Thomas Jefferson and Barbary pirates

[Pat McCotter]

I just re-read a short version of the fight against the Barbary pirates in 1801-1805 and 1815.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html

A little trivial coincidence, the 1815 war included Commodore William Bainbridge just as this past week's standoff included his namesake the USS Bainbridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Wars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Barbary_War

I do hope Obama isn't considering emulating Thomas Jefferson considering what happened when George H W Bush started and William Jefferson Clinton continued the "Operation Restore Hope" in Somalia.

[Lloyd Danforth]

'The Pirate Coast' by Richard Zacks was a good read on this subject.