Misplaced Pages

#609390

79-514: Wazzin is in the desert near the western end of the Nafusa Mountains range, in the Nalut District . The town is the seat of Gasr Wazzin , which was built in 1482 CE (860 AH anno hegirae ). The Gasr has 360 rooms on 4 floors. The building has a rectangular shape, with a cistern for storing water in its center. It was used as a fortress and granary . The Gasr Wazzin is surrounded by

158-472: A no-fly zone over Libya , and to use "all necessary measures" to prevent attacks on civilians, which turned into a bombing campaign by the forces of NATO against Libyan military installations and vehicles. The Gaddafi government then announced a ceasefire, but fighting and bombing continued. Throughout the conflict, rebels rejected government offers of a ceasefire and efforts by the African Union to end

237-415: A statesman - philosopher . According to several Western media sources, Gaddafi feared a military coup against his government and deliberately kept Libya's military relatively weak. The Libyan Army consisted of about 50,000 personnel. Its most powerful units were four crack brigades of highly equipped and trained soldiers, composed of members of Gaddafi's tribe or members of other tribes loyal to him. One,

316-521: A "new political period" and would have elections for important positions such as minister-level roles and the National Security Advisor position (a Prime Minister equivalent). He also promised that international monitors would be included to ensure fair elections. His speech was said to have caused a stir. These elections were planned to coincide with the Jamahiriya's usual periodic elections for

395-456: A "symbolic figurehead" until 2011, with the Libyan government up until then also denying that he held any power. Under Gaddafi, Libya was theoretically a decentralized, direct democracy state run according to the philosophy of Gaddafi's The Green Book , with Gaddafi retaining a ceremonial position. Libya was officially run by a system of people's committees which served as local governments for

474-523: A Libyan official warned that the Government "will not allow a group of people to move around at night and play with the security of Libya". The statement added: "The clashes last night were between small groups of people – up to 150. Some outsiders infiltrated that group. They were trying to corrupt the local legal process which has long been in place. We will not permit that at all, and we call on Libyans to voice their issues through existing channels, even if it

553-488: A consistent labor shortage with over a million migrant workers present on the market. These migrant workers were the bulk of the refugees leaving Libya after the beginning of hostilities. Despite this, Libya's Human Development Index in 2010 was the highest in Africa and greater than that of Saudi Arabia . Libya had welfare systems allowing access to free education , free healthcare , and financial assistance for housing, and

632-547: A delicate balance of powers, stability and economic developments. This extended even to his own sons, as he repeatedly changed affections to avoid the rise of a clear successor and rival. Both Gaddafi and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , however, officially denied that he held any power, but said that he was merely a symbolic figurehead. While he was popularly seen as a demagogue in the West, Gaddafi always portrayed himself as

711-399: A direct stake in anything worth buying, selling or owning". According to US officials, Gaddafi amassed a vast personal fortune during his 42-year leadership. The New York Times pointed to Gaddafi's relatives adopting lavish lifestyles, including luxurious homes, Hollywood film investments, and private parties with American pop stars. Gaddafi said that he planned to combat corruption in

790-455: A downtown square in Benghazi, damaging cars, blocking roads, and hurling rocks. Police responded to crowds with tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets. 38 people were injured, including 10 security personnel. The novelist Idris Al-Mesmari was arrested hours after giving an interview with Al Jazeera about the police reaction to protests. In a statement released after clashes in Benghazi,

869-542: A low-level insurgency by former Gaddafi loyalists continued. There were various disagreements and strife between local militias and tribes, including fighting on 23 January 2012 in the former Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid , leading to an alternative town council being established and later recognized by the National Transitional Council (NTC). Madkhalism had become influential among many militias, leading to further division. A much greater issue had been

