5. Gaddafi Girls

Gaddafi was as interesting a personality as he was controversial. He remained a contentious figure until the very end. It’s difficult to determine whether he deliberately courted controversies or if controversies naturally gravitated toward him. Additionally, the myths and legends surrounding him were as famous as the man himself. He was labeled as a cruel dictator, a libertine, a man who lived a life of luxury, a troublemaker, a womanizer, a homosexual, a bloodsucker of Libyans, and loose cannon. Accusations like these swirled around him constantly. However, in reality, most of these accusations were baseless. To be fair, Gaddafi was indeed ruthless in the early years of his rule, silencing those who opposed him. But he was never the kind of cruel dictator, selfish ruler, libertine, or bloodsucker of his own people that he was often accused of being. Instead, from the very day he came to power, Gaddafi took good care of the Libyan people and provided them with numerous facilities and benefits, as I have mentioned earlier. It is true, however, that he was a troublemaker and a loose cannon. His audacity and provocations were significant enough to plunge Libya into a decade of darkness, depriving its people of English education. I have detailed how his antics caused this situation in my earlier piece titled Muammar Gaddafi and the English Language.

As I mentioned earlier, with the exception of a few African newspapers, most media outlets around the world had portrayed Gaddafi as a villain from the very beginning. Why was this the case? These outlets often relied on rumors and hearsay about his private life, embellishing them and publishing sensational reports. Even his “girls” weren’t spared from such treatment. Stories spread that Gaddafi sexually exploited these women and kept them in his palace for that purpose. Such baseless rumors were circulated widely. Consequently, Gaddafi’s notoriety extended to his “girls” as well, and they became infamous in their own right. The media mockingly referred to them as "Gaddafi Girls." But who exactly were these “Gaddafi Girls”? What was their relationship with Gaddafi? What were the stories surrounding them? How much of these stories were true, and how much was fabricated? Let’s delve into these questions now.

Female Bodyguards: The so-called “Gaddafi Girls” were none other than the female bodyguards personally appointed by Gaddafi for his security and the Ukrainian nurses hired to monitor his daily health. These women served on a rotational basis, fulfilling their duties at his residence but did not live there permanently. They stayed in separate locations and came to his residence only when their shift was scheduled. However, for security reasons, their movements and phone calls were monitored without their knowledge while they lived outside his residence. Keep that aside, why did Gaddafi appoint female bodyguards when most leaders around the world relied on male soldiers for their security? Was it because he had a fascination with women? Or was he truly a womanizer who mingled intimately with them? Or was there another reason behind this decision? Exploring this through the lens of history, his "Green Book," and local opinions reveals the following: Although Gaddafi was a Muslim leader, he had always been a strong advocate for women’s rights. He viewed men and women as equals and provided equal opportunities for women in all areas of society. He had immense faith in women’s capabilities, which led him to appoint female soldiers as his bodyguards. By doing so, he intended to showcase to the world that women are in no way inferior to men.

Additionally, Gaddafi believed that if women were trained in military tactics, they could defend themselves in times of crisis. Locals claim this was his rationale behind his decision. By appointing women as his bodyguards—a position in the country’s military considered highly prestigious—Gaddafi became the first male leader in the world to highlight and validate women’s competence on a global stage. In 1972, Gaddafi resigned from the official position of Head of State and adopted the grandiose title of “Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.” During this time, he began appointing women as his bodyguards. These bodyguards numbered around 300 to 400 and were responsible for protecting Gaddafi 24 hours a day on a rotational basis. All of them were Libyan women who had to pass multiple rounds of rigorous selection tests to qualify as his bodyguards. However, Gaddafi personally made the final selection and required the chosen women to take an oath: "We are always ready to protect our leader, even if it means sacrificing our lives to ensure his safety. We also pledge to remain virgins as long as we are in service."

