It was once the symbol of Gaddafi's strength over the west, a brutal image of power and victory. Now it stands ruined with the Mad Dog's illusion of power over the country shattered, like the windows in his once regal compound. Built in 1986, after the US air strikes in Libya, the iconic statue shows a fist crushing an American aircraft and was the majestic backdrop for many of the dictator's speeches. In a final gesture of contempt rebels forces climbed and painted the statue screaming victory as their dictator remains absent, presumably in hiding. Scroll down for video Ransacked: Gaddafi's Bab Al Azaziya compound in Tripoli is trashed - the dictator's whereabouts is still unknown
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British Tornado jets pound bunkers in Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte
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Rebels face resistance from the dictator's loyalists in Tripoli
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£1bn frozen Libyan funds made available to National Transitional Council
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New evidence that Gaddafi's adopted daughter WASN'T killed by U.S. in 1986
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Gaddafi forces damage a plane at Tripoli airport in retaliatory strikes
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Twenty African states recognise rebels as Libya's legitimate government
Fresh battles rage: A @placeholder man runs across the street seeking shelter from sniper fire in Tripoli today