SECTION 10

#1732872312610

948-666: A political manoeuvre to divert attention away from himself and the Jamahiriya political system towards government officials currently in power. Later in February, Gaddafi stated that the rebels were influenced by Al-Qaeda , Osama bin Laden , and hallucinogenic drugs put in drinks and pills. He specifically referred to substances in milk, coffee, and Nescafé , and said that Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were distributing these hallucinogenic drugs. He also blamed alcohol . Gaddafi later also stated that

1027-543: A rebel stronghold, an island of rebel control in the mainly Gaddafi-controlled western part of the country. During the early stages, forces allied to the national transitional government succeeded in evacuating most non-combatants into Tunisia; the Wazzin border crossing was captured and held to ensure supply lines from Tunisia; all the mountain towns were retaken; and the front extended to the plains, cutting regime communications lines and allowing electricity to be restored. They were

1106-440: A return to the 1952 constitution and a transition to multi-party democracy. Military units who joined the rebellion and many volunteers formed fighting units to defend against Jamahiriya attacks and to work to bring Tripoli under the influence of Jalil. In Tobruk, volunteers turned a former headquarters of the government into a centre for helping protesters. Volunteers reportedly guarded the port, local banks and oil terminals to keep

1185-399: A situation created a broader contrast between good education, high demand for democracy, and the government's practices (perceived corruption, political system, supply of democracy). An estimated 13% of Libyan citizens were unemployed. More than 16% of families had no members earning a stable income, and 43.3% had just one. Despite one of the highest unemployment rates in the region, there was

1264-472: A spirit of revolt against the governments. An anonymous hip hop artist called Ibn Thabit gave a voice to "disenfranchised Libyans looking for a non-violent way to express their political will". On his website, Ibn Thabit said that he "has been attacking Gaddafi with his music since 2008" when he posted his first song on the internet, titled "Moammar – the coward". Lyrics of a song 'Al-Soo'al' released by Ibn Thabit on YouTube on 27 January 2011, weeks before

1343-551: A strong (if clandestine) faith among the Berbers of the Nafusa mountains for centuries after, down to the modern day. The lingering heterodoxy of the Nafusa people has placed them frequently at odds, or under suspicion, by the largely orthodox Sunni population of the rest of Libya. This distinct culture, suppressed and oppressed by the Libyan regime, has risen to new prominence in the course of

1422-619: Is a mountain range in the western Tripolitania region of northwestern Libya . It also includes the regions around the escarpment formed where the northern end of the Tripolitanian Plateau meets the Mediterranean coastal plain or the Jefara . The area was a major population and cultural center of the Libu , who repeatedly expanded west. In the aftermath of the great Berber Revolt of

1501-513: Is a member of OPEC and one of the world's largest oil producers . It was producing roughly 1.6 million barrels a day before the war, nearly 70% of them through the state-owned National Oil Corporation . Additionally, the country's sovereign wealth fund , the Libyan Investment Authority , was one of the largest in the world, controlling assets worth approximately US$ 56 billion, including over 100 tons of gold reserves in

1580-463: Is almost unpopulated, in marked contrast to the situation in Libya. The mountain area is rarely more than 25 km (16 mi) in depth, from its southern boundary, the flat arid plateau some 650 m (2,100 ft) above sea level, to its northern limit on the plain, where the land falls to below 150 m (490 ft). Much of the 500 m (2,000 ft) drop in level is accomplished abruptly, at

1659-564: Is to call for the downfall of the government." On the night of 16 February in Bayda , Zawiya and Zintan , hundreds of protesters in each town calling for an end to the Gaddafi government set fire to police and security buildings. A "Day of Rage" in Libya and by Libyans in exile was planned for 17 February. The National Conference for the Libyan Opposition asked that all groups opposed to

SECTION 20

#1732872312610

1738-776: Is to offer a better future for Libya's children". In 2009 and 2011, the Freedom of the Press Index rated Libya the most-censored state in the Middle East and North Africa. In contrast, a January 2011 report of the United Nations Human Rights Council , on which the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya sat prior to the uprising, released a month before protests began, praised certain aspects of the country's human rights record, including its treatment of women and improvements in other areas. The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya's delegation to

