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Gaddafi Up-Close
Gaddafi Up-Close
Gaddafi Up-Close
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Gaddafi Up-Close

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THIS BOOK INCLUDES MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES IN TRIPOLI, WHILE I WAS UP- CLOSE WITH, COL. GADDAFI. I ALSO STUDIED THE GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY WITH A VIEW TO PREDICTING ITS DESTINY.

I ALSO DESCRIBE OMAR MUKHTAR, THE "LION OF THE DESERT WHO WAS HANGED, FIGHTING TO LIBERATE HIS BELOVED LIBYA FROM THE ITALIAN MARAUDERS (MUSSOLINI,) IN EARLY 1900.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherAuthorHouse
Release dateOct 25, 2011
ISBN9781467041836
Gaddafi Up-Close
Author

Go Pal

Born in India 85 years ago. The British dished out my birthplace to Pakistan as a parting gift. Till then sun never used to set on the British Empire but these days it hardly rises there. That made my family and I, a refugee from 1947 onwards. Decided to become a world class citizen. Traveled all over the globe from age 26 to date. Been in USA permanently since 1977. Delayed writing my memoirs, till pushed by teachers of my grandkids at community service centers. Friends like Bashar, the rich Lebanese who was mesmerized by my daring story of saving his countryman from the gallows in Libya, so he could escape 200 miles in the dead of the night to safety into Chad. He also wanted me to publish right away. Finally our joint friend, the well-known actor, and a noble soul Sydney Poitier, gave me two books authored by him and said I must be true and open. The common link between Bashar, Sydney and I, is the desire to help others through community service and volunteer work for non-profit charities. They also knew how I have come out unscathed from the 2008-market downturn and the severe recession caused by drying up of credit, job losses, and declining Housing Market. They said publishing my life story would help build the much-needed Faith amongst those suffering from economic depression. A pioneer always has the courage to undertake new challenges, they declared. I had an Engineering background, and graduated twice. First B.Sc. from an American Campus in Lahore, Second from University of London, in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, in 1948 (a 56 month course in 18 ½ months, with scholarships.) I received the Diplomas from the Queen Mother and her uncle at the Royal Albert Hall; Sir Thomas Beecham conducted the Orchestra. Only 26 were successful, and I had the honor of a dancing swirl with shy Princess Elizabeth (the present Queen of England,) because Princess Margaret quickly tapped my shoulder and whisked me away, to dance with her.

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    Gaddafi Up-Close - Go Pal

    Gaddafi

    Up-Close

    Go Pal

    US%26UKLogoB%26Wnew.ai

    AuthorHouse™

    1663 Liberty Drive

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    www.authorhouse.com

    Phone: 1-800-839-8640

    © 2011 Go Pal. All rights reserved.

    No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

    First published by AuthorHouse 10/20/2011

    ISBN: 978-1-4670-4185-0 (sc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4670-4184-3 (hc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4670-4183-6 (e)

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2011917578

    Printed in the United States of America

    Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

    and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

    Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

    Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

    Contents

    Prologue

    The 1969 Rebellion

    Tripoli

    Muammar Gaddafi

    Up Close And Personal

    My Face -To-Face

    With Col. Gaddafi

    (His Flash Crash @ BFRC)

    Flash Crash By Col.

    Gaddafi @ BFRC

    Why Col. (?) Gaddafi

    Economy

    Marriages and Children

    Maghreb Countries

    Assassination attempts on his life!

    Seeking International

    Recognition and Acceptance

    "Libya’s Destiny?

    Libya’s Freedom Fight for 20 years.

    Desert Has Nothing But Wind And Sand

    Have-Nots Revolt

    Against Haves

    Libya In 2011

    The Pendulum Swings Back.

    Building a new Libya

    Price on Gaddafi’s Head

    As Fighting Goes On

    Remember Libya’s

    Oil & Gas Resources are

    The Great Gems worth fighting for!

    Libya’s unrest: Defiant Gaddafi

    vows ‘Death or Victory’

    Waning of Gaddafi’s Image!

    The National Transitional

    Council in Libya

    Libya’s Hot Headline

    News As They Hit The Wires

    Leadership And Control

    Libya in doldrums and

    Gaddafi on the run!

    Gaddafi Down And Out

    List of different systems of government

    And the countries following them.

    Tripoli’s Golf Course

    Appendix

    Prologue

    Col. Gaddafi is a unique man, with unique characteristics and possesses an unparalleled, matchless personality.

    He is a madman to some, especially those who are mad at him.

    He has that rare in-born ability and that special twist of mind, a poker face to conceal the true quality of his hand (in poker.)

