Amazonian Guard
Encyclopedia
The Amazonian Guard was an unofficial name given by Western journalists to an all-female elite
cadre of bodyguards officially known as al-rāhibāt al-thawriyyāt "The Revolutionary Nuns", and sometimes also unofficially called "the Green Nuns", tasked with protecting the former leader of Libya
, Muammar Gaddafi
.
The group was formed in the early 1980s, after Gaddafi's official resignation as Libyan head of state in favour of the title of "Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya". This came as a surprise, as Gaddafi was known for his misogynistic outbursts during the 1970s, and in his Green Book, he had made clear that he saw the role of women confined to housekeeping and motherhood.
According to Joseph T. Stanik, Gaddafi reportedly employed a cadre of female bodyguards because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women. However, it has also been submitted by other authors that Gaddafi's female bodyguards were, in reality, just an aspect of the dictator's well-known eccentric showmanship and his fondness of surrounding himself with young women. Gaddafi would usually travel with fifteen of his Amazonian Guards.
Candidates for the Amazonian Guard undergo extensive firearms and martial arts training at a special academy, must take an oath of chastity, and had to have been hand-picked by Gaddafi himself. Members of this bodyguard are allowed privileges such as dressing in Western
-style fatigues
and wearing makeup, or displaying Western hair styles and high heels.
In 1988, one of Gaddafi's female bodyguards was killed and seven others were wounded when Islamic fundamentalists in Libya ambushed Gaddafi's motorcade. It was claimed that the dead guard, Aisha, was Gaddafi's favourite and threw herself across Gaddafi's body to stop the bullets.
In November 2006, as Gaddafi arrived at Abuja
airport, Nigeria, with a 200-strong troop of heavily armed bodyguards, a diplomatic incident was caused as security officials tried to disarm them. Gaddafi furiously walked away, gesturing that he intended to cover the 40 km journey to the capital on foot, and could only be persuaded to yield after intervention by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who happened to be at the airport by chance.
In the latter days of the 2011 Libyan civil war
, accusations emerged of rape
and other abuse from five members of the Amazonian Guard by the upper echelons of the Gaddafi regime, which typically ranged from Gaddafi himself, to his sons, to high officials. Some Amazonian Guards have also claimed that they were forced to execute rebels or be killed themselves.
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
cadre of bodyguards officially known as al-rāhibāt al-thawriyyāt "The Revolutionary Nuns", and sometimes also unofficially called "the Green Nuns", tasked with protecting the former leader of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
.
The group was formed in the early 1980s, after Gaddafi's official resignation as Libyan head of state in favour of the title of "Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya". This came as a surprise, as Gaddafi was known for his misogynistic outbursts during the 1970s, and in his Green Book, he had made clear that he saw the role of women confined to housekeeping and motherhood.
According to Joseph T. Stanik, Gaddafi reportedly employed a cadre of female bodyguards because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women. However, it has also been submitted by other authors that Gaddafi's female bodyguards were, in reality, just an aspect of the dictator's well-known eccentric showmanship and his fondness of surrounding himself with young women. Gaddafi would usually travel with fifteen of his Amazonian Guards.
Candidates for the Amazonian Guard undergo extensive firearms and martial arts training at a special academy, must take an oath of chastity, and had to have been hand-picked by Gaddafi himself. Members of this bodyguard are allowed privileges such as dressing in Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
-style fatigues
Battledress
Battledress, or fatigues in the general sense, is the type of uniform used as combat uniforms, as opposed to 'display' dress or formal uniform worn at parades and functions. It may be either monochrome or in a camouflage pattern...
and wearing makeup, or displaying Western hair styles and high heels.
In 1988, one of Gaddafi's female bodyguards was killed and seven others were wounded when Islamic fundamentalists in Libya ambushed Gaddafi's motorcade. It was claimed that the dead guard, Aisha, was Gaddafi's favourite and threw herself across Gaddafi's body to stop the bullets.
In November 2006, as Gaddafi arrived at Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
airport, Nigeria, with a 200-strong troop of heavily armed bodyguards, a diplomatic incident was caused as security officials tried to disarm them. Gaddafi furiously walked away, gesturing that he intended to cover the 40 km journey to the capital on foot, and could only be persuaded to yield after intervention by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who happened to be at the airport by chance.
In the latter days of the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
, accusations emerged of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and other abuse from five members of the Amazonian Guard by the upper echelons of the Gaddafi regime, which typically ranged from Gaddafi himself, to his sons, to high officials. Some Amazonian Guards have also claimed that they were forced to execute rebels or be killed themselves.