1817-604: The Abbasid Arab governor of Egypt invaded Ifriqya, defeated the Nafusa in a battle at Tawergha in 761 (his third attempt - his first two armies had been repulsed) and put an end to their putative new state. However, the Nafusa mountains themselves remained unconquered. Throughout the 9th century, while the Aghlabids ruled in Ifriqiya, the Ibadi maintained an independent puritan republic in

1896-519: The Central Bank of Libya . Libya's GDP per capita ( PPP ), human development index , and literacy rate were better than in Egypt and Tunisia, whose Arab Spring revolutions preceded the outbreak of protests in Libya. Libya's corruption perception index in 2010 was 2.2, ranking 146th out of 178 countries, worse than that of Egypt (ranked 98th) and Tunisia (ranked 59th). One paper speculated that such

1975-650: The First Libyan Civil War , was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were seeking to oust his government . The war was preceded by protests in Zawiya on 8 August 2009 and finally ignited by protests in Benghazi beginning on Tuesday 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security forces who fired on

2054-561: The Free Officers Movement , a group of Arab nationalists that deposed King Idris I in a bloodless coup d'état in 1969 . He abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951 , branding it a neocolonial document. From 1969 until 1975, standards of living, life expectancy and literacy grew rapidly. In 1975, he published his manifesto The Green Book . He officially stepped down from power in 1977, and subsequently claimed to be merely

2133-637: The Great Green Document on Human Rights , in which Article 5 established laws that allowed greater freedom of expression . Article 8 of The Code on the Promotion of Freedom stated that "each citizen has the right to express his opinions and ideas openly in People's Congresses and in all mass media ." A number of restrictions were also allegedly placed on the power of the Revolutionary Committees by

2212-524: The Great Manmade River was built to allow free access to fresh water across large parts of the country. Some of the worst economic conditions were in the eastern parts of the state, once a breadbasket of the ancient world, where Gaddafi extracted oil. Except for housing improvements and the Great Manmade River, little infrastructure was developed in this region for many years. For example,

2291-457: The Khamis Brigade , was led by his son Khamis . Local militias and Revolutionary Committees across the country were also kept well-armed. By contrast, regular military units were poorly trained, and were armed with largely outdated military equipment. By the end of Gaddafi's 42-year rule, Libya's population had a per capita income of $ 14,000, though a third was estimated to still live below

2370-624: The Libyan Civil War (2011) , when their initiatives led to the Nafusa Mountains becoming a major front in that war. The terrain and topography of the region are critical strategic factors, constraining mechanised advances from the flat plain and plateau, and favouring guerrilla tactics based on close local knowledge and the advantage of high ground. By the end of June 2011 the Nafusi people had almost succeeded in liberating themselves completely from

2449-467: The Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. He was arrested on 1 February by plain-clothes police officers, and charged on 3 February with injuring someone with his car. Amnesty International stated that because al-Hajji had previously been imprisoned for his non-violent political opinions, the real reason for the present arrest appeared to be his call for demonstrations. In early February, Gaddafi, on behalf of

Wazzin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-490: The 8th century, Ibadi missionaries that had fled from the Umayyad Caliphate took refuge in the Nafusa Mountains. Preachers converted and organized the native Nafusa people into a fighting force. Under the leadership of Imam Abu al-Khattab al-Ma'afari, the Nafusa descended from the mountains and proceeded to conquer all of the crumbling Fihrid emirate of Ifriqiya - capturing Tripoli in 757 and Kairouan in 758. But

2607-561: The Gaddafi government protest on 17 February in memory of demonstrations in Benghazi five years earlier. The plans to protest were inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian revolution . Protests took place in Benghazi, Ajdabiya , Derna, Zintan, and Bayda. Libyan security forces fired live ammunition into the armed protests. Protesters torched a number of government buildings, including a police station. In Tripoli , television and public radio stations had been sacked, and protesters set fire to security buildings, Revolutionary Committee offices,

