Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi (born 7 June 1942) is a Libyan politician and revolutionary, who has led the Libyan state since he overthrew King Idris in a 1969 bloodless coup and established the Libyan Arab Republic.
He went on to survive revolts, military strikes and embargoes while showing a knack for playing to Western interests, namely geopolitical security and oil reserves.
It’s no surprise many of the interviews about hidden dealings are tainted by realpolitik. These personal accounts from key players are a fascinating foray into the diplomatic world of riddles, theatrics and hidden agendas.
In early February 2011, major political protests, which were inspired by recent protests in Tunisia, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world, broke out in Libya against Gaddafi’s government and quickly turned into a civil war. Gaddafi vowed to die a martyr if necessary in his fight against rebels and external forces, saying that those rebelling against his government deserve to die.
On 17 May 2011 the International Criminal Court issued a request for an arrest warrant against Gaddafi for crimes against humanity.
This insightful essay-style documentary by Frenchman Antoine Vitkine puts current events into perspective by examining the motivations behind the actions of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, a man whose peculiar appearance belies savvy negotiation skills.
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