The Libyan Nuclear Program and Its Impact on Libyan–American Relations

Abstract

This research examines the development of Libya’s nuclear program since the 1970s, considering it as one of the tools of foreign policy under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. It highlights how this program initially contributed to tensions with the United States, and later became a gateway for political rapprochement after Libya’s voluntary decision to abandon it. Libyan–American relations were characterized by tension following Gaddafi’s rise to power in 1969, due to his efforts to curb American influence in Libya, threaten its oil interests, support international terrorism, and intervene in the affairs of neighboring countries and Africa in general. These tensions reached their peak in a series of direct military confrontations between 1973 and 1989, which in turn shaped the nature of U.S. policy. However, Libya’s policies after 2003, despite the significant concessions it made, did not fundamentally alter this dynamic.