The End of the line of Muammar Gaddafi.

Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years from 1969 to 2011, died on 20 October 2011 during the 2011 Libyan civil war. He was captured and killed by the rebels after being defeated at the Battle of Sirte (2011), although the exact cause of death is unknown.

After the fall of Tripoli to forces of the opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) in August 2011, Gaddafi and his family fled the Libyan capital. He was widely rumoured to have taken refuge in the south of the country. On 19 October, Libya's acting prime minister Mahmoud Jibril said that the former leader was believed to be in the southern desert, organising an insurgency among pro-Gaddafi tribes in the region. By that point the NTC had just taken control of the pro-Gaddafi town of Bani Walid and were close to taking control of Gaddafi's home town and tribal heartland of Sirte east of Tripoli.

On the morning of 20 October Gaddafi made a last-ditch attempt to escape as the town fell to NTC forces. However, at 8:30 the convoy of vehicles carrying Gaddafi and his army chief Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was hit by a French Air Force air strike about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of Sirte, killing dozens of loyalist fighters. The convoy was also hit by a United States Air Force Predator drone, which fired a Hellfire missile in conjunction with the French attack. Gaddafi survived the strikes and took refuge in a drain with several bodyguards. A nearby group of NTC fighters opened fire, wounding Gaddafi with gunshots to his leg and back. According to one of the NTC men, one of Gaddafi's own men also shot him.

Both Gaddafi and Jabr were killed shortly afterwards. During his capture, Gaddafi reportedly shouted "Don't shoot!" prior to being shot. In a video of his arrest he can be seen sitting on the hood of a car, held by rebel fighters. A senior NTC official said that no order was given to execute Gaddafi. According to another NTC source, "They captured him alive and while he was being taken away, they beat him and then they killed him". Mahmoud Jibril gave an alternative account, stating that "when the car was moving it was caught in crossfire between the revolutionaries and Gaddafi forces in which he was hit by a bullet in the head."

Gaddafi's body was subsequently taken to Misrata to the west of Sirte, where a doctor examining the body reported that the deposed leader had been shot in the head and abdomen. The NTC also announced that Gaddafi's son Mutassim was killed as well. A video later surfaced showing Mutassim's lifeless body laying in an ambulance.

Al Jazeera aired a graphic video claiming to be of Gaddafi's bloodied body after his capture.

Implications:

The death of Gaddafi is predicted to have many regional implications in the Middle East, as part of the "Arab Spring" revolts and uprisings. It is possible that his death will intensify protesting in Syria and Yemen, and might lead to revolutions in Tunisia and Algeria. The massive oil and gas reserves under Algeria's posession is critical to America and Europe's futures. A revolution in Algeria could possibly halt the flow of oil from there for several months, as happened in Libya.




For more news feeds, follow these links:




http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=598_1319129108


http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/10/20111020171225339666.html


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/oct/20/gaddafi-killed-sirte-falls-live

PS:Now that Libya is liberated at last, we are hoping for the smooth transition of power and the well being of the Libyan people. May this scenario serve as a reminder for the world leaders who are treating their own people badly. Best of luck to Libya and the Libyan people.