ABSTRACT
Libya's Ottoman rulers attempted to develop Libya's economy in the latter nineteenth century with agricultural products, ore, and slaves as primary exports. Following a contentious effort by the United Nations to resolve Libya's status, Idris proclaimed himself King Idris I in December 1951. Muammar al-Qadhafi to colonel and assigning him command of the Libyan armed forces. Qadhafi fancied himself as a political theorist rather than a political leader. Qadhafi's draconian rule generated opposition from across the Libyan spectrum. The Qadhafi regime banned almost all of civil society, and thus in the post-Qadhafi era, civil society organizations had to start from almost no experience. Libya before Qadhafi was a deeply traditional society, which did not accord women anything like equal status with men. Libyan foreign policy was a reflection of its leader, Muammar Qadhafi, who emphasized pan-Arabism, as well as opposition to Israel and the West.