    If you ever claim, that you can truly judge this unique creature, you would need the capability to have an expressionless face to start with.

    Most importantly you must be up-close and live around him for over 365 days to decipher his sharp wit, foxy characteristics and mastermind. He is a man of few words and they differ considerably depending on his mood and the strength with which he kicks his fists up in the air.

    He is as slippery as they come. He has God given in-born ability for espionage and superior natural instinct for counterespionage! Above all these abilities have been sharpened considerably over 40 years of frontline experiences (some almost fatal,) while he escaped the jaws of death couple of times.

    He has that razor sharp super sensibility for self-preservation against any imminent and present danger.

    He trusts no one, and has planted over-indulgent and overpaid informers against most of the unsuspecting population, everywhere, some times one in each household. These are well kept secrets. I can only disclose this now, as there is no fear of a bully knocking at my door.

    He is indeed more ruthless than any one I have read or heard about in my life.

    His "Red Beret" bodyguards will not spare killing his own mother if they have-to.

    We often accuse the British for their foxy characteristics, but he is the foxiest of all. He also has the wherewithal of a Cheetah, as he reacts to any and every flash-crash.

    He is ever more stubborn, self opinionated, derisory, defiant and derogatory.

    He has become quite quirky and delusional after the rebels have teamed up against him unexpectedly, and damaged his self- esteem. Its unimaginable that someone could have the audacity to enter and mess up his private abode in the Bab al-Aziziya compound.

    He is always on the move, inaccessible and no one can approach him. He shall come to you, if he so chooses.

    He has inborn hatred for Yehudhis, and in turn for some American presidents, who pampered them against his beloved Palestinian Islamist. He was raving mad when Israel was carved out of Arafat-Land and more so when they evicted Arafat from his own home and finally destroyed him.

    Gaddafi was responsible in creating conditions where Americans had to leave Libya. As a consequence I was approached and interviewed by the American Chief of the Exxon’s billion-dollar Brega complex near Tripoli.

    I was in Houston and had a resumé full of creditable achievements. I constructed Power plants in Scotland and all over India for English Electric Coy. I had built and managed facilities similar to Brega in India, Indonesia, and Assam. I had also completed several international assignments with Shell Oil, Burmah Oil, Exxon Corporation, and large contractors like Brown & Root, Bechtel, Fluor, whom I hired as main contractors in Brega, in 1983 as I became #Two at Exxon Corporation in Libya.

    I traveled with my wife to Libya in 1981, after I was hired as a senior executive. On arrival we were introduced to my staff at a luncheon party in the B.F.R.C. This club had an excellent layout and had full-fledged facilities for family’s enjoyment. There was no other club or restaurant in town, There was no downtown. It was a desert on the enchanting Mediterranean coastline as far as the eyes could see. This club was equipped with putting greens, a swimming pool, children’s playgrounds, Tennis courts, Billiards (or Pools) tables, Library, Dance halls, Entertainment and Party rooms, and a well kept Dining room and eatery center. Actually when we first came to Libya my wife and I were entertained here by one of the Irish Engineers and his wife. On a special occasion we were presented with a cut glass vase and lamp from Waterford Ireland, at a gathering in the B.F.R.CLUB.

    Gaddafi up-close

    My one in a million chance, of a

    Face to Face meeting with Gaddafi.

    I was driving to the Brega Family Recreation Club on my usual rounds to test the quality of swimming pool water. An armed soldier pointed a bayonet to my chest and stopped me at the gates of my own facilities!

    Suddenly I was taken to Gaddafi in the compound of this club. He landed up there with a small part of his Bodyguard-battalion, unannounced perhaps because he had memories of this place during the King Idris era. It was a Flash-Crash visit. During the pre 1969 era this area was known for sexy girls, liquor-bars and dance music for the pleasures of King Idris’s British and American diplomats, Lords and close friends. Gaddafi had dethroned him and cleansed this hellhole and enforced the strictest forms of Shería laws here.

    In a democratic country like USA, not even the President would ever barge-in without PREVIOUS arrangements.

    He welcomed me into my own territory.

    We had a long discussion on several subjects.

    I have continued the rest of the story in subsequent chapters.

    black.jpg

    The 1969 Rebellion

    (By the Young Gaddafi)

    Libya’s rich history starts with the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC, Pashas and Pirates rules and Barbary wars of the 1803, the capture and burning of the American frigate Philadelphia, and the subsequent humiliation in 1815. The Ottomans and finally the Italians rule till 1943 followed the Sublime Porte Rebellions.

