Libya's Gadhafi Marks 40 Years in Power
By VOA News
01 September 2009
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is marking the 40th anniversary of his revolutionary rule Tuesday with lavish celebrations.
The streets of Tripoli are festooned with lights, and portraits of Mr. Gadhafi appear on everything from billboards to balloons.
Some world leaders are expected to attend the festivities, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Other guests, including some African leaders, are already in Tripoli for an African Union meeting.
Mr. Gadhafi has worked for years to bring his once-isolated nation back into the international fold.
While Mr. Gadhafi and Libyans prepare to celebrate, Western nations are still angry because the sole convicted culprit in the 1988 Lockerbie airplane bombing received a hero's welcome when he returned to Libya in August.
A Scottish court released Abdel Baset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds because he is dying of cancer. Mr. Gadhafi hugged the convicted man upon his return.
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