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During the dying days of his four decade rule, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi cast an ominous prophecy. If his regime fell, jihadists would subjugate northern Africa, inflicting widespread violence and terror.

“Al-Qaeda considers all the people to be infidels,” Mr. Gaddafi declared in a speech weeks before NATO began its military intervention in Libya. “They deem all people their enemies. They know nothing but killing.”

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Before he was overthrown and killed, Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi warned jihadists would conquer northern Africa Back to video

The Islamists would pour in from Afghanistan, Algeria, and Egypt, he warned, saying, “These are beasts with turbans.”

Now, with France locked in a battle with extremists in Mali; with al-Qaeda-linked groups carrying out a massive hostage taking in Algeria, and with Britain, Germany, and France telling their citizens to leave Libya because of an unspecified threat, the man many considered mad may not have been so crazy after all.

The irony is, he was right

“The irony is, he was right,” said Christian Leuprecht, Royal Military College and Queen’s University political studies associate professor.