Gaddafi assassinated

Saif Ghaddafi takes over after a period of massive repression against Islamists and appeasement of liberals. He then attempts to liberalize the economy and patch up relations with the West, likely by partially privatizing Libya's oil supply. he moves towards a less ridiculous and oppressive dictatorship, with "elections" and some additional liberties. he basically pulls a Mubarak and gets the liberals on his side by promising to fight off the Islamist opposition.
 
SAif al Islam was 27 years old in 1999,I think that he is too young to take over.

Not even in an official capacity, with his father's former cronies acting as a sort of "regency"? Ghadaffi was clearly insane, and his henchmen might be able to steer the country, with the intelligent, Westernized and seemingly normal Saif al-Islam at the nominal helm.
 
Not even in an official capacity, with his father's former cronies acting as a sort of "regency"? Ghadaffi was clearly insane, and his henchmen might be able to steer the country, with the intelligent, Westernized and seemingly normal Saif al-Islam at the nominal helm.
This is the most likely I think. I could see real reform akin to Jordan actually.
 
Apparently, the Libyan ambassador to the Arab League who resigned early this year when the civil war was getting started was thought to be the heir apparent before he got that job in the '90s. When exactly he got it I don't know.

SAif al Islam was 27 years old in 1999,I think that he is too young to take over.

That's actually the same age his old man was when he led the coup against the monarchy. But he's not Gaddafi's only son.
 
This is the most likely I think. I could see real reform akin to Jordan actually.

Agreed. I think Saif made a major mistake in supporting his father in the civil war, if he hadn't Ghaddafi might have stepped aside and gone into exile, while Saif could have appeased the liberals with some democratic reforms and crushed the now-split rebel movement with the West pulling out.
 
Top