Gaddafi Son's Passport Adds New Spelling Of Libyan Leader's Name (VIDEO)

Though it's already caused a headache for international journalists and news editors for several months, Muammar Gaddafi's name has just been revealed to have yet one more spelling.

As The Atlantic is reporting, the release of a video of someone apparently flipping through the passport of Gaddafi's eldest son Mohammed shows the accurate Latinized spelling of the Libyan leader's surname to be "Gathafi."

Though this is not the earliest known use of the spelling -- it was included in a humorous 2009 ABC report -- it's certainly one of the least used. Meanwhile, mainstream news outlets covering Libya adapted their own policies and styles -- The Huffington Post, for example, uses "Gaddafi," while The Los Angeles Times calls him "Kadafi" and the Associated Press "Gadhafi."

Whether or not this discovery will have any impact on the global media going forward -- as Libya and its embattled leader look likely to remain in the headlines for some time -- remains to be seen.

Watch video of the passport below:

Comments

[jnaghdi]

06:29 PM on 09/06/2011

This is a man of many faces. Border control officers in Europe, America and Asia beware!! However Africans may be happy to embrace him.. http://www.datarecoverylab.co.uk

[juliebird]

08:38 AM on 08/30/2011

http://splitsider.com/2011/03/political-comedy-loves-the-80s
"The jokes haven't changed much in twenty-five years: One of the first lines out of Lovitz's character was 'Moamar Kaddafi. Spell it any way you want.'"

[keezze]

10:30 PM on 08/29/2011

I spell it jerkoff

[OMG-XYZ]

11:55 AM on 08/29/2011

If you want to know what's Gadhafi's real name just ask Serbs. Majority of them support this African dictator.

79% of Serbians gave support to Colonel Gaddafi
http://libyarevolt.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/79-of-serbians-gave-support-to-colonel-gaddafi/

[captjoeh]

11:21 AM on 08/29/2011

Off topic but I see on my postings "This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program". Seems rather in-your-face prominent. What's with the badges program? Anything useful about it?

[captjoeh]

11:18 AM on 08/29/2011

Is not it likely that the dictator's son would want a different spelling in order to avoid various lists of those who may not fly etc.?

[BlueHorde]

08:31 AM on 08/29/2011

QuackDaffy

[Keyop]

06:08 AM on 08/29/2011

How bout sxxthead

[Bill Sr]

05:43 AM on 08/29/2011

Spell him D-E-A-D

[ElCojonuo]

10:20 PM on 08/28/2011

It's EL KAGAFI in Andalucian Berber ( Moro ).

[PatrynXX]

11:29 PM on 08/28/2011

this is like trying to spell al queda never can do it. so I refer to them as the taliban which isn't the same group have a better chance of getting Gahdaffi spelled in some form or another.

[jaspdohertylaw]

07:28 PM on 08/28/2011

you say gaddafi, i say quadafi,
we all say he's whacky

[starmanx]

03:19 AM on 08/29/2011

I refer to him as GaDaffy, because he's one mad SOB

[A Dub]

06:10 PM on 08/28/2011

I spell it - Ousted!

[PatrynXX]

11:30 PM on 08/28/2011

or hiding in a hole like Saddam did.

[starmanx]

03:21 AM on 08/29/2011

He'll probably wind up like Saddam, because tyrants, after all, are cowards

[chaapai]

05:58 PM on 08/28/2011

How about: Joe The Camel? the resemblance is remarkable.

[starmanx]

03:21 AM on 08/29/2011

Good one!

[RedandGreen]

05:34 PM on 08/28/2011

Our Government and its henchman, the Media, never fail to demonize anyone who defies them. Remember how both never demonized Pinochet, Franco and all the other bloody genocidal Dictators worldwide who supported our United States. Keep that in mind.

[TBrennan]

03:23 PM on 08/28/2011

Why don't we just simplify it to "dead man".