Today is the 200th anniversary of the capturing of Derna in Tripoli by the Marines.

[Borges]

Yet nothing in the press. Is this one of the least spoken of high points in American history or what?

[Borges]

[N. Theknow]

Semper Fi "the shores of Tripoli."

[bikepacker67]

We were cleaning up the filth of the world, even way back then...

The Barbary War -- the first American war against Libya -- was the first war waged by the United States outside national boundaries after gaining independence and unification of the country.

The four Barbary States of North Africa - Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli - had plundered seaborne commerce for centuries. Surviving by blackmail, they received great sums of money, ships, and arms yearly from foreign powers in return for allowing the foreigners to trade in African ports and sail unmolested through the Barbary waters. They demanded tribute money, seized ships, and held crews for ransom or sold them into slavery.

Source

[BullDog108]

An interesting article on the war by Thomas Jewett:

Terrorism In Early America

[righttackle44]

God bless our Marines.

I am a proud Marine dad.

[Mikey_1962]

They wanted tribute and ransom from the new US they way they had been getting from the French for years (sound familiar?).

We sent in the US MARINES for intense "discussions".

They finally saw our point and no longer molested our ships.

SEMPER FI!!!

[Blzbba]

Probably ignored due to Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli:

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Of course, I'll probably be flamed for posting that, but hell - I didn't write it!

[Congressman Billybob]

An interesting fact about the War against the Barbary Pirates is this: In 1805 Congress voted to give President Jefferson the authority to use "military power" as necessary "across national boundaries: to pursue the Barbary Pirates. (The pirates were the non-national Muslim plunderers and killers of their day.)

This was the only Declaration of War in American history that did not name a nation as the enemy, and its language was tracked almost word for word in the two authorities to use military force that Congress voted for President Bush in the War on Terrorism.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, " 'L.A. Chappaquiddick,' Starring Hillary Clinton."

[SunkenCiv]

Nice to know that the US was cleaning up Europe's messes even back before the United Nations was there to stand by and do nothing.

[mrsmith]

"The Barbary War -- the first American war against Libya -- was the first war waged by the United States outside national boundaries after gaining independence and unification of the country. "
"First war"???? Well, it depends on what one means by "war" !

The first use of the US military "outside national boundaries after gaining independence and unification of the country" was in the "Quasi war" against France in the Adams administration. The US navy and marines ( and privateers) sank French ships and invaded French colonies. Our military attacked and chased the French out of a Dutch West Indies colony the French had invaded and taken over.

The motto for the Quasi war was "millions for defense but not one cent for tribute.

The Barbary war was definately cool though: sending the navy to sink pirates and a few marines and some bucks to raise and lead a foreign rebel army.

[Godebert]

Excellent thread and link. Thanks....