June 19, 2013
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The week's top five must-sees,
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Description
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi, served as the ruler of Libya for 42 years, from the 1969 when he headed a coup de'tat overthrowing King Idris, to 2011 when he was killed by revolutionaries who overthrew his government. He served as ruled of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011, during which industry and business was nationalized. Politically an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist, he formulated his own ideology, Third International Theory, later embracing Pan-Africanism and serving as Chairperson of the African Union from 2009 to 2010. He was also known for his political theories.
The son of an impoverished Bedouin goatherd, Gaddafi became involved in Arab nationalist politics while at school in Sabha, subsequently enrolling in the Royal Military Academy, Benghazi. Founding a revolutionary group within the ranks of the Libyan military, in 1969 he seized power from King Idris in a bloodless coup. Becoming leader of the governing Revolutionary Command Council, he dissolved the monarchy and proclaimed the Libyan Arab Republic. Ruling by decree, he implemented measures to remove what he viewed as foreign imperialist influence from Libya, and strengthened ties to other Arab nationalist governments. Intent on pushing Libya toward socialism, he nationalized the country's oil industry and used the increased revenues to bolster the military, implement social programs and fund revolutionary groups across the world. In 1973 he announced the start of a "Popular Revolution" with the formation of General People's Committees, a system of direct democracy, but retained personal control over major decisions. He outlined his Third International Theory that year, publishing these ideas in The Green Book.
(via Freebase)
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![Competing claims emerge over fighting in Libya's Bani Walid [Al Jazeera, Qatar]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313837/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=1b31b9c593d1ff2a80f2cf17da30314a)
![Gaddafi loyalists seize former regime stronghold [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313819/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=a33ebaf2f754d7e20e57f4d4b6226d7f)
![Qatar faces criticism for pushing Islamist agenda in the region [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313450/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=0a19dd6cefa1059550df7a90d3532d95)
![Washington's reaction to the Arab revolution [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313429/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=88baee8decc975037383a92b0f4412e1)
![2011: Year of the people, a look at Libya [Al-Alam, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313408/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=462030cc97e079d7ce4c2bc119819497)
![A look back at the Arab revolutions of 2011 [BBC Arabic, UK]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313319/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=4ff6c2f5f62e51f5faf944bdba309c5d "Protesters clash with riot police in Cite Ettadhamen near the Tunisian capital Tunis January 12, 2011: REUTERS/Stringer")
![Libyans protest against new leaders and Jalil's call to pardon Gaddafi loyalists [Al-Alam, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-313000/313235/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=9f0407bbb3aa905530b85a261fefa1b2)
![Libya's NTC government builds new state institution [Press TV, Iran]](/images/image_cache/base-312000/312914/thumbnail.width=304,height=171,grow=1,crop=center.jpg?sig=27754d58bf63f9a0b2ac09be626d6218)