2686-509: The Gaddafi government, leading to a resurgence in the Libyan state's popularity by the early 1990s. In 2004, however, Libya posted a $ 1 million bounty for journalist and governmental critic Ashur Shamis, under the allegation that he was linked to Al-Qaeda and terror suspect Abu Qatada . Between 13 and 16 January 2011, upset at delays in the building of housing units and over political corruption, protesters in Bayda , Derna , Benghazi and other cities broke into, and occupied, housing that

2765-426: The Jamahiriya, met with political activists, journalists and media figures and warned them that they would be held responsible if they disturbed the peace or created chaos in Libya. The protests would lead to an uprising and civil war, as part of the wider Arab Spring , which had already resulted in the ousting of long-term presidents of adjacent Tunisia and Egypt. Social media played a central role in organizing

2844-590: The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya suffered from extreme poverty and hunger, and that the government guaranteed a minimum of food and essential needs to people with low incomes. In 2006, an initiative was adopted for providing people with low incomes investment portfolios amounting to $ 30,000 to be deposited with banks and companies. The Revolutionary Committees occasionally kept tight control over internal dissent; reportedly, 10% to 20% of Libyans worked as informants for these committees, with surveillance taking place in

2923-666: The Nafusa mountains. The Imamate of Nafusa was in close alliance with the other Ibadi remnant, the Rustamid dynasty in Tiaret , both constant thorns on either side of the Aghlabids, in communication with each other across the back highlands of North Africa. In 879, the Tulunids of Egypt invaded Aghlabid Ifriqya and captured Tripoli. But the Nafusa challenged and destroyed the Egyptian army in 880. Again

3002-466: The Nafusa victory was short-lived. In 896-97, the Aghlabid emir Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya recovered Tripolitana and defeated the Nafusa in a great battle at Manu (south of Gabès ). In the aftermath, citing them as heretics, Ibrahim II executed all the Nafusa prisoners and put an end to their independent imamate (Tahert fell shortly after, in 911). Despite the destruction of their states, Ibadi Islam remained

3081-510: The National Transitional Council was recognised by the United Nations as the legal representative of Libya, replacing the Gaddafi government. Muammar Gaddafi evaded capture until 20 October 2011, when he was captured and killed in Sirte . The National Transitional Council declared "the liberation of Libya" and the official end of the war on 23 October 2011. In the aftermath of the civil war ,

3160-581: The Popular Committees, Basic People's Committees , Basic People's Congresses , and General People's Congresses , in 2010. Dissent was illegal under Law 75 of 1973, and in 1974, Gaddafi asserted that anyone guilty of founding a political party would be executed. With the establishment of the Jamahiriya ("state of the masses") system in 1977, he established the Revolutionary Committees as conduits for raising political consciousness, with

3239-793: The US State Department, and an analysis by the Combating Terrorism Center at the US Military Academy at West Point of a set of documents called the Sinjar Records, purporting to show a statistical study of the al-Qaeda personnel records. The West Point analysis of these documents concluded that Libya provided "far more" foreign fighters in per capita terms than any other country. A disclosed file from 2005 on WikiLeaks found that rebel leader Abu Sufian Ibrahim Ahmed Hamuda Bin Qumu

Wazzin - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-605: The United Nations issued a report about human rights in Libya. The report said that the country was founded on direct people's democracy that guaranteed direct exercise of authority by all citizens through the people's congresses. Citizens were said to be able to express opinions to the congresses on political, economic, social, and cultural issues. In addition, the report stated that there were information platforms such as newspapers and TV channels for people to express their opinions through. Libyan authorities also argued that no one in

