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Kill the pirates: As the Marines demonstrated long ago, there's only one way to end piracy
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | April 12, 2009 | Jack Kelly

Posted on 04/12/2009 10:30:11 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The opening stanza of the Marine Corps hymn is: "From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea."

The "Halls of Montezuma" refers to the assault on Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican War, which was led by the small Marine contingent in Gen. Winfield Scott's army. Ninety percent of the officers and NCOs who led the assault were killed.

The red stripe on the dress uniform trousers of Marine officers is in commemoration of the blood their predecessors shed that day. (For those who love historical coincidences, the Marines attacked along a route up the mountain that had been picked out by an Army engineer, Major Robert E. Lee. Immediately behind the Marines was a company of soldiers led by Lt. Ulysses S. Grant.)

"To the shores of Tripoli" refers to the Marine role in Thomas Jefferson's war against the Barbary pirates. The "Barbary Coast" was a collection of Muslim mini-states on Africa's Mediterranean coast stretching from present-day Algeria to present-day Libya. The principal source of revenue for the Barbary states was attacking shipping in the Mediterranean, stealing their cargoes and holding the crews for ransom or selling them into slavery.

The European powers of the day thought it cheaper to pay tribute to the Barbary states than to attack the pirates, and in 1784, the U.S. Congress followed suit. This was opposed by Mr. Jefferson, then the minister to France, who thought paying tribute would lead to larger demands. "It will be more easy to raise ships and men to fight these pirates into reason, than money to bribe them," Mr. Jefferson wrote in a letter to the president of Yale University in 1786.

(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 444; barbarypirates; bloodstripe; marinecorps; obama; piracy; pirates; somalia; somaliapirates; somalipirates; usmc; wot
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History always repeats itself, it seems. Mr. Obama isn't even another Warren Harding, much less Thomas Jefferson!!
1 posted on 04/12/2009 10:30:11 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Looks like that is exactly what happened. Preliminary report: Captain freed 3 pirates dead one captured. Somebody had a plan!!!

We will never know what happened-and that is good.


2 posted on 04/12/2009 10:33:02 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (We have nothing to fear but Obama himself.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; freema
The red stripe on the dress uniform trousers of Marine officers is in commemoration of the blood their predecessors shed that day....

I suppose "Officers" is including NCOs.
3 posted on 04/12/2009 10:33:22 AM PDT by stylin19a (Obama - the ethically excepted asterisk administration)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

He’s free.

Check breaking!


4 posted on 04/12/2009 10:34:08 AM PDT by fanfan (God, Bless America, please.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The Skipper of the Maersk Alabama is safe. Three pirates iced.

Works for me.
5 posted on 04/12/2009 10:34:30 AM PDT by BIGLOOK (Keelhaul Congress! It's the sensible solution to restore Command to the People.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Now that the captain has been freed, we now need to go sink the mother ship(s). You know we know where they are.


6 posted on 04/12/2009 10:37:42 AM PDT by umgud (I'm really happy I wasn't aborted)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

3 - 0

7 posted on 04/12/2009 10:42:32 AM PDT by anymouse (God didn't write this sitcom we call life, he's just the critic.)
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To: 4butnomorethan30characters; SJackson; knighthawk; RedRover; hail to the chief; Sam Hill; freema; ...
PING!!
8 posted on 04/12/2009 10:45:11 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Don't spread my wealth, spread my work ethic!)
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To: stylin19a

NCO means Non-Commissioned Officer.


9 posted on 04/12/2009 10:46:02 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (Don't spread my wealth, spread my work ethic!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The U.S. military has plans for dealing with the pirates, which need only the president's approval to be put into action. The crew of the Maersk Alabama has passed its test. Will President Barack Obama pass his?

No. He will not give an order to kill fellow Muslims. It is that simple.

10 posted on 04/12/2009 10:48:04 AM PDT by mc5cents (Show me just what Mohammd brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman)
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To: stylin19a

The “Blood Stripe” comes from the War with Mexico when the MARINES went into Mexico City and took the old Aztec capital. They lost a large part of the NCO’s that went due to the plan of battle. So to remember them the “Blood Stripe” was placed on the Dress Blue uniform.


11 posted on 04/12/2009 10:48:05 AM PDT by TMSuchman (I'll heat up & bring the tar, you bring the feathers & we'll meet in DC!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Andrew Jackson took on some pirates that were esconced on an island of Spanish Florida. Of his “violation” of Spain’s territory he said “Pirates are the enemy of all mankind.”

Nation states have the responsibility of controlling their territory. To the extent they fail, they lose the benefits of sovereignity.

Congress was unhappy with General Jackson, and reduced the number of US generals by one (there were two, the senior General was Winfield Scott). Jackson’s election as President was his vindication.


12 posted on 04/12/2009 10:55:31 AM PDT by donmeaker (You may not be interested in War but War is interested in you.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; freema
I know..I was one...for awhile. Everybody knows Corporals REALLY run the U.S.M.C. I forgot my sarcasm tag in my previous post.
13 posted on 04/12/2009 10:58:27 AM PDT by stylin19a (Obama - the ethically excepted asterisk administration)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Somalis value clan affiliation. Sorry to say it, but I honestly think we should go kill their families, now.

Business, sorry...!


14 posted on 04/12/2009 11:21:12 AM PDT by gaijin
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To: Mike Darancette

Way to go, Easter SEALS!


15 posted on 04/12/2009 11:22:06 AM PDT by Choose Ye This Day (Tu ne cede malis.)
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To: Mike Darancette

Now we need to put an active “wolf pack” in the gulf and sink any pirate vessel floating in the water; hit them without warning and without quarter.

Surface and machine-gun any survivors.

America must protect itself and its own.

Enough of the self-destruction orchestrated by the obamanists.


16 posted on 04/12/2009 11:37:36 AM PDT by Memphis Moe
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Good job on the SEALs, but is Obama already apologizing to the islamic nations because we killed muslim-pirates?


17 posted on 04/12/2009 11:38:00 AM PDT by knighthawk (We will always remember We will always be proud We will always be prepared so we may always be free)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Except the Barbary Pirates were not destroyed by that action, only temporarily checked. The problem was not solved until the French colonised Algeria in the 1830s.
The article does allude to one thing that did solve piracy. As France did with the Barbary Pirates, Britain did with the Carribean pirates not simply by raiding pirate bases, but occupying their nests and imposing responsible government. That is what needs to happen in Somalia before the pirate problem is resolved...


18 posted on 04/12/2009 11:43:07 AM PDT by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: sinsofsolarempirefan

If Somalia is an anarchy, why isn’t somebody like China or Russia interested?


19 posted on 04/12/2009 11:48:37 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Beat a better path, and the world will build a mousetrap at your door.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

because Somalia is an anarchy...


20 posted on 04/12/2009 12:05:24 PM PDT by ari-freedom (Fiscal conservatism without social conservatism is dead.)
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