Includes bibliographical references (p. 291-313) and index.

Introduction. The NATO intervention in Libya: a lesson of colossal f ailure -- The independence of Libya and the birth of NATO -- Collapse o f the Soviet Union and the emergence of global NATO -- Muammar Gaddafi and the elusive revolution -- The neoliberal assault on Libya: London S chool of Economics and Harvard professors -- UN Security Council Resolu tion 1973 and the responsibility to protect -- Libya and Gulf Cooperati on Council -- Libyan resources -- France and Libya -- Libya and the fin ancialization of energy markets -- The NATO campaign -- The African Uni on and Libya -- NATO in Libya as a military information operation -- Wh o took Tripoli? -- Tawerga and the myth of "African mercenaries" -- The execution of Gaddafi -- NATO's Libyan mission: a catastrophic failure -- European isolation in Africa -- Failure begets failure: the NATO qua gmire in Libya consumes the U.S. ambassador to Libya -- "Libya all in": a culture of dysfunctionality in the U.S. military and its explosion i n the U.S. political system -- Conclusion: NATO and the processes of fa ilure and destruction in Libya -- Afterword by Ali A. Mazrui: from the Lockerbie air crash to the Libyan revolution.