3397-2169: The adjoining Tunisian region of Tatouine , where many had relatives. As towns and villages in the Nafusa Mountains and surrounding areas were liberated from control by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in early summer 2011, and while fierce fighting continued, Berber exhibitions and workshops sprang up to share and spread the Tamazight culture and language, after four decades during which there were severe punishments for speaking and writing Tamazight openly. Libyan Civil War (2011) NATO/Anti-Gaddafi victory [REDACTED] United Nations Security Council [REDACTED]   NATO Minor border clashes : [REDACTED]   Tunisia [REDACTED] Mustafa Jalil [REDACTED] Omar El-Hariri [REDACTED] Jalal al-Digheily [REDACTED] Khalifa Haftar [REDACTED] Abdelhakim Belhaj [REDACTED] Abdul Fatah Younis   † [REDACTED] Suleiman Mahmoud [REDACTED] Ali Attalah Obeidi   † [REDACTED] Hussein Darbouk   † [REDACTED] Ali al-Sallabi [REDACTED] Sadiq Al-Ghariani [REDACTED] Mohammed Ali Madani   † [REDACTED] Osama al-Juwaili [REDACTED] Daou al-Salhine al-Jadak   † [REDACTED] Mustafa Bin Dardef   † [REDACTED] Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi [REDACTED] Ismail al-Salabi [REDACTED] Abdullah Naker [REDACTED] Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani [REDACTED] Hamad bin Ali Al Attiyah [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Robert Gates [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Leon Panetta [REDACTED] [REDACTED] James G. Stavridis [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Ralph Jodice 200,000 volunteers by war's end (NTC estimate) The Libyan civil war , also known as

3476-467: The aim of direct political participation by all Libyans rather than a traditional party-based representative system . In 1979, some of the Revolutionary Committees had eventually evolved into self-appointed, sometimes zealous, enforcers of revolutionary orthodoxy. During the early 1980s, the Revolutionary Committees had considerable power and became a growing source of tension within the Jamihiriya, to

3555-492: The border, and nearby Nafusa Mountains are a campaign known as the 2011 Nafusa Mountain Campaign. The campaign has ended in a definite rebel victory with the capture of Gharyan, the last loyalist stronghold in the area. The people of Wazzin are divided into two clans, Awlad Mahmoud and Arrbai'a, both of which have several subclans as shown in the table below. Nafusa Mountains The Nafusa Mountains ( Arabic : جبال نفوسة )

3634-657: The city of Bayda. Muammar: You have never served the people Muammar: You'd better give up Confess. You cannot escape Our revenge will catch you As a train roars through a wall We will drown you. Rap , hip hop and traditional music, alongside other genres, played a big role in encouraging dissent against Gaddafi's government. Music has been controlled and dissenting cultural figures have been arrested or tortured in Arab Spring countries, including Libya. Music provided an important platform for communication among demonstrators. It helped to create moral support and encouraged

3713-554: The control of the regime. The Nafusa Mountains form the boundary between the Libyan coastal plain, known as the Jafara, to the north, and the Tripolitanian Plateau to the south. The beds (strata) of the Tripolitanian Plateau slope downwards to the south and tilt upwards towards the north creating the highest portion of the plateau as the Nafusa mountains which rise to over 750 m (2,500 ft). The plateau ends abruptly on

3792-825: The country's subdivisions, an indirectly elected General People's Congress as the legislature, and the General People's Committee , led by a Secretary-General, as the executive branch. According to the US Government funded Freedom House , however, these structures were often manipulated to ensure the dominance of Gaddafi, who reportedly continued to dominate all aspects of government. WikiLeaks ' disclosure of confidential US diplomatic cables revealed US diplomats there speaking of Gaddafi's "mastery of tactical maneuvering". While placing relatives and loyal members of his tribe in central military and government positions, he skilfully marginalized supporters and rivals, thus maintaining

