Muammar Qaddafi Is Dead-What Is To Celebrate Here?
Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was born on June 7, 1942 and was raised in a bedouin tent in the desert near the Gulf of Sidra. His family were herders in a small Arab tribe located in the Hun Oasis area. He attended a Muslim elementary school at Sabha, near his home. He then finished his secondary education under a private tutor in Misrata.
Qaddafi then entered the Libyan military academy at Benghazi in 1961 and was graduated there in 1966. In his school years he was quite sympathetic towards the Palestinians and their problems and was very disappointed when they were defeated by the Israelis in the six day war. He looked upon Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser as a hero. He became associated with the Free Officers Movement.On September 1, 1969, a small group of Junior Officers led by Qaddafi, then age 27, staged a bloodless coup against the then King Idris who was away in Turkey for medical treatment and his nephew, the Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi was formally deposed and put in prison. Qaddafi remain in power until today, September 20, 2011 when he was killed by rebels who were taking over the nation. Libya has vast oil reserves and has a population of about 6 million.
His reign was 42 years of military rule, mixed reports have surfaced as to his suppression of his people.
For years, he was an international pariah blamed for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jumbo jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people. After years of denial, Libya acknowledged responsibility, agreed to pay up to $10 million to relatives of each victim, and Gaddafi declared he would dismantle all weapons of mass destruction. (english.aljazeera.net)
Early this year, a large number of rebels began staging riots and violent raids in areas of the nation which grew into a full scale rebellion.
But in February, days after the uprising against him began, Gaddafi gave a televised speech amid violent social unrest against his autocratic rule. In the speech, he vowed to hunt down protesters "inch by inch, room by room, home by home, alleyway by alleyway." (Ibid)
This speech angered, not only the rebels but many from other surrounding nations and the support grew in manpower as well as supplies for the rebels. It has been long and bloody with many killed on both sides. But now, seemingly, the fight is over and it remains to be seen what will be come of the nation now. Libya has been known to have helped supply the terrorists in Iraq where we have lost a number of military personnel and equipment at extensive financial expense.
I suspect the prayers are universal that the country can now settle down and see some peace. But it is known that the rebels have been supported by some whose aims are not fully known and who have ulterior motives. If the good people of Libya are able to control and cooperate with the outside world, then it will be a day to rejoice. But the fear is that there may be forces at work which could mean even mor trouble and worries when they obtain control of the oil fields.
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