Bab al-Azizia
Encyclopedia
Bab al-Azizia was a military barracks and compound, situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli
, the capital of Libya
. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Colonel
Muammar Gaddafi
until its capture by anti-Gaddafi rebels
on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli
in the Libyan civil war
.
The 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) base was strategically located south of Tripoli City Centre at the northern end of Airport Highway, allowing easy access to government assets within the city, as well as direct high-speed road access to Tripoli International Airport
. After the Libyan Civil War, the compound was demolished, with plans to turn it into a park.
The buildings were connected by extensive networks of underground tunnels that lead to adjoining districts and possibly stretched to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
, which is 2 miles away, and elsewhere in the city of Tripoli. Gaddafi lived in a Bedouin
-style air conditioned tent on the grounds, which he occasionally pitched in cities he visited. In 2009, he attempted to camp in Central Park
. In a visit to Russia, the tent was pitched in a garden at the Kremlin
.
Within the barracks there were facilities for banquets and other public events like pro-Gaddafi rallies. It was described by US intelligence reports published via WikiLeaks
as "not lavish in any way compared with the ostentation of the Gulf-oil-state families or Hariri
clan [in Lebanon]."
Ronald Reagan
, in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
by the Libyan government.
Forewarned by both Maltese Prime Minister
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
and Italian Prime Minister
Bettino Craxi
that unauthorized aircraft were flying over Maltese airspace heading south towards Tripoli, Gaddafi and his family rushed out of their residence in the compound moments before the bombs dropped from thirteen U.S. Air Force
planes. Gaddafi escaped injury, but he claimed his fifteen-month-old adopted daughter Hanna was killed and that two of his sons were injured. These claims have been disputed. After the capture of Bab al-Azizia in August 2011, documents were found proving Hanna was still alive, including her passport, and documents which show Hanna became a doctor and worked in Tripoli.
Damaged and hence unused for a period of time, official state receptions moved to the main military barracks buildings for a period, before the Gaddafi family reoccupied their section of the compound.
To express defiance over the bombing, a monument was erected at the compound depicting a left-handed fist crushing a U.S. fighter jet
. Gaddafi used this monument as a backdrop for speeches given during the uprising and civil war
in February and March 2011.
On 21 March 2011, there was an attempt to carry out a second bombing on the compound but the mission was aborted because there were civilians in the surroundings of the building. LJBC
television has shown festive gatherings outside the compound continually during the NATO campaign.
On 24 April, around 23:00 UTC, the compound was bombed by NATO after they gave a warning to civilians inside. The main TV studios were also bombed in this raid.
On 24 May 2011, a series of powerful explosions shook Tripoli overnight after NATO warplanes carried out close to 20 bombing raids. Witnesses said many of the raids appeared to be close to a military compound where Gaddafi might be hiding. A NATO spokesman indicated that a vehicle storage facility next to the Bab al-Azizia camp had been hit in the bombing raids. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim
, however, claimed that NATO warplanes missed their target, instead striking civilian houses nearby. Libyan government television showed 19 bodies at a hospital. Hospital workers claimed the victims were civilians who were killed by “NATO crusaders.”
On 25 May, there were at least five large night explosions, as the NATO air campaign continued, with air strikes again targeting the area around Bab al-Azizia compound. Russia said the raids were a "gross violation" of the resolution, which Moscow did not vote for. Large plumes of smoke could be seen drifting over the city. NATO said the large Bab al-Azizia compound was being used by the regime as a base for troops and vehicles to carry out attacks on civilians; Libyan authorities maintained that NATO was trying to kill Gaddafi and the night-time strikes were terrorising Tripoli residents.
On 28 May 2011, a series of explosions included blasts at a compound belonging to Gaddafi and one at a nearby tribal compound, a government official said. The official said one strike occurred on Bab bin Ghashir, a tribal compound near Bab al-Azizia, where the other strikes occurred. The official believed the strikes were NATO attacks. NATO confirmed one of the attacks; a press officer said the strike on Bab bin Ghashir was timed to minimize civilian casualties. NATO said it targeted a vehicle storage area at Bab bin Ghashir.
