Defeat pirates in their home ports

History repeats itself. The first military action that our country was engaged in was the military action against the Barbary pirates of North Africa.

For more than 100 years the Muslim states of North Africa had demanded and received millions of dollars from Britain, France and the United States as bribes to not board their ships and take their sailors prisoners for ransom. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams tried to get a treaty with the Barbary States to stop this piracy but were not successful.

The piracy continued under Washington's and John Adam's presidency. The government often paid the bribes for our seamen's return but at times even the government could not pay the ever-increasing bribes.

By the time Jefferson became president one-fourth of the federal budget went to bribe the Barbary pirates. By then America had the beginning of a navy, and Jefferson ordered Stephen Douglas to sail into Tripoli and “teach them such a lesson that they would never forget” On Feb 16, 1814, Douglas and his men sailed into Tripoli, setting the pirate ships afire. It was such a stunning defeat that at last the Muslim Pasha was willing to sign a peace treaty. We sing of this victory in the Marine hymn “to the shores of Tripoli”

Right now the Somali pirates have more than 600 captives and 30 ships. They rake in millions of dollars for every captive released. Now these pirates are killing Americans sailing in open sea. Jefferson learned that North African pirates would not be stopped on the high seas, but by defeating them in their home ports.

Priscilla Weese

Wheaton