Moammar Gadhafi’s Worst International Atrocities

When Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi died after being captured by rebels in Sirte Thursday, the reaction in Libya was jubilant. The world reaction was likewise one of relief that a tyrant was no longer in power. Gadhafi took control of the Libyan government in a 1969 coup, overthrowing the reigning British-supported king. Although his rise to power was accomplished without bloodshed, his regime was a brutal one.

These are some of Moammar Gadhafi's worst international atrocities:

Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103

Just before Christmas in 1988, a bomb exploded on Pan Am Flight 103 as it flew over Lockerbie, Scotland. Two hundred and seventy-three passengers and crew died, including many students returning home from studies abroad for the Christmas holidays.

Three months later the world learned that the Libyan government had purchased 1,000 pounds of Semtex, the explosive believed used in the Flight 103 bombing, from Czechoslovakia. Just short of a year after the bombing, the United States and Great Britain brought charges against two Libyan intelligence officers. It took over a decade and the imposition of economic sanctions to persuade Gadhafi to turn the men over to the Scottish courts for trial. The court concluded that Libya was responsible for the bombing and found one of the defendants not guilty and the other guilty.

In 2003, Gadhafi agreed to pay financial compensation to the victims' families.

Discotheque Bombing

In 1986, Libya bombed a discotheque in West Berlin, Germany that was a hangout for U.S. military members. Two people died, an American and a Turk, and 200 more were wounded including 50 members of the U.S. military. President Ronald Reagan retailed with airstrikes against Libyan targets. Those targets were Gadhafi's headquarters, a military installation and a training center.

Aborted Plan to Assassinate U.S. Ambassador

In 1978, Gadhafi called off his planned assassination of the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt after the U.S. got wind of his intentions.

UTA Flight 722 Bombing

Gadhafi admitted responsibility for the bombing of France's UTA Flight 722, which exploded over Niger in 1989, killing 111. Gadhafi ultimately agreed to responsibility, including financially compensating the families of the victims, under pressure from the world community.