Amazonian Guard

{{Infobox law enforcement agency

| agencyname = Revolutionary Nuns

| nativename =

| nativenamea = الراهبات الثوريات

| nativenamer = ar-rāhibāt ath-thawriyyāt

| commonname = the Amazons

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| formedyear = {{circa|early 1980s}}

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| dissolved = 2011

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| country = Libya

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| minister1name = Muammar Gaddafi

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File:Female libyan body guards.jpg

The Amazonian Guard (also the "Amazons") was an unofficial name given to an all-female elite cadre of bodyguards officially known as the Revolutionary Nuns ({{langx|ar|الراهبات الثوريات}}, ar-rāhibāt ath-thawriyyāt), tasked with protecting Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011.

Formation

The group was formed in the early 1980s, after Gaddafi's official resignation as Libyan head of state in favor of the title of Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution. According to Joseph T. Stanik, Gaddafi employed a cadre of female bodyguards because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women.{{cite book|title= El Dorado Canyon: Reagan's Undeclared War with Qaddafi|last= Stanik|first= Joseph T.|year= 2003|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location= Annapolis, Md|isbn= 978-1-55750-983-3|page= [https://archive.org/details/eldoradocanyonre00stan/page/19 19]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/eldoradocanyonre00stan/page/19}} 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.{{cite book |title=Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands |last=Wheeler |first=Tony |year=2007 |publisher=Lonely Planet |location=Footscray, Vic |isbn=978-1-74179-186-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/badlandslonelypl00tony/page/197 197] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/badlandslonelypl00tony/page/197 }}

Gaddafi would usually travel with fifteen of his Amazonian Guards assigned to security or housekeeping.{{cite video |people= Holt, Lester; Taibbi, Mike|date=24 September 2011 |title=Luxurious Libyan 'Air Force One'? |url=http://on.msnbc.com/prwMB8 |medium= video |publisher=MSNBC |location= Tripoli, Libya |accessdate=22 October 2011 |quote=This I guess in the aft end of the aircraft is for his bodyguards, security detail, eight rows of six, 48 seats. Gadhafi often traveled with female bodyguards. Some called them his Amazon guards. Lakhtar said there were usually around 15 females in Gadhafi's traveling party, assigned to security or housekeeping.}}

Training

Candidates for the Amazonian Guard participated in firearms and martial arts training at a special academy, were required to take an oath of chastity, then were chosen by Gaddafi.{{cite web | url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/247809 |title=Qaddafi's Angels Guard the Libyan During Deal with France| access-date=2011-02-20 |last=Torrence |first= Samantha A.|publisher=DigitalJournal.com| date=2007-12-21}}

Incidents

In 1998, 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 favorite and threw herself across Gaddafi's body to stop the bullets.{{cite news|last=Dowdney|first=Mark |title=Girl guard dies saving Gaddafi in gun attack |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Girl+guard+dies+saving+Gaddafi+in+gun+attack.-a060563920 |access-date=22 October 2011|newspaper=Daily Record |location=Scotland|publisher=The Free Library|date=12 June 1998|quote=She threw herself on top of the Libyan leader when rebels opened fire on his motorcade, and died riddled with bullets... A Libyan source said: 'Gaddafi was deeply distressed. Aisha, the woman who died, was his top bodyguard.'}}{{cite news|title=Desperately seeking Qaddafi's brigade of beautiful bodyguards|url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/08/26/164192.html|publisher=Al Arabiya|date=2011-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826184627/http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/08/26/164192.html |archive-date=26 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}

In November 2006, as Gaddafi arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, 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 {{Convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} journey to the capital on foot, and could be persuaded to yield only after intervention by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who coincidentally was also at the airport.{{cite news|last=Last|first=Alex|title=Gaddafi in Nigeria airport drama|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6192630.stm|access-date=22 October 2011|publisher=BBC News|date=28 November 2006}}

Abuse

In September 2012, the book Gaddafi's Harem was published, in which Gaddafi was linked to several sex scandals, including several rapes of men, women, and children.{{Cite news |last=Teruel |first=Ana |date=2012-10-01 |title=Gadafi gobernaba con el sexo |url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2012/09/28/gente/1348849700_405675.html |access-date=2024-09-06 |work=El País |language=es |issn=1134-6582}}{{Cite web |date=2012-09-26 |title=Terror y sexo en el palacio de Gadafi |url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/internacional/20120926/terror-sexo-palacio-gadafi-2212077 |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=El Periódico |language=es}}{{Cite web |date=2012-09-28 |title=Libro reveló cómo Gadafi generaba sus esclavas sexuales |url=http://www.nicanoticias.com/2012/09/25/libro-revelo-como-gadafi-generaba-sus-esclavas-sexuales/ |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=Nicanoticias|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928050905/http://www.nicanoticias.com/2012/09/25/libro-revelo-como-gadafi-generaba-sus-esclavas-sexuales/ |archive-date=2012-09-28 }} According to the book, Gaddafi raped female members of his Amazonian Guard on a daily basis.

In the latter days of the Libyan civil war, accusations emerged from five members of the Amazonian Guard of rape and other abuse by the upper echelons of the Gaddafi government, which included Gaddafi, his sons, and senior officials.{{cite news |title=Gaddafi's female bodyguards say they were raped, abused by the Libyan leader|first=Elizabeth|last=Flock |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/gaddafis-female-bodyguards-say-they-were-raped-abused-by-the-libyan-leader/2011/08/29/gIQA8TOKnJ_blog.html |newspaper=The Washington Post | date=29 August 2011|access-date=22 October 2011}}{{cite news|first=Mark |last=Micallef |url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110828/local/Gaddafi-raped-his-female-bodyguards.382085 |title=Gaddafi 'raped' his female bodyguards |publisher=Timesofmalta.com |work=The Sunday Times|date=28 August 2011 |access-date=22 October 2011}} Some Amazonian Guards report they were offered a choice between suicide and executing rebels.{{cite news |first=Arwa |last=Damon |title=Libyan teen says Gadhafi's troops forced her to execute rebels |date = 2011-08-31 |url = http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/30/libya.female.fighter/index.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110831082334/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/30/libya.female.fighter/index.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = August 31, 2011 |publisher = CNN |access-date = 2011-09-02}}{{cite news |first = Martin |last = Chulov |title = Gaddafi's 'Amazonian' bodyguards' barracks quashes myth of glamour |date = 2011-09-07 |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/07/gaddafis-amazonian-bodyguards-barracks |work =The Guardian |access-date = 2011-09-09}}{{cite news |first = Christoph |last = Reuter |title = Life After the Despot |date = 2011-09-05 |url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,784369,00.html |work = Spiegel Online |access-date = 2011-09-27}}