The 'Mad Dog' who exported terrorism around the world

12 April 2012

He was a tyrant who once ordered more than a thousand executions in a single day.

Muammar Gaddafi also cultivated an image as a mystical "Brother Leader" with a penchant for bizarre costumes, bombastic four-hour speeches and wildly eccentric personal habits.

It was this combination of violence and madness that ruled Libya for four long decades and exported terror to the world.

He seized power in a military coup in 1969, quickly creating a one-party state with himself and his close family at the centre.

Not content with terrorising his own people, he shipped arms to the IRA and Palestinian fighters. In London, Pc Yvonne Fletcher was shot dead when diplomats at the Libyan embassy fired on a peaceful demonstration outside in 1984.

His regime has accepted responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and Ronald Reagan branded him "Mad Dog".

As he aged, Gaddafi's behaviour became more maverick. He was accompanied by a blonde Ukrainian nurse and claimed to live in his Bedouin tent, though in reality it was usually pitched close to Tripoli and used as a backdrop. He broke wind continually and without embarrassment during a long BBC interview.

It was in his tent that he met Tony Blair for the notorious "Deal in the Desert" that saw him attempt to come in from the cold.

In a scrubby field surrounded by flatulent camels, the then prime minister clasped the dictator's hand and beamed: "It's good to be here." They did not kiss each cheek, as Mr Blair's media handlers had dreaded, and the body language was not warm. But the spin from No 10 was that this was a historic turning point and a time to draw a line under past crimes.

Gaddafi was said to be shocked by the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and willing to give up his plans for weapons of mass destruction and help Scotland Yard bring Pc Fletcher's killer to justice. But beneath the surface the talk was of huge trade deals between Libya and the UK and a gas contract for Shell worth £120 million was signed on the spot.

Much of the spin was soon written off as bogus. His regime remained murderous. Pc Fletcher's killer was not handed over. And many doubted that Gaddafi had changed his WMD policy.

In return for his largesse, Colonel Gaddafi was to receive military equipment and training, purportedly to defend against extremist threats. Britain exported truckloads of military equipment, including sniper rifles and crowd control gear.

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