Among these bodyguards, Gaddafi had three highly trusted guards who were always by his side. They accompanied him everywhere and were considered his closest protectors. Whenever Gaddafi traveled abroad, he additionally selected four other bodyguards to join him on the trip. One of these trusted guards was from Taraghan, a town near Sabha. According to her, whenever Gaddafi selected additional bodyguards for his foreign trips, those chosen were overjoyed beyond measure. This was because Gaddafi would present them with a gold watch bearing his portrait as a gift, along with a bonus. This practice made many of the bodyguards eager and hopeful to be selected, waiting excitedly for their turn. Interestingly, Gaddafi often reselected those he had already taken on previous trips. There were no specific criteria for this selection; it largely depended on Gaddafi’s mood and the luck of the women involved. So, were all of them truly beautiful as most of the global media claimed? Definitely not all of them were beautiful. However, they all had to appear attractive in Gaddafi’s presence. For this reason, they always wore makeup, applied lipstick, polished their nails, and donned high-heeled shoes to maintain a striking appearance. Gaddafi, being an admirer of beauty, liked to surround himself with beautiful things and people, according to those who knew him closely. Despite their appearance, they were extremely dedicated to their duties and ready to sacrifice their lives to protect their leader. For instance, in 1998, during a public gathering in Libya where Gaddafi was giving a speech, some Islamic fundamentalists attempted to assassinate him by opening fire. One of his close bodyguards, named Aisha, shielded him by standing in the line of fire, taking the bullets herself, and saving his life.

That said, why did Gaddafi insist that all his bodyguards had to be virgins? Was there a strong reason behind it? According to foreign media, Gaddafi, being a depraved individual, often sexually exploited his bodyguards and derived a peculiar satisfaction from taking away their purity. However, locals dismiss these claims as baseless rumors. They explain that Gaddafi preferred virgin bodyguards because he strongly believed in an ancient Greek notion: virgins are more focused and attentive in their tasks and execute orders with greater precision. Gaddafi held this belief deeply, which is why he always appointed virgins as his bodyguards. So, what happened to Gaddafi’s many bodyguards? During the revolution, some were arrested, some died in NATO attacks, and others sought refuge in different countries. When Tripoli slipped out of Gaddafi’s control, he reportedly told his remaining bodyguards, “Leave me now. Escape wherever you can.” Following his instructions, while attempting to escape, some were captured, some fell into the hands of rebels and were killed, and a few managed to flee to other countries. Nurses: Gaddafi had an extreme fascination for nurses, and as always, foreign newspapers and TV media stuck to their narrative, accusing him of filling his house with nurses and sexually exploiting them. However, the reality was quite different. Gaddafi was excessively concerned about his health. For this reason, he had two experienced Libyan doctors and five Ukrainian nurses permanently employed at his residence to monitor his and his family's health. They worked in shifts to ensure continuous care. Moreover, as Gaddafi had a history of hypertension, he relied on regular medical advice and kept this team of doctors and nurses at hand. Whenever he travelled abroad, he would take them along. Using this as a pretext, English newspapers and TV channels published defamatory stories about him and his relationship with the nurses.

However, Oksana Balinskaya, one of the five Ukrainian nurses who worked closely with Gaddafi, presents a completely different picture. She says, "All of us (the Ukrainian nurses) used to call him ‘Daddy.’ Every day, we would check Daddy’s blood pressure and give him the prescribed medication. Other than that, Daddy was healthy in every way. Daddy provided us with jobs, good salaries, and a decent life. He cared deeply about us and often inquired if we were happy with our families and children. On September 1st every year (the day he came to power), he would give us expensive gifts, including gold watches with his photograph, and always treated us with respect. It’s tragic that someone spread rumours about Daddy sexually abusing us and his bodyguards. We don’t know who started these lies or why. But Daddy never mistreated us." She adds, "He had only a few rules about our attire. We weren’t allowed to wear lipstick or colourful clothes. His opinion was that nurses should focus on their duties, not their appearance. We only touched Daddy when checking his blood pressure. Yet, they spread such false stories about us. Every day, we would take him for a walk in the garden inside his residence compound. Daddy was an excellent psychologist. He was so skilled that just by shaking hands and making eye contact, he could instantly assess the character of the person he met for the first time." Oksana laments, "Daddy not only built Libya but also modernized Libyans, taking them off camelbacks and putting them in cars. How could they have had the heart to kill such a great man?" Photos: Courtesy of the Internet Photos 1-4: Gaddafi’s Bodyguards Photos 5-6: Gaddafi’s Nurses Kannada Original: Uday Itagi English Translation: Uday Itagi