Special Report on Libya after Gadhafi

Latest:Mexico said Dec. 7 thatit had broken up aninternational plot led by a Canadian woman, Cynthia Vanier,to smuggle a son of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi into Mexico with false Mexican documents. The elaborate plan to bring al-Saadi Gadhafi and his family to Mexico also allegedly involved two Mexicans and a Danish suspect, Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire said. The plot was uncovered in early September as al-Saadi was fleeing Libya shortly after his father's ouster. He never made it to Mexico, but did reach the Western African country of Niger, where he has been living.

Seif al-Islam GadhafiMoammar Gadhafi'seldest son and presumed heir wascaptured in Libya's southern deserton Nov. 19. With a PhD from the London School of Economics, he was considered the Western face of the regime. Seifal-Islam was the last member of theousted ruling familyto remain at large.

The International Criminal Court had charged Moammar Gadhafi, Seif al-Islam and Libya's former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi with crimes against humanity for the brutal crackdown on dissent as the uprising against the regime began in mid-February and escalated into a civil war. The search foral-Senoussi continues.

Major events: Abdurrahim el-Keib,a U.S.-educated engineering professor with little political experience, waschosen as Libya'sprime ministeron Oct. 31 by the country's National Transitional Council, with 26 of 51 votes. El-Keib spent most of his professional career outside Libya and appears to have no ties to Moammar Gadhafi. His interim government will pave the way for the drafting of a constitution, as well as general elections.

El-Keib replaced outgoing interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, who had pledged to step down after victory over Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Members of Libya's interim governmentdeclared the official liberation of Libyain a ceremony Oct. 23 in the eastern city of Benghazi, three days after the death of former leader Moammar Gadhafi in a battle in Sirte. An autopsyconfirmed that Gadhafi waskilled by a shot to the head. Prior to his death, Gadhafi hadnot been seenin public since rebels took Tripoli on Aug. 21.

Moammar Gadhafi was buried Oct. 25at an undisclosed location, the country's interim government says.The statement added that afew relatives and officials were in attendance, and that Islamic prayers were read over the body. The burial site, which includes Gadhafi's son Muatassim and former defence minister Abu Bakr Younis, was kept secret to protect it from vandalism or becoming a shrine. Other members of Gadhafi's extended family arein hiding or in Algeria.

Gadhafi's home town, Sirte, wasone of the last areas of refuge for pro-Gadhafi forces until its capture on Oct. 20.Another, Bani Walid, fell to Libyan forceson Oct. 17, the same day Syrian media confirmed earlier reports that Gadhafi's son Khamis had been killed in fighting weeks earlier. His son Motassim was captured Oct. 12.

Amnesty International reportsthat during the conflict, forces supporting Gadhafi killed and injured scores of unarmed protesters, made critics disappear, used illegal cluster bombs, launched artillery, mortar and rocket attacks against residential areas and executed captives without any legal proceedings. Amnesty says that anti-Gadhafi forces "also tortured and ill-treated captured soldiers, suspected 'mercenaries' and other alleged Gadhafi loyalists."

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The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Oct. 24 that it had discovered 53 decomposing bodies, apparently of Gadhafi loyalists, some of whom may have been executed by revolutionary forces. The groupurged Libyan authorities to rein in armed groups.

Mahmoud Jibril confirmed the presence of chemical weaponsin Libya on Oct. 30and said foreign inspectors would be brought in to deal with them.

Oil production has surpassed 150,000 barrels per day in eastern Libya. The country made its first international shipment of crude oil on Sept. 25.

Background: Libyan uprising

Who:Gadhafi ruled the North African country from 1969 to 2011, and vowed tofight to the death, but later showed a willingness tonegotiate a transfer of power. Responding to the pro-democracy demonstrations that began on Feb. 18, the embattled leader variously accused them of being the work of Western infiltrators, drug-addled youth andal-Qaeda.

AnInternational Criminal Court arrest warrant alleged Gadhafi and his inner circle plotted a "state policy aimed at deterring and quelling by any means including by the use of lethal force the demonstrations by civilians against the regime."

The people:

The conflict:Early battles in the Libyan civil war focused on areas in therebel-dominated east, such as the cities ofBrega andAjdabiya. All along, NATOplanes, including Canadianjets,targeted Libyan air defences, especially around Tripoli and the western city of Misrata.After consolidating their positions in the east, the anti-Gadhafi forcesclosed in on Tripoli.Gadhafi himself was captured and killed Oct. 20 when hislast stronghold,Sirte, fell to Libyan forces.

TheInternational Organization for Migrationestimatesmore than345,000 people fled Libyaduring the conflict, includingmany onboats to Italy.

The resources:

UN intervention: TheUN Security Council voted on March 17 toapprove ano-fly zone in Libya and air strikes against Gadhafi forces, but stopped short of putting troops on the ground.

On March 31, NATOassumed control over the military operation, taking over from the U.S., France and Britain, which had been leading the mission, and installing Canadian Lt.-Gen. Charles Bouchard as commander of the operation.

NATOended its air campaign over Libya on Oct. 31. A NATO report on the mission says its planes flew 9,600 strike sorties and that an estimated 5,900 targets were destroyed. The mission has been hailed as a success by NATO's military and political leaders, who have argued that the bombing raids caused minimal loss of innocent lives while paralyzing Gadhafi's command and control networks and preventing his forces from carrying out reprisals against civilians. But the campaign caused deep strains within the alliance, with only eight of the 28 member states agreeing to participate in the combat operation.

Canadian impact:On a visit to Tripoli on Oct. 11, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Canada would contribute $10 million towards an effort to help Libya secure arms stockpiles in the country. On Sept. 26, MPs votedin support ofextending Canada's military mission in Libyaby three months, bringing it up to the end of 2011. An NDP amendment to the motion, which pushed to change the focus to rebuilding the country, was defeated.

"We will participate in the mission until armed threats emanating from Gadhafi forces are eliminated from the country," Harper told reporters in New York on Sept. 20.

Baird ordered on Sept. 13 that Canadaunfreeze$2.2 billion worth of Libyan assets,and this process was still under wayin late October.

Meanwhile, Canada's biggest oil producer, Suncor, announced on Sept. 26 that it was poised to restart production in the country. After talks with its Libyan partner, Suncor saidit couldbe operational within "afew weeks," and could reach its full potential of 100,000 barrels a day by year's end, Bloomberg News reported.

Canada has recognized the rebel-formed National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya.

Canada committedseven CF-18 fighter jets, twoCP-140 Aurora patrol planes,two CC-130 Hercules tankers anda refuellerto help enforce the no-fly zone and arms embargo against Libya. The warshipHMCS Charlottetown was there in the early weeks of the conflict, and was replaced bytheHMCS Vancouver.At the height of the mission, there were about 650 Canadian personnelin the area.About 435 personnel were still there in October.

On Oct. 22, Baird said Canada will focus on rebuilding and developing Libya's economy and supporting democratic development now that NATO's mission is drawing to an end

PHOTOS: Gadhafi through the years

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