He is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. His return to a hero's welcome provoked outrage from victims' families, and the White House opposed this decision, stating that Megrahi should finish his sentence in Scotland.
Anti-government demonstrations gripped several countries in the Middle East in early , and protests in Libya followed those in Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain. The crackdown by the government in Libya, however, was the most vicious. The protesters took to the streets on Feb. The next day, declared the Day of Rage, saw the number of demonstrations burgeon throughout the country.
Security forces began firing on protesters, and by Feb. Several government officials and diplomats defected, and members of the military joined the ranks of the opposition as the government attacks on civilians grew increasingly brutal.
Some reports had fatalities numbering near 1, or more. Qaddafi refused to resign, but offered to double the salaries of public workers and freed some Islamic militants from jail. Protesters dismissed the move as a hollow gesture and continued their actions throughout the country. Qaddafi enlisted the help of mercenaries as the number of defections by troops swelled.
He cast blame for the uprising on the West, which he claimed wants to assume control of Libya's oil, and Islamic radicals who want to expand their base. On Feb. The sanctions included an arms embargo on Libya, a travel ban on Qaddafi and other leaders, and the freezing of Qaddafi's assets.
The Security Council also requested that the International Criminal Court investigate reports of "widespread and systemic attacks" on citizens. The UN sanctions followed unilateral action by the U. By Feb. The rebels organized a military and formed an executive committee, the Transitional National Council, illustrating that they could establish a transitional government if given the opportunity.
The Libyan Air Force and security forces, however, attacked the rebels from both the air and the ground, weakening the rebellion and wresting control of rebel-held towns, including Zawiya and Zuwara, cities west of Tripoli, and Ajdabiya in the east. The rebels fought on, clinging to the rebel stronghold? The rebels, outnumbered, poorly armed, and inexperienced, seemed on the brink of defeat.
As the assault on rebel areas by Qaddafi's troops intensified, the Arab League turned to the international community for assistance. On March 17, the UN Security Council approved a resolution that authorized military action against Libya, including air strikes, missile attacks, and a no-fly zone, and two days later, Britain and France led a military action against Libya, launching attacks from the air and sea on Libya's air defenses.
The U. Qaddafi railed against the intervention, calling it "a colonial crusader aggression that may ignite another large-scale crusader war. In early April, two of Qaddafi's sons, Seif and Saadi, put forth a proposal in which their father would step down and allow the country to transition toward a constitutional democracy. The move would be managed by Seif. The rebels rejected the offer, and Qaddafi never fully endorsed the plan. NATO took over control of the air strikes, which continued for weeks, and by May the rebels gained ground and momentum in cities in both the east and west of the country.
Qaddafi refused to participate in talks mediated by South African president Jacob Zuma. They were charged crimes against humanity for the attacks on civilians in the first two weeks of the revolt.
In July, the U. Later in the month, the council's military leader, Gen. Abdul Fattah Younes, was killed by fellow rebel soldiers. Younes, a former interior minister under Qaddafi, never gained the trust of the rebel movement and some questioned his loyalty.
In August , rebel fighters opposing Qaddafi made progress on several fronts. They seized Zawiyah and gained control of the city's oil refinery.
Zawiyah, a port city just 31 miles west of Tripoli, was a key gain. Rebel forces soon advanced into Tripoli and foreigners tried to flee the city. On August 21, with the rebels meeting little resistance from loyalists, residents in Tripoli took to the streets to celebrate the end of Qaddafi's 42 years in power.
Two days later, rebels seized Qaddafi's compound. Qaddafi and his family fled and remained at large. Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the chairman of the TNC and Qaddafi's former justice minister, became the country's leader and the rebels began transferring their administration from Benghazi to Tripoli. Rebels continued to make gains in loyalist strongholds throughout the country into the fall.
The fight for Surt proved to be more challenging for the rebels, with loyalist forces fiercely committed to maintaining control of the city. Both sides suffered significant casualties. On October 20, , the interim government of Libya announced that Qaddafi had been killed by rebel troops in Surt. Initial reports were unclear on the cause of death. With Qaddafi dead, the interim government could turn its attention to rebuilding the country and setting the stage for elections.
