Muammar Qaddafi and Libya

By Thomas Gambardella

Historical Background

• 1977- Col. Muammar Qaddafi founds the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

• Qaddafi appointed leader of Libya• Originally, Qaddafi leads economic reforms

Historical Background (Continued)

• 1982-1986- Libya’s annual oil revenue drops from $21 billion to $5 billion

• Qaddafi expands military spending• 1982- U.S. enacts embargo on Libyan oil• Ronald Reagan calls Qaddafi an “International

Pariah” and “Mad Dog of the Middle East”

Historical Background (Continued)

• 1986- Ronald Reagan orders all American oil companies to cease operations in Libya

• 1988- Pan Am airlines Flight 103 shot down while flying over Scotland, Libya blamed

• 1989- U.S. shoots down 2 Libyan planes off the Libyan coast

Historical Background (Continued)

• 1996- Qaddafi nearly assassinated by Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

• 1999- Libyan agents responsible for flight 103 bombing tried in Scotland

• 2001- UN suspends sanctions on Libya• 2004- British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets

with Qaddafi, commends him for efforts in the war on terrorism

Historical Background (Continued)

• 2/15/2011- After successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan citizens begin protesting in Benghazi

• 10/23/2011- Libya’s National Transitional council declares Liberation of Libya, ending Qaddafi’s rule

Core Issues

• From 1977-2011, Muammar Qaddafi lead Libya using harsh censorship and other tactics to maintain control

• Libya’s Transitional government now faces the challenge of building diplomatic relations with other governments while stabilizing their own country

Core issues (Continued)

• Libya has a poor climate for farming, and must import about 75% of its food

• As of 2007, mining, natural gas, and oil account for 95% of Libya’s economy, making diversification a challenge

Core issues (Continued)

• September 11-12 2012- American consulate in Benghazi attacked, U.S. ambassador J. Christopher Stevens killed

Why is Libya So Dependent on Oil?

• Libya’s economy and foreign policy are very dependent on oil because it is Libya’s most prominent resource in an economy that has very little diversity

• After being formed, Libya’s National Transitional council asked for medical supplies, money, and weapons from foreign countries, and promised to repay them with drilling rights

If Libya’s Civil War is over, why is the country still unstable?

• Libya is still unstable because, according to CNN’s Chris Lawrence, terrorist groups are trying to set up a “Long term presence” in Libya.

• The NTC, says Lawrence, has put most of its resources into quelling the remnants of Qaddafi’s supporters, allowing for the growth of militant groups

What led to the rebellion in Libya?

• The rebellion in Libya was caused by oppression and censorship enforced by the Qaddafi regime, which led to the elimination of Libyan people’s basic rights. For example, Libyan schools taught both English and French, but people in the country were only allowed to speak Arabic

Works cited

• Lawrence, Chris. "Libya the New Terrorist Haven?" CNN Security Clearance RSS. CNN, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.

• "Libya." : Economy â FactMonster.com. ��Columbia University Press, 2011. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. <http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/world/libya-economy.html>.

Works cited

• "The Libyan Interim National Council." The Libyan Interim National Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. <http://www.ntclibya.org/english/>.

• "Muammar Gaddafi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, June 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.