Thomas Jefferson didn’t declare war on the Barbary Pirates. He just sent a fleet and later got money from Congress. Too bad he didn’t have you to ‘splain the Constitution to him.
I believe one of the Barbary States did declare war on the US. I don’t think we reciprocated.
Tripoli declared war on us. fleet was two ships one captured (Philadelphia) and we actually paid $60K for the prisoners release. took Tripoli from behind with 6 marines (according to Craig Symonds atlas.) I think we should just do similar — bomb their poppy fields each year. Send in the CIA brass to spend a year tour getting all the intel. Afghanistan is not one city with one little Yusef in charge. and we mostly stayed on our ships. only the back door Tripoli offensive was necessary and we did have arabs and Europeans in the crew.
Thomas Jefferson didn’t have thermonuclear weapons deliverable by ICBMs from land or beneath the sea.