While Libyan King Idris is in Turkey for an operation, Muammar Gaddafi leads a group of junior military officers in a bloodless coup. Gaddafi goes on to establish the Libyan Arab Republic (later called the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), a nation based on his anti-western, pan-arab political philosophy, and sponsor numerous terrorist attacks and terrorist organizations.

In the 2000s, he eventually rejects his terrorist past, makes financial payouts to the victims of his attacks and is ironically considered to be a partner in the fight against terrorism. Gaddafi’s regime will finally be toppled in 2011, when Libyan rebels, working together with Nato air support, defeat Gaddafi’s forces as part of the so-called Arab Spring.