Muammar Gaddafi earned a controversial reputation during his life and after his death.
Some consider him an extremist, a bloody dictator who tortured his people. Others bow their heads to his leadership qualities, his ability to hold the country in his hands and take care of the population.
How many people – so many opinions. One thing is certain, the personality of the Libyan colonel has always interested the world. A 2009 Wikileaks document indicated that Gaddafi had a fear of flying and also described some of his links to terrorists. Here are 10 facts that will help people get to know this eccentric, unusual and unique person better.
Muammar Gaddafi underwent plastic surgery to look younger
The famous Brazilian plastic surgeon Dr. Ribeiro was engaged in the appearance of the Libyan dictator. Gaddafi did not like his appearance.
Very controversial statements
Gaddafi made a number of really controversial statements in his lifetime. What is the assertion that the H1N1 virus is a conspiracy of international special services. According to him, tse-tse flies and mosquitoes are the friends of mankind, created by God to protect people.
Therefore, all enemies who try to enter the land of Libya will suffer from malaria and sleeping sickness. Gaddafi was also known for his homophobia. He once said that HIV is actually a passive, harmless virus that does not affect straight people.
The official statement said: “If a person is heterosexual, then he is completely safe.”
Gaddafi had two wives and eight biological children
Muammar Gaddafi had two wives. The first one died in 1970. However, he met and fell in love again in 1969. Gaddafi is the father of 8 children, 7 of whom are men. He also had an adopted daughter who was killed during attacks by troops controlled by the Reagan government. This loss devastated the colonel.
Gaddafi had several Ukrainian nurses on call. On any trip he took with him one of them. Seductive blonde Galina Kolonitskaya has become the subject of many rumors about a possible affair with the Libyan leader.
He bore the title “King of Kings”
Gaddafi has always shown interest in the African continent and actively advocated the idea of creating an “African United Nations”. Rapprochement and integration of countries would contribute to the introduction of a single currency.
Muammar Gaddafi ruled longer than any Arab leader
After taking over Libya at the age of 27 in a bloodless coup, Gaddafi held power for 42 years until he was assassinated. This is the longest term of any leader in the Arab world. However, the period of his reign was also accompanied by violations of human rights.
Former US President Ronald Reagan called the colonel a “mad dog” after organizing the bombings. Gaddafi actively opposed homosexuals and even criminalized intimacy between two men. His statements regarding people with a non-traditional sexual orientation have been cited above.
Eccentric outfits were his hallmark
The speeches and speeches of Gaddafi have always been electric and have a strong influence on the masses. Many of his outfits resembled the dress code of Hollywood movie characters. The unusual character of the ruler was reinforced by his strange taste in clothes.
Former CIA chief Bill Harlow would once say, “Gaddafi wears clothes designed by designers under drugs.” He attended important meetings with the leaders of other countries in outfits that an ordinary person would call ridiculous. The eccentric ruler didn’t just wear funny things, he did it with pride.
There is a rumor that the New York Times received a letter from one of Gaddafi’s henchmen. It was a request to keep the clothes of the ruler in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gaddafi’s headquarters wanted to create a retrospective of the colonel’s style.
Muammar Gaddafi had a bodyguard outfit of virgin girls
The colonel had bodyguards, which is quite normal practice for world leaders. At the same time there was a special selection. Strength, training, martial arts, high speed and vigilance? Maybe.
But one thing is for sure, all the guards had to be female. And these were not just women, but virgins. What was the point of this selection? One can only guess. However, according to rumors, these women were a personal harem for Gaddafi and his sons. They were required to wear a uniform and boots with heels.
Tents were always with him
In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi lived for years in a royal fortress with armed guards and a huge staff. But whenever he traveled abroad, he took bulletproof tents with him, which were laid out outside the hotels. No, these huts were not for the guards, the ruler himself lived in them.
Muammar Gaddafi always lived in such tents during his visits to other countries. Many attribute this to the fact that the colonel did not like large, unknown buildings. This behavior may also be associated with a fear of heights. It is believed that Gaddafi could not climb higher than 35 steps. The ruler wanted to keep everything under control. Another explanation is that Gaddafi was born in a tent in the deserts of Western Libya.
The Colonel designed cars
Perhaps if he had focused on this activity, he would still be alive. Gaddafi took up the design of the car for a reason. At the time, Libya was experiencing a sharp increase in road deaths. The late leader is said to have spent days calculating how these risks could be mitigated. Many of Gaddafi’s entourage say that the car is completely safe and could reduce the number of accidents in the future.
He was afraid of heights, long flights and elevators
Muammar Gaddafi was afraid of elevator rides and did not like long flights. Surprising for a man who is described as an iron dictator. Perhaps this phobia explains the tents in which he lived during his foreign visits. He felt the ground under his feet.
The Colonel was annoyed by long flights. Every time Gaddafi went to the US, he stopped in Portugal for a few hours. The Libyan ruler preferred to travel by air for no more than eight hours in one area, as he felt discomfort during a long stay in the air.
