life:

In 1969, 27-year-old Capt. Muammar Gaddafi overthrew the king of Libya in a bloodless coup, promoted himself to Colonel, and declared the country a socialist state. Ever since, he’s remained one of the world’s most controversial leaders, and a man of profound contradictions. He describes Libya as a popular democracy, but his word is law. He has sponsored terrorists and violent revolutionaries, but has frequently acknowledged his actions while avidly courting Western approval.

see more — Gaddafi: The Last Supervillain?

nationalpost:

Libya rebels seize Gaddafi compound
Triumphant rebels seized Muammar Gaddafi’s compound in Tripoli on Tuesday after a fierce battle with a loyalist rearguard but there was no word on the fate of the Libyan leader who vowed again to fight “to the end.”

Reuters journalists watched rebel fighters stream through the sprawling Bab al-Aziziya headquarters compound, firing in the air in celebration after hours of heavy clashes. But it was unclear whether the “Brother Leader” or his sons were still somewhere in the complex’s maze of buildings and bunkers.

Defensive fire died away and hundreds of jubilant rebels poured in. Some smashed a statue of Gaddafi. Others hunted through dozens of buildings, unchallenged, seizing weaponry and vehicles. The rebels’ envoy to the United Nations said the area was “totally in the hands of the revolutionaries.”

One man shouted: “It’s over. Gaddafi is finished.”

Photo: Libyan rebel fighters celebrate after their entering the Bab al Aziziya compound in Tripoli August 23, 2011. (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)