3871-782: The crowd. The protests escalated into a rebellion that spread across the country, with the forces opposing Gaddafi establishing an interim governing body, the National Transitional Council . The United Nations Security Council passed an initial resolution on 26 February, freezing the assets of Gaddafi and his inner circle and restricting their travel, and referred the matter to the International Criminal Court for investigation. In early March, Gaddafi's forces rallied, pushed eastwards and re-took several coastal cities before reaching Benghazi. A further UN resolution authorised member states to establish and enforce

3950-477: The escarpment, where local topographic prominences may be up to 350 m (1,100 ft). It is from below, on the plain, viewing the steep slopes and sharply-etched skyline that the area appears mountainous; from the plateau the land appears merely hilly, and in fact it is rather flat apart from the effects of differential erosion. Towns in the mountains include Gharyan , Yafran , Zintan , Qotros , Jadu , Kabaw , Al-Qawalish and Nalut , which have all been

4029-442: The extent that Gaddafi sometimes criticized their effectiveness and excessive repression, until the power of the Revolutionary Committees was eventually restricted in the late 1980s. The Green Book , which Gaddafi authored in the 1970s, was for years the principal text of political education. BBC cited a Libyan who said that teachers who called it "rubbish" could face execution . "The Great Green Document on Human Rights treats

SECTION 50

#1732872312610

4108-418: The fighting because the plans set forth did not include the removal of Gaddafi. In August, rebel forces launched an offensive on the government-held coast of Libya , backed by a wide-reaching NATO bombing campaign, taking back territory lost months before and ultimately capturing the capital city of Tripoli , while Gaddafi evaded capture and loyalists engaged in a rearguard campaign. On 16 September 2011,

4187-529: The first rebel combatants to be supplied with arms by air-drop. In the course of the civil war, many towns in the area were subjected to shelling by artillery and rockets from both sides, with much damage to infrastructure. Regime forces cut off electricity and water supplies. Médecins Sans Frontières sent a team in Zintan to help the large number of wounded. Al Galaa was without electricity and water for seven weeks, and more than 45,000 refugees fled for safety to

4266-554: The government had been building. Protesters also clashed with police in Bayda and attacked government offices. By 27 January, the government had responded to the housing unrest with an over €20 billion investment fund to provide housing and development. In late January, Jamal al-Hajji, a writer, political commentator and accountant, "call[ed] on the Internet for demonstrations to be held in support of greater freedoms in Libya" inspired by

4345-415: The government, in factories, and in the education sector. The government sometimes executed dissidents through public hangings and mutilations and re-broadcast them on public television channels. Until the mid-1980s, Libya's intelligence service conducted assassinations of Libyan dissidents around the world. In December 2009, Gaddafi reportedly told government officials that Libya would soon experience

4424-506: The group was to co-ordinate resistance between towns held in rebel control, and represent the opposition to the world, but did not include forming an interim government. The Benghazi-based opposition government had called for a no-fly zone and airstrikes against the Jamahiriya. The council began to refer to itself as the Libyan Republic and by March had a website. Former Jamahiriya Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil said in February that

4503-513: The interior ministry building, and the People's Hall . On 18 February, police and army personnel later withdrew from Benghazi after being overwhelmed by protesters. Some army personnel also joined the protesters; they then seized the local radio station. In Bayda, unconfirmed reports indicated that the local police force and riot-control units had joined the protesters. On 19 February, witnesses in Libya reported helicopters firing into crowds of anti-government protesters. The army withdrew from

4582-601: The ministries were failing to manage the country's oil revenues, and that his "dream during all these years was to give power and wealth directly to the people". A national vote on Gaddafi's plan was held in 2009, where Libya's people's congresses, collectively the country's highest authority, voted to delay implementation. The General People's Congress announced that, of 468 Basic People's Congresses , 64 chose immediate implementation while 251 endorsed implementation "but asked for (it) to be delayed until appropriate measures were put in place". Some top government officials opposed

