MusicThis is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.Moammar Gadhafi came to power in Libya on September first, nineteen sixty-nine.He led a military overthrow while King Idris was away.Early relations with the United States were generally good, says Bruce St John, the author of seven books on Libya.BRUCE ST JOHN: "In the early years, he was very much focused on Arab nationalism, Arab unity, Arab socialism.And in fact, the United States government in the first two or three years -- maybe even until nineteen seventy-four --there were people in the United States government who thought we could work with the man and work with his regime.It was only later that he began to employ terrorist-type techniques, not only in North Africa and the Middle East,but eventually throughout the world."Colonel Gadhafi distrusted his own generals, so over the years he built up special brigades.He built these forces with his sons and members of the military loyal to his native tribe and its allies.He also brought in foreign forces -- African mercenaries.During the nineteen seventies, he tried to unite Libya with other Arab countries.
