Excerpt
Since 1969, Libya, an oil-rich nation in North Africa, has been subject to the erratic and iron-fisted rule of Maummar al-Qadhafi. One of the world’s longest-serving leaders, Qadhafi came to power in a bloodless coup at a time when the country was still emerging from Italian colonization and established a system of government unique to Libya called the “Jamahiriya,” or state of the masses. Since then, Qadhafi has been the de facto leader, though he holds no formal office.
Long considered a pariah by the West, Qadhafi’s government has been widely denounced for its censorship, extreme surveillance, torture an…
In This Issue
-
Libyan Uprising
Allied Intervention Against Qadhafi
Read More -
Libya Profile
History, Government, Economy, and Foreign Relations
Read More -
UN Approval of No-Fly Zone Over Libya
Text of Security Council Resolution 1973
Read More -
Current Topics in Brief
Nuclear Disaster Preparedness, Syrian Uprising, Cyberterrorism
Read More -
Commencement of Military Operations in Libya
President Obama's Letter to Congress
Read More -
Libya Timeline
Chronology of Events Over the Last Century
Read More -
U.S.–Libyan Relations Prior to 2011
Normalization, Foreign Assistance, and Counterterrorism Cooperation
Read More -
Interim Transitional National Council
Founding Statement
Read More
Pro & Con
Should the UN Security Council Authorize Enforcement of a No-Fly Zone Over Libya?
