[gusty]

Now for the real story, not the comic book one. The real story was that we did not soundly beat them. Jefferson cut a deal with Tripoli's ruler to end the conflict. Part of the deal was we abandoned our allies in the conflict, and left them to their fate. To his dying day, William Eaton despised Jefferson for negotiating a sellout of our allies to the Pasha. William Eaton led the force of US Marines (the shores of Tripoli), Greek mercenaries, and Arab tribesman lead by the Pasha's brother, from Alexandria Egypt across the Western Desert to capture the city of Derna. After his victory, Eaton was ordered by Jefferson's negotiator with the Pasha, Tobias Lear to evacuate from Derna, and leave the Arab tribesman fighting for us to be destroyed by the Pasha. You see Lear struck a deal to pay the ransom for the release of American hostages, and also agreed to abandon our allies in the conflict. Jefferson was a 19th Century Obama in regards to this war.

[OldNewYork]

That’s all interesting, if we can get past your little bit of snark in calling what I wrote the comic book story, and I appreciate your obvious knowledge on the subject.

We soundly beat them in the sense that they no longer raided places like Iceland and Ireland for slaves, and formerly depopulated parts of Italy’s coast didn’t stay that way, due to there no longer being danger from the sea of townsfolk being kidnapped by Mohammedans while doing clearly obnoxious things like plowing fields, fishing, or sitting down to a nice pizza pie. Do you take exception to that?

Would you also dispute that their navy faked surrender several times in order to draw the American ship in close enough to attack?