An appetite for arms? Libya’s re- emergence on the international arms market

Abstract

Once considered a ‘pariah state’ and shunned for its support of terrorist activities, Libya has in recent years undergone a remarkable transformation, at least at the international level. One particularly notable aspect of Libya’s reintegration into the ‘international community’ has been the efforts of several states to secure large-scale arms contracts with the Gaddafi regime. Indeed, since the lifting of the UN and EU arms embargoes in 2003/2004, Libya is commonly considered one of the most promising arms export markets in the world.