    The Lion of the Desert Omar Mukhtar really effected Libya’s Destiny in the early 1900s, during the torturous Italian forced occupation

    I quote here his famous last words when he was being hanged:

    We will never surrender. We will fight. We have the next generation and next and next, as for me I was never hanged!

    Finally Libya’s destiny! May fall from Qaddafi’s prowess, altogether!

    Tripoli

    Tripoli in Greek means Three cities. It was founded in the seventh century BC by the Phoenicians, who named it Oea.

    This is the largest and capital city of Libya. Some minor suburbs became extinct over ages and ended up as excavated sites of archaeological significance.

    It is the principal seaport, commercial and manufacturing center. Since the formation of Jamahiriya by the most powerful and popular dictator Col. Gaddafi. Tripoli is also referred to as the Shabiyah (top-level administrative division in the current Libyan System), the Tripoli District.

    The residential population of this metropolitan district exceeds 1.25 million. The daytime float of tourists and non-resident Bedouins and foreigners visiting the Souq-al-Mushir, the Green Shopping Square, the Marcus Aurelius Arch and El Emad Towers could easily be another 20%.

    Libya’s Mediterranean Coastline was carved by the gracious God so beautifully, that the awe inspiring greens and blues of ocean color spectrums, attracted man to build large townships, and develop huge cities on its coast. Zawiyah, Tripoli, Sert, and Ras Lanuf, Brega (Exxon’s Oil project,) Ajdabiyah, Benghazi, Al-Baida, and Tobruk, are such towns.

    At present there are 29 Local People’s Congresses, within the hardscrabble Medina City boundaries. In reality, the revolutionary committees severely limit the democratic process by closely supervising committee and congress elections at the branch and district levels of government. Tripoli is no exception. Tripoli is sometimes referred to as the de-facto capital of Libya, since none of the country’s ministries are located here. Even the National General People’s Congress is held annually in Sirt -the birthplace of Col. Gaddafi.

    As part of a radical decentralization program undertaken on September 1988 all General People’s secretariats (ministries,) except those responsible for foreign liaison (foreign affairs) and information, were located away from Tripoli. The former Secretariat for Economy was moved to Benghazi and Health ministry to Kufra. In 1993 secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was being moved to Ras Lanouf.

    As of June 2009 Tripoli has been undergoing a construction boom in the Tripoli Central Business District. It has been growing in towers, tall buildings, and traffic tremendously, since 1984. I used to be scared to drive at the lit up crossings. I remember once, I got stuck at a crossroads STOP sign. I had the green go-ahead signal, but a beautiful well dressed (not hidden behind the veil or Burkha, like in Saudi Arabia), Arab girl with large black shinning eyes, gave me a piercing deep look. She surely had my full attention, and I waited to let her turn left before proceeding, to an urgent meeting in the El-Emad Towers.

    The Famous Tripoli International Fair, an International industrial, agricultural and commercial event, based in Omar Mukhtar Street, is held annually between 2nd and 12th of April. Participation averages about 30 countries, 2000 companies, and organizations. With the sudden rise of tourism and influx of foreigners several new and posh Hotels have started to mushroom. Hotel Bab Africa is the largest in Libya. Several airlines have established their head offices here as well.

    With the advent of tourism being on the rise a new look is being afforded to the ancient mosques and castles. Emhemmed Elmgharief Street in central Tripoli has some of the best examples of Italianate colonial architecture. The basic street plan of Medina was laid down during the Roman period when the walls were constructed as protection against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania, and are considered well planned, possibly better than modern street plans.

    In early parts of the 19th century the regency at Tripoli was twice involved in war with the USA, owing to its piratical practices. In 1801, the Pasha demanded an increase in the $83,000 tribute, which the US government had been paying since 1796 for the protection of their commerce from piracy, under the then treaty with Tripoli. One time US navy refused to pay the Demand and blockaded Tripoli. Tripolians reacted by capturing US frigate Philadelphia. Pasha subsequently received $ 60,000 as ransom for the Philadelphia prisoners. In 1835 Ottomans taking advantage of the war, tried forcing Tripoli under their authority. After the occupation of Tunisia by the French the Ottomans increased their garrison in Tripoli considerably. After Italians destroyed Ottoman vessels in Greece, in 1911 Italians established their control of Tripoly until 1943. The British rule followed until its independence in 1951.

    Idris-1 took over as King of Libya from December 25 1951. British and Italians recognized Sayyid Muhammed Idris bins Sayyid Muhammad al-Mahdi al- Senussi (By the way all it means is Idri-1 was the son of Mahdi), as the Emir of Cyrenaica.