On 20 August, the Battle of Tripoli
began with uprisings within the city. By 22 August, Bab al-Azizia was surrounded by rebel fighters and was repeatedly bombed by NATO jets. On 23 August, the rebels breached the outer walls of the compound. Subsequently, the forces defending the compound surrendered and rebels poured in; fighters climbed onto the Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture
. Despite previous reports that Gaddafi and his family might be inside the compound, they were not found when it fell to the rebels.
By October, it was reportedly being used as a marketplace and tourist attraction. On 16 October, the walls were demolished by bulldozers.
On 30 October the compound was demolished, with hopes of turning it into a park.
Early November, many visitors flock into the compound on foot or by car to see the ruins and walk through the underground tunnels. The walls are full with graffiti.
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, the capital of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
until its capture by anti-Gaddafi rebels
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli
Battle of Tripoli (2011)
The Battle of Tripoli was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital...
in the Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
.
The 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) base was strategically located south of Tripoli City Centre at the northern end of Airport Highway, allowing easy access to government assets within the city, as well as direct high-speed road access to Tripoli International Airport
Tripoli International Airport
The Tripoli International Airport is an international airport that serves Tripoli, Libya. It is operated by the Civil Aviation and Meteorology Bureau of Libya and is the nation's largest airport...
. After the Libyan Civil War, the compound was demolished, with plans to turn it into a park.
Structure
The original compound was built by King Idris, the previous ruler of Libya. Gaddafi reinforced and expanded the compound in the 1980s with the help of foreign contractors. It was surrounded by three concrete walls each with slits for weapons. The walls were estimated to be four-meters high and one meter thick with complicated gate structures. Inside, there were fields with trees, access to water, Gaddafi’s private residence, and a number of military barracks used by troops led by Gaddafi's sons. Also on the property there was a mosque, a football pitch, a swimming pool, communications center and other administrative structures with roadways. The interior walls were lower and surrounded a more secure area with guards and metal detectors.The buildings were connected by extensive networks of underground tunnels that lead to adjoining districts and possibly stretched to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, which is 2 miles away, and elsewhere in the city of Tripoli. Gaddafi lived in a Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
-style air conditioned tent on the grounds, which he occasionally pitched in cities he visited. In 2009, he attempted to camp in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. In a visit to Russia, the tent was pitched in a garden at the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
.
Within the barracks there were facilities for banquets and other public events like pro-Gaddafi rallies. It was described by US intelligence reports published via WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
as "not lavish in any way compared with the ostentation of the Gulf-oil-state families or Hariri
Hariri
Hariri is a surname and derivative of harir which indicates a mercantile background at one point in that field.-Lebanon:*Bahia Hariri, Lebanese politician; sister of Rafic Hariri...
clan [in Lebanon]."
1986 bombing of Libya
The site was the main target of the 15 April 1986 United States bombing of Libya, authorised by U.S. PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
The 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing was a terrorist attack on the La Belle discothèque in West Berlin, Germany, an entertainment venue that was commonly frequented by United States soldiers...
by the Libyan government.
Forewarned by both Maltese Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Malta
The Prime Minister of Malta is the Head of Government of Malta.-Establishment of the office and developments:The office of "Head of Ministry" was created as soon as Malta was granted autonomous government in 1921. The 1921 constitution was suspended twice before being revoked...
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Carmelo Bonnici was the Prime Minister of Malta from 1984 to 1987. He is a member of the Labour Party. He studied law at the University of Malta and is known to be an expert in industrial relations law.-Early politics:Mifsud Bonnici was from a family that staunchly supported the Partit...
and Italian Prime Minister
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
Bettino Craxi
Bettino Craxi
Benedetto Craxi was an Italian politician, head of the Italian Socialist Party from 1976 to 1993, the first socialist President of the Council of Ministers of Italy from 1983 to 1987.-Political career:...
that unauthorized aircraft were flying over Maltese airspace heading south towards Tripoli, Gaddafi and his family rushed out of their residence in the compound moments before the bombs dropped from thirteen U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
planes. Gaddafi escaped injury, but he claimed his fifteen-month-old adopted daughter Hanna was killed and that two of his sons were injured. These claims have been disputed. After the capture of Bab al-Azizia in August 2011, documents were found proving Hanna was still alive, including her passport, and documents which show Hanna became a doctor and worked in Tripoli.
