Gad ‧ da ‧ fi, Colonel Mu ‧ a ‧ mmar al BrE AmE ( also Qaddafi, Colonel Moamor al ) /ɡəˈdæfi $ -ˈdɑː-, ˈməʊəmɑːr æl/
(1942–) the leader of Libya since 1969. The government of the US accused him of supporting international ↑ terrorist groups during the 1980s, and in 1986 the US ↑ military bombed his home and some of his children were killed or injured. In recent years he has tried to improve Libya's relationship with the US and other Western countries by sending terrorists for trial and agreeing to get rid of the country's very dangerous weapons.