4661-428: The national poverty line. A broadly secular society was imposed. Under Gaddafi , Child marriage was banned, and women enjoyed equality of equal pay for equal work, equal rights in divorce and access to higher education rose from 8% in 1966 to 43% in 1996, equal to that of men. Homelessness was insignificant, with literacy rates estimated at 88%, and average life expectancy rose from 51/54 in 1969 to 74/77. Much of

4740-541: The new government would prepare for elections and they could be held in three months. On 29 March, the political and international affairs committee of the Council presented its eight-point plan for Libya in The Guardian newspaper, stating they would hold free and fair elections and draft a national constitution. An independent newspaper called Libya appeared in Benghazi, as well as rebel-controlled radio stations. Some of

4819-568: The north with an escarpment which has up to 350 m (1,100 ft) of topographic prominence. A series of deep valleys which drain north toward the Jefara cut into this escarpment. It extends about 250 km (160 mi) within Libya, from just east of the city of Gharyan (about 60 km (40 mi) south of Tripoli) in the east to the city of Wazzin at the Tunisian border in the west. Spurs and isolated upthrusts continue into Tunisia, but this region

SECTION 60

#1732872312610

4898-477: The oil flowing. Teachers and engineers set up a committee to collect weapons. Likewise, supply lines were run by volunteers. For example, in Misrata people organised a pizza service which delivered up to 8,000 pizzas a day to fighters. The National Transitional Council ( Arabic : المجلس الوطني الانتقالي ) was established on 27 February to consolidate efforts for change in the rule of Libya. The main objectives of

4977-532: The old town district of present-day Wazzin, whose buildings are mainly gypsum based masonry . A network of tunnels is below this historic portion, and is reserved for women traveling around the old town, without encountering non-familial men. On 21 April 2011, during the 2011 Libyan civil war , anti-Gaddafi fighters took over the control of the border crossing and 13 pro-Gaddafi officers defected to Tunisia . Since then control has been in flux. The Battles in Wazzin ,

5056-456: The only sewage facility in Benghazi was over 40 years old, and untreated sewage has resulted in environmental problems. Several foreign governments and analysts have stated that a large share of the business enterprise was controlled by Gaddafi, his family, and the government. A leaked US diplomatic cable said that the Libyan economy was "a kleptocracy in which the government – either the Gaddafi family itself or its close political allies – has

5135-480: The opposition. A social media website declared an alternative government, one that would be an interim national council, was the first to compete with Muammar Gaddafi's political authority. Gaddafi's senior advisor attempted to reject the idea by tweeting his resignation. The protests, unrest and confrontations began in earnest on 2 February 2011. They were soon nicknamed the Libyan Revolution of Dignity by

5214-401: The plan, saying that it would "wreak havoc" in the economy by "fanning inflation and spurring capital flight ". Gaddafi acknowledged that the scheme, which promised up to 30,000 Libyan dinars ($ 23,000) annually to about a million of Libya's poorest, may "cause chaos before it brought about prosperity," but said "do not be afraid to experiment with a new form of government" and that "this plan

5293-519: The protesters and foreign media. Foreign workers and disgruntled minorities protested in the main square of Zawiya, Libya against the local administration. This was succeeded by race riots, which were squashed by the police and pro-Gaddafi loyalists. On the evening of 15 February, between 500 and 600 demonstrators protested in front of Benghazi's police headquarters after the arrest of human rights lawyer Fathi Terbil . Crowds were armed with petrol bombs and threw stones. Marchers hurled Molotov cocktails in

5372-661: The rebel movement in both eastern and western Libya. Rebel groups primarily initiated from Misrati, Zentan and Derna. In Benghazi "the February 17 Brigade" was a powerful Islamist group composed of 12 different brigades. The Libya Shield was based out of Mistrata and Zaria. There was also the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade which has been held responsible for the assassination of top rebel commander General Abdul Fatah Younis . Gaddafi's administration repeatedly asserted that