    Idris another Senussi like Omar Mukhtar went into exile in Egypt, where he launched some guerilla warfare against Italian atrocities in Cyrenaica. Omar’s long battles against Italian forced occupations gave him the popular title of the Lion of the Desert.

    Idris supported the United Kingdom during W.W.II and brought Cyrenaicans to fight alongside Allies against the Axis. With the defeat of German and Italian forces led by Erwin Rommel, Idris was finally able to return to his capital Benghazi and form an official government.

    He was also invited to become Emir of Tripolitania. From Benghazi he continued negotiation with the United Kingdom and the United Nations over Independence which he eventually achieved in December 24, 1951, when he was proclaimed the King of Libya. His close relations with UK and USA even after UK intervened against Egypt during the 1956 Suez Crisis, to the chagrin of Arab nationalists at home and Pan-Arabism in neighboring states, posed increasing threats to his throne.

    Libya’s economy prospered from its oil fields and the presence of the American Air Force’s Wheelus Air base near Tripoli. But his health deteriorated and his failure to produce a male heir to succeed him to the throne worried him to no end.

    The American influence and growing economy brought lots of prosperity, particularly to Tripoli.

    As I refer to the Brega Officers family club in the following pages, I could imagine its make up, its decor, the Belle dancers, the jitter bugging, the American discotheque atmosphere, featuring psychedelic and mixed media attractions during the Idris regime (mostly western and lacking in the Shería laws).

    While Idris was in Kammena Vourla, Greece for medical treatment, he was deposed by the Libyan Army under the leadership of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi in a bloodless coup (not a single bullet was fired!). The coup pre-empted Idris’ instrument of abdication dated August 4, 1969, to take effect September 1969, in favor of his nephew the Crown Prince Hasan as-Senussi. Idris left Greece by ship and went into Cairo, Egypt, where he died in 1983.

    UNTIL MAN CAN ACCORD TO OTHERS

    THE RIGHT OF FREE BELIEF

    ON ALL SUBJECTS,

    AND BE WILLING TO BELIEVE TRUTH UNDER WHATEVER FORM IT MIGHT APPEAR,

    NO UNIVERSAL RELIGION WILL BE MANIFEST TO THE WORLD.

    Swami Vivekananda.

    Muammar Gaddafi

    Up Close And Personal

    (Certain information was derived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/muammar _al-Gaddafi)

    Muammer al Qaddafi, was born on June 7,1942.

    He was raised in a Bedouin tent in the desert near Sirt. His grandfather, Abdessalam Boumiyar, belonging to Arabized Berbers tribe, died fighting against Italian occupation of Libya as first martyr in Khoms, in the first battle of 1911.

    Please read comprehensive chapters on Omar Mukhtar, the Lion of the Dessert. And Libya’s Destiny in this book.

    Gaddafi was profoundly influenced by major events in the Arab world while he was a student in a Muslim elementary school. He concentrated on the study of history under a private tutor in Misrata. After independence, admission to the military academy was available to members of the lower economic strata. A military career offered an opportunity for higher education, for upward economic and social mobility and for many the only means of political action. For Gaddafi and his fellow officers, who were inspired by Nasser’s brand of Arab nationalism, a military career was a revolutionary vocation. He graduated as an Army officer in 1965 from Benghazi military academy, and received advanced military training in UK. He formed a secret revolutionary committee, with a group of fellow officers when he led the successful coup against Idris-1’s monarchy in 1969.

    He quickly established himself as Libya’s commander in chief as well as chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. He cleverly blended Arab nationalism, revolutionary socialism, and Islamic orthodoxy, all three of which covered the prevalent mindset of the total Libyan population. This helped him lead the country as their undisputed popular leader till today. He was passionate about the success of the Palestinians and was deeply disappointed by their defeat by Israeli forces.

    Gaddafi has frequently been portrayed as mercurial in nature, very erratic, and conceited. During the Reagan administration, America regarded him as public enemy number one. And Reagan used to refer to him as Mad dog of the Middle East.

    I was very much caught in the middle. Gaddafi used to think I looked like one of his Indian Professors. I was heading the Exxon project as #Two, after all Americans, including my family vacated Libya under direct orders from the President. I was in a dangerous and hardship situation, because I had to stay tight-lipped on certain secret information that unwittingly became privy to me from both sides, during my daily responsibilities. It was a nightmare to place your life at the mercy of the slightest misunderstanding by either of the two mighty forces, irrespective of what was right or wrong?

    Gaddafi once told me that Reagan, the great President of a great country, does not have the capability of judging the big tactical mistake he is

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