The role and influence of Islamists in government and day-to-day life were unknowns for the future of Libya. During the turmoil in Libya, the Islamists became a powerful force in the country. At the very least, they are poised to form a political party, and Islamist leaders signaled that they would participate in the democratic process. In addition, it remained unclear how the many rivalaries in the country? Islamists vs secularist, geographic, inter-tribe, and between the educated elite and tribal population?
At the same time, there was growing concern about the increased activity of militant groups. At the end of October , the Transitional National Council elected Abdurrahim al-Keeb, an engineer and opponent of Qaddafi, as interim prime minister. In July , Libyans voted in its first national election since Col.
Muammar Qaddafi was ousted. The National Forces Alliance, a secular party led by Mahmoud Jibril, a Western-educated political scientist, prevailed over Islamist parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood, in the election to form a national congress.
Mohammed Magarief, a longtime opposition leader and head of the National Front Party, was elected chairman of the Congress and thus Libya's head of state. In September, Mustafa Abu Shagur, deputy prime minister, prevailed over Jibril in the second round of voting by the Congress to become prime minister. Stevens was a widely praised diplomat and an advocate for the opposition in Libya, and had helped the new government in its transition to power.
He was the first U. The attack coincided with protests at the U. The Obama administration was criticized for the lack of security at the consulate that left diplomats vulnerable and for not immediately acknowledging it was a premeditated terrorist attack.
During the U. Susan Rice, U. After the presidential election Republicans in the U. Senate threatened to derail her potential nomination as secretary of state because, they claimed, in the days following the attack Rice said it was a spontaneous reaction to the release of Innocence of Muslims , rather than a terrorist attack.
However, Rice withdrew herself for consideration in December. Clinton appointed an independent panel to investigate the attack, and in its highly critical report, the panel said the U. State Department failed to provide adequate security at the American Embassy in Tripoli and the consulate in Benghazi, overly relied on local militias for security, and did not fulfill requests for safety improvements at the compounds. It also cited "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels.
Several State Department officials resigned after the release of the report. The Libyan government condemned the attack and vowed to track down the perpetrators, though it proved too weak and ineffectual to do so. Indeed, the attack proved how little control the government has over the country's disparate militias, which act as the country's police yet operate independently of each other and the government.
Libyana Libyan culture. State of Libya Capital: Tripoli. Image source, Getty Images. Libya has been beset by instability since the ouster of long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi. The capital Tripoli includes a mix of ancient and modern buildings. Read full profile. Muammar Gaddafi seized power as a young officer and became increasingly eccentric during his four decades in power.
Read full timeline. The eastern city of Benghazi has been much fought-over during the last few years. Related Topics. Small populations of Greeks , Egyptians , and Italians live in the country as well. Today, most Libyans speak the Arabic language, and nearly 97 percent of the country is Muslim, or followers of Islam.
A small percentage of the population are Roman Catholics or Orthodox Christians. Almost 25 percent of Libyans live in Tripoli or Benghazi. Outside of these urban centers, rural Libyans farm near desert oases, where they can access water. Deeper into the desert, animal herders follow the weather and tend to sheep, goats, and camels. Weaving, embroidery, and metal engraving are popular arts in Libya. Other common activities include horse racing, folk dancing, and soccer, the most popular sport in Libya.
Both Tripoli and Benghazi have many teams that locals enjoy watching. Most of Libya is covered by desert, and its plants and wildlife reflect the arid conditions. Hyenas , fennec foxes , jackals, and gazelles roam the desert, and snakes , including venomous adders and kraits, slither throughout the country. Some strips of land near the Libyan coast support native forests of pine, juniper, and cypress.
Saker falcons and marbled polecats are often spotted close to the coast. Libya has established several national parks, natural reserves, and protected areas, including two marine refuges.
The park is home to Egyptian wolves, golden eagles, red foxes , flamingos , and other wildlife. Beginning in , protests spread across many North African and Middle Eastern countries in what became known as the Arab Spring.
0コメント