5451-406: The rebels included al-Qaeda fighters. Rebels denied this. NATO's Supreme Allied Commander James G. Stavridis stated that intelligence reports suggested there were "flickers" of al-Qaeda activity among rebels, but that there was insufficient information to confirm a significant presence of terrorist groups. Gaddafi's claims are supported by a 2008 secret cable from the US embassy in Tripoli to

5530-408: The rebels opposed tribalism and wore vests bearing slogans such as "No to tribalism, no to factionalism". Some Libyans said that they had found abandoned torture chambers and devices that had been used in the past. The rebels primarily included civilians, such as teachers, students, lawyers, and oil workers, but also defected police officers and professional soldiers. Many Islamists were part of

5609-580: The revolt against his rule was the result of a colonialist plot by foreign states, particularly blaming France, the US and the UK, to control oil and enslave the Libyan people. He referred to the rebels as "cockroaches" and "rats", and vowed not to step down and to cleanse Libya house by house until the insurrection was crushed. He said that if the rebels laid down their arms, they would not be harmed. He also said that he had been receiving "thousands" of phone calls from Benghazi, from residents who were being held hostage and who wanted to be rescued. Gaddafi said in

5688-481: The right to life as an individual human right and calls for abolition of the death sentence , except in the case of persons whose lives endanger or corrupt society." In 1988, Gaddafi criticized the "excesses" he blamed on the Revolutionary Councils, stating that "they deviated, harmed, tortured" and that "the true revolutionary does not practise repression." That same year, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya issued

5767-442: The riots began in Libya were indicative of the rebel sentiment. Some groups, such as a rock band from Benghazi called the "Guys Underground", used metaphors to cloak the censure of the authorities. The group released a song just before the uprising entitled "Like My Father Always Says" to ridicule an autocratic fictional male head of a family which was a veiled reference to Colonel Gaddafi. Many opposition participants called for

5846-452: The role of militias which fought in the civil war and their role in Libya's new dispensation. Some refused to disarm, and cooperation with the NTC had been strained, leading to demonstrations against militias and government action to disband such groups or integrate them into the Libyan military. These unresolved issues led directly to a second civil war in Libya . Muammar Gaddafi was the head of

5925-460: The sites of military action during the 2011 civil war. Since 2007, the mountains stretch across two districts: Jabal al Gharbi District and Nalut District . The mountain villages raise primarily goats, olives and grain, but also have fig and apricot orchards. The Nafusa Mountains became first a hotbed for anti-Gaddafi protests (with protests breaking out relatively early in Nalut and Zintan) and then

6004-428: The state by proposing reforms where oil profits are handed out directly to the country's five million people rather than to government bodies, stating that "as long as money is administered by a government body, there would be theft and corruption." Gaddafi urged a sweeping reform of the government bureaucracy , suggesting that most of the cabinet system should be dismantled to "free Libyans from red tape" and "protect

6083-482: The state's budget from corruption". According to Western diplomats, this move appeared to be aimed at putting pressure on the government to speed up reforms. In March 2008, Gaddafi proposed plans to dissolve the country's existing administrative structure and disburse oil revenue directly to the people. The plan included abolishing all ministries except those of defence, internal security, and foreign affairs, and departments implementing strategic projects. He stated that

6162-407: The state's income came from its oil production , which soared in the 1970s. In the 1980s, a large portion of it was spent on arms purchases, and on sponsoring militant groups and independence movements around the world. Libya's economy was structured primarily around the nation's energy sector, which in the 2000s generated about 95% of export earnings, 80% of GDP, and 99% of government income. Libya

6241-610: Was a former Guantanamo Bay detainee alleged to be a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, to have joined the Taliban in 1998, and that he was a "probable member of Al Qaida and a member of the African Extremist Network". In the days leading up to the conflict, Gaddafi called for a rally against the government that was to be held on 17 February. The International Crisis Group believes this to have been

#609390