Gadhafi, Libya's Leader For 42 Years, Killed

04:27

October 20, 2011

Revolutionary fighters celebrate the capture of Sirte, Libya, Thusday. Officials in Libya's transitional government said Moammar Gadhafi was captured and possibly killed Thursday when revolutionary forces overwhelmed his hometown, Sirte. (AP)

By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SIRTE, Libya - SIRTE, Libya (AP) - Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya with a dictatorial grip for 42 years until he was ousted by his own people in an uprising that turned into a bloody civil war, was killed Thursday when revolutionary forces overwhelmed his hometown, Sirte, the last major bastion of resistance two months after his regime fell.

The 69-year-old Gadhafi is the first leader to be killed in the Arab Spring wave of popular uprisings that swept the Midde East, demanding the end of autocratic rulers and greater democracy. Gadhafi had been one of the world's most mercurial leaders, dominating Libya with a regime that often seemed run by his whims and bringing international condemnation and isolation on his country for years.

Foreign Policy: The Photos Of Gadhafi's Alleged End

Guest:

David Kirkpatrick, reporter for the New York Times

This segment aired on October 20, 2011.