America's First War on Terror

FrontPage e-zine ^ | May, 2006 | Andrew G. Bostom

[djf]

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, then serving as American ambassadors to France and Britain, respectively, met in 1786 in London with the Tripolitan Ambassador to Britain, Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja. These future American presidents were attempting to negotiate a peace treaty which would spare the United States the ravages of jihad piracy—murder, enslavement (with ransoming for redemption), and expropriation of valuable commercial assets—emanating from the Barbary states (modern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, known collectively in Arabic as the Maghrib). During their discussions, they questioned Ambassador Adja as to the source of the unprovoked animus directed at the nascent United States republic. Jefferson and Adams, in their subsequent report to the Continental Congress, recorded the Tripolitan Ambassador’s justification:

… that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.

[djf]

Don't know if this was posted before. But it bears repeating.

[My2Cents]

Pirates!

This is a pretty good account:

[mosquewatch.com]

Great article. I've been pushing this issue alot over the years when people say that "Terrorism started in the 80's." They (Muslims) have been attacking the USA from it's inception, and everyone else since the inception of Islam.

[MadLibDisease]

Great find, thank you for posting

[AFPhys]

Thanks for the post.

[true_blue_texican]

It's time to kick serious Musselman Ass.

[djf]

We won't.

We'll just sit around and whine "Oh, did I hurt that poor Arabs feelings? I'm so prejudiced and racial and full of hate!!"

Next thing ya know, a nuke goes off in Newark or San Diego or any one of a dozen other port cities...

[Coleus]

Jefferson would continue to pay tribute to other Barbary States to the end of his second term, and his successor, James Madison, would still be paying tribute up until 1816. In 1816, the British warship HMS Queen Charlotte, at the head of a combined Anglo-Dutch fleet, poured 500 tons of munitions into the town of Algiers, obliterating the Algerine navy and damaging or destroying every building in town and killing an estimated 5,000 - 8,000 citizens and soldiers. the Bey surrendered all the slaves he had (1,642), promised never to enslave Christians again, and handed over 382,500 Austrian thalers, in sacks of 1,000 each, which amounted to over a ₤1 million.

[Pyro7480]

Jefferson would continue to pay tribute to other Barbary States to the end of his second term, and his successor, James Madison, would still be paying tribute up until 1816.

From Stephen Decatur:

In May 1815, Commodore Decatur sailed his squadron of nine ships to the Mediterranean Sea to conduct the Second Barbary War, which put an end to the international practice of paying tribute to pirate states. Decatur was dispatched to Algiers to firstly, secure the release of American slaves, secondly, obtain an end to tribute, and finally, to procure favorable prize agreements.

Capturing the Algerian fleet flagship Mashouda as well as the Algerian brig Estedio in route to Algeria, Decatur secured an amount of levying power with which to bargain with the Dey of Algiers. Upon arrival, Decatur exhibited an early use of Gunboat Diplomacy on behalf of American interests. A new treaty was agreed to within 48 hours of his arrival, confirming the success of his objectives.

After resolving the disputes in Algiers, Decatur sailed his squadron to Tunis and Tripoli to demand reimbursement for proceeds witheld by those governments in the War of 1812. In a similar fashion, Decatur received all of the demands he asked of them, and promptly sailed home victorious.

[Pyro7480]