Abstract
Libya has pursued its quest for the acquisition and development of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in general and nuclear weapons in specific since the regime change in 1969. This wish was shattered when Libya renounced to give up its pursuits of WMD, especially nuclear bomb aspiration. This paper examines the puzzle of Libya’s nuclear rollback and the factors, which compelled Libya to give up its nuclear arms ambition. Libya’s decision to renounce its nuclear program, in 2003, was not less than a shock for the world. There exist different views regarding Libyan nuclear turnaround, justifying the factors behind this move. This paper argues that the decision by Libyan leadership to give up the WMD ambition was not merely due to the US invasion in Iraq in 2003 rather it was the consequence of the unfolding of variables like security, economy and political concerns of Libya over the decades, ultimately forcing Libyan leadership to surrender its WMD dreams.