Libya (al-jamahiriyya al-‘arabiyya al-libiyya al-sha’biyya al-ishtirakiyya)

The Libyan leader, Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi, with political cunning exploited the newly created circumstances to mobilize his people's support and to rekindle their "revolutionary" zeal, thus strengthening his hold on the country. Libya remained hostile toward Egypt, but worked strenuously to reinforce its political standing in Sudan. The major importance which Qadhdhafi attributed to his relations with Khartoum was demonstrated by his visit there in the fall during a trip to other African countries. Soviet efforts to reinforce Libya's military strength, particularly its air defense systems, against what Tripoli considered an imminent American air attack, increased at the beginning of 1986. In summer-fall 1986, high-ranking political, military and religious Soviet delegates were spotted in Libya. The commentary continued to say that the combined human resources and industrial and agricultural capacities of Libya and Algeria would lead their union to superpower status.