Mutassim Gaddafi

Mutassim Gaddafi مُعْتَصِمٌ بِٱللهِ ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ
National Security Advisor of Libya
In office 2008-2011
Personal details
Born	1977 Tripoli, Libya
Died	20 October 2011 (aged 33–34) Sirte, Libya
Religion	Islam
Military service
Allegiance	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Service/branch	Libyan Army
Years of service	2011
Commands	Brega
Battles/wars	2011 Libyan civil war * Battle of Sirte

Mutassim Billah Gaddafi (Arabic: مُعْتَصِمٌ بِٱللهِ ٱلْقَذَّافِيّ‎, also transliterated as Moatassem or Al-Mu'tasim; 1977 – 20 October 2011) was a Libyan Army officer, and the National Security Advisor of Libya from 2008 until 2011.^[1] He was the fifth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and a member of his father's inner circle.^[2] His mother is Safia Farkash. He was captured during the Battle of Sirte by anti-Gaddafi forces, and later killed.^[3][4][5]

Negotiations with the US

In April 2009, Mutassim Gaddafi met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the highest-level diplomatic exchange between the two countries since they resumed diplomatic relations several years earlier.^[6] For Gaddafi, it was a serious display of his new responsibilities as the National Security Advisor. He was considered a womanizer and described by Libyan officials as "not intellectually curious", who struggled to get him to read custom-made abstracts on current events and national security. 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.^[7]

Mutassim Gaddafi met with 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.^[8]

Possible successor

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 Sheikh Al Libi was published in Libyan newspaper Oea with permission from his brother Saif al-Islam.^[1]

Role in the Libyan civil war

During the 2011 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.^[9]

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 loyalist forces in their unsuccessful defense of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's hometown,^[10] until 20 October 2011, when the city fell.

Death

See also: Death of Muammar Gaddafi

On 21 October, NTC commanders at the front in Sirte claimed that Mutassim Gaddafi had been captured as he was trying to leave the city in a family car, and sent off to Benghazi. Some officials in Tripoli also claimed this.^[11]

Film of Gaddafi alive after being captured has been published.^[12] Photographs released by AFP also show him sitting upright on a bed and smoking a cigarette.^[13] 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.^[14]

References

	Libya portal
	Biography portal

1. ^ ^{a b} Kohlmann, Evan (October 2009). "Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi: October 2009". NEFA Foundation. http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/Nefa_IbnalSheikhalLibi.pdf. Retrieved 5 October 2009. 
2. ^ "Inside Gaddafi's inner circle". Al Jazeera. 27 February 2011. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/2011227192852808945.html. Retrieved 20 June 2011. 
3. ^ UN Security Council, Security Council resolution 1970 (2011), 26 February 2011
4. ^ Schweizerischer Bundesrat: Verordnung über Massnahmen gegen gewisse Personen aus Libyen vom 21. Februar 2011
5. ^ The Telegraph: Libya: Who's who in Gaddafi's inner circle
6. ^ "Photo: Secretary Clinton With Libyan National Security Adviser Dr. Mutassim Qadhafi". U.S. Department of State. April 21, 2009. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/2009a/04/122021.htm. 
7. ^ "MUATASSIM'S WASHINGTON DEBUT: BURNISHING HIS IMAGE AND TESTING U.S. WATERS TRIPOLI 00000310 001.2 OF 004". The Telegraph. January 31, 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/libya-wikileaks/8294545/MUATASSIMS-WASHINGTON-DEBUT-BURNISHING-HIS-IMAGE-AND-TESTING-U.S.-WATERS-TRIPOLI-00000310-001.2-OF-004.html. 
8. ^ "CODEL MCCAIN MEETS MUAMMAR AND MUATASSIM AL-QADHAFI". The Telegraph. January 31, 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/libya-wikileaks/8294621/CODEL-MCCAIN-MEETS-MUAMMAR-AND-MUATASSIM-AL-QADHAFI.html. 
9. ^ "Gaddafi funds frozen". Metro US. February 27, 2011. http://www.metro.us/newyork/international/article/786762--gaddafi-funds-frozen. Retrieved August 27, 2011. 
10. ^ "TV: Gaddafi son Al Mutassim in Tripoli compound". Silobreaker. August 22, 2011. http://www.silobreaker.com/tv-gaddafi-son-al-mutassim-in-tripoli-compound-5_2264796911930179753. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ Farmer, Ben; Sherlock, Ruth (12 October 2011). "Libya: Col Gaddafi's son Mutassim 'captured trying to flee Sirte'". The Telegraph (Sirte). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8823506/Libya-Col-Gaddafis-son-Mutassim-captured-trying-to-flee-Sirte.html. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
12. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/libya-video/8840174/Amateur-video-shows-Gaddafi-son-Mutassim-alive-after-Sirte-capture.html
13. ^ Graham, Sarah (21 October 2011). "A last cigarette and a swig of water, Gaddafi's son Mutassim pictured before he too died of new wounds acquired in captivity". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051857/Gaddafi-dead-Dictators-son-Mutassim-pictured-moments-execution.html. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
14. ^ "End of an era for Libya: Qaddafi is killed in Sirte". Al Arabiya News. 20 October 2011. http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/10/20/172787.html. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 

Persondata
Name	Gaddafi, Mutassim
Alternative names
Short description	National Security Advisor for Libya
Date of birth	1977
Place of birth	Tripoli, Libya
Date of death	20 October 2011
Place of death	Sirte, Libya