Preceded by Position established Allegiance Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Grandparents Abu Meniar, Aisha | Succeeded by Position abolished Religion Islam Name Mutassim Gaddafi | |
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Born 18 December 1974Tripoli, Libyan Arab Republic ( 1974-12-18 ) Assassinated October 20, 2011, Misurata, Libya Education Al-Fatih University (1997) Similar People Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi, Al‑Saadi Gaddafi, Ayesha Gaddafi, Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi | ||
Murder of a king and his son muammar al gaddafi and mutassim gaddafi dead by order of
Mutassim Billah Gaddafi (Arabic: مُعْتَصِمٌ بِٱللهِ ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ, also transliterated as Moatassem or Al-Mu 'tasim; 18 December 1974 – 20 October 2011) was a Libyan Army officer, and the National Security Advisor of Libya from 2008 until 2011. He was the fourth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and a member of his father's inner circle. His mother was Safia Farkash. He was captured during the Battle of Sirte by anti-Gaddafi forces, and executed along with his father.
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Negotiations with the US
In April 2009, Mutassim Gaddafi met U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the highest-level diplomatic exchange between the two countries since they resumed diplomatic relations several years earlier. For Gaddafi, it was a serious display of his new responsibilities as the National Security Advisor. He overreached his role as NSA in 2008 by requesting $1.2 billion from the National Oil Corporation to form his own special forces brigade.
Mutassim Gaddafi met U.S. Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman in 2009, expressing a strong need for military support in Libya. Gaddafi warned, "There are 60 million Algerians to the West, 80 million Egyptians to the East, we have Europe in front of us, and we face Sub-Saharan Africa with its problems to the South." He was concerned about upgrading Libya's military equipment, and said he could purchase arms from Russia and China, but wanted to buy material from the United States.
Possible successor
Mutassim Gaddafi lived in Egypt for several years after allegedly attempting to take control of Libya from his father. His return led to a reconciliation with his father and a high-ranking position as National Security Advisor of Libya. In 2009, a story linking Mutassim Gaddafi to the death of Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi was published in Libyan newspaper Oea with permission from his brother Saif al-Islam.
Libyan civil war
During the Libyan Civil War, Gaddafi commanded the units in the Brega region notably during the Battle of Brega–Ajdabiya road and the skirmishes in the area. He had been subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze over his close links and membership of his father's inner circle.
Gaddafi was allegedly in Tripoli in the Bab al-Azizia compound, and assisting in commanding what remained of pro-Gaddafi forces in the city during the Battle of Tripoli. However, no evidence of his presence was found by rebels when they captured the compound, nor was there evidence of a presence of any of his sons.
He commanded the loyalist forces in their unsuccessful defense of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's hometown, until the city fell.
Personal life
He was the fourth son of Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife, Safia Farkash. According to his ex-girlfirend Talitha van Zon, Mutassim Gaddafi paid for Beyonce and Mariah Carey to sing at his parties. Model Vanessa Hessler also admitted to a four-year relationship with him, and she continued to defend him after his death.
Death
Mutassim Gaddafi was captured when Sirte fell on 20 October 2011. NTC commanders at the front in Sirte and officials in Tripoli claimed that he was captured as he was trying to leave the city in a family car, and sent off to Benghazi.
Film and photographs of Mutassim Gaddafi alive after being captured have been published. Later photographs released by Saudi TV channel Al Arabiya show Mutassim Gaddafi bearded and lying dead on a hospital bed, with a gaping wound in his throat.