ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes Libya's foreign policy in North Africa between 1969 and 1989, addressing two main questions: What have been Libya's foreign policy objectives in North Africa since 1969? And what means have been used to achieve those objectives? It deals with Libya as the principal focus of analysis, viewing Libya's foreign policy from its own perspective—that is, in terms of its own perception of what constitutes its interests. The book attempts to show that by and large and in his own way Mu'ammar al Qadhdhafi has tried to deal with the same problems faced by his predecessor and by many other small, weak, developing states. It provides an important place to the role of ideology in Qadhdhafi's foreign policy, which is viewed in functional terms.