Damaged and hence unused for a period of time, official state receptions moved to the main military barracks buildings for a period, before the Gaddafi family reoccupied their section of the compound.
To express defiance over the bombing, a monument was erected at the compound depicting a left-handed fist crushing a U.S. fighter jet
Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture
The Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture was a gold-coloured monument located at the Bab al-Azizia compound in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. The sculpture was commissioned by the nation's leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi following the 1986 bombing of Libya by United States aircraft...
. Gaddafi used this monument as a backdrop for speeches given during the uprising and civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
in February and March 2011.
2011 NATO coalition bombings, rebel attack, and destruction
On 20 March 2011, the compound was bombed by a NATO coalition Tomahawk missile. The reason given for this was that the compound contained command-and-control facilities for what remained of the Libyan government forces.On 21 March 2011, there was an attempt to carry out a second bombing on the compound but the mission was aborted because there were civilians in the surroundings of the building. LJBC
Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corporation
Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting Corporation was the state-run broadcasting organization in Libya. It distributed news in coordination with the Jamahiriya News Agency in accordance with state laws controlling Libya media....
television has shown festive gatherings outside the compound continually during the NATO campaign.
On 24 April, around 23:00 UTC, the compound was bombed by NATO after they gave a warning to civilians inside. The main TV studios were also bombed in this raid.
On 24 May 2011, a series of powerful explosions shook Tripoli overnight after NATO warplanes carried out close to 20 bombing raids. Witnesses said many of the raids appeared to be close to a military compound where Gaddafi might be hiding. A NATO spokesman indicated that a vehicle storage facility next to the Bab al-Azizia camp had been hit in the bombing raids. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim
Moussa Ibrahim
Moussa Ibrahim is a Libyan political figure, serving as Libyan Minister of Information and the official spokesman for Muammar Gaddafi as of March 2011. He came to general international attention during the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Biography:...
, however, claimed that NATO warplanes missed their target, instead striking civilian houses nearby. Libyan government television showed 19 bodies at a hospital. Hospital workers claimed the victims were civilians who were killed by “NATO crusaders.”
On 25 May, there were at least five large night explosions, as the NATO air campaign continued, with air strikes again targeting the area around Bab al-Azizia compound. Russia said the raids were a "gross violation" of the resolution, which Moscow did not vote for. Large plumes of smoke could be seen drifting over the city. NATO said the large Bab al-Azizia compound was being used by the regime as a base for troops and vehicles to carry out attacks on civilians; Libyan authorities maintained that NATO was trying to kill Gaddafi and the night-time strikes were terrorising Tripoli residents.
On 28 May 2011, a series of explosions included blasts at a compound belonging to Gaddafi and one at a nearby tribal compound, a government official said. The official said one strike occurred on Bab bin Ghashir, a tribal compound near Bab al-Azizia, where the other strikes occurred. The official believed the strikes were NATO attacks. NATO confirmed one of the attacks; a press officer said the strike on Bab bin Ghashir was timed to minimize civilian casualties. NATO said it targeted a vehicle storage area at Bab bin Ghashir.
On 20 August, the Battle of Tripoli
Battle of Tripoli (2011)
The Battle of Tripoli was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital...
began with uprisings within the city. By 22 August, Bab al-Azizia was surrounded by rebel fighters and was repeatedly bombed by NATO jets. On 23 August, the rebels breached the outer walls of the compound. Subsequently, the forces defending the compound surrendered and rebels poured in; fighters climbed onto the Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture
Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture
The Fist Crushing a U.S. Fighter Plane Sculpture was a gold-coloured monument located at the Bab al-Azizia compound in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. The sculpture was commissioned by the nation's leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi following the 1986 bombing of Libya by United States aircraft...
. Despite previous reports that Gaddafi and his family might be inside the compound, they were not found when it fell to the rebels.
By October, it was reportedly being used as a marketplace and tourist attraction. On 16 October, the walls were demolished by bulldozers.
On 30 October the compound was demolished, with hopes of turning it into a park.
Early November, many visitors flock into the compound on foot or by car to see the ruins and walk through the underground tunnels. The walls are full with graffiti.