How long can the War in Iraq Last?
The War against the Barbary Pirates - A Historical Precedent
This isn't the first time the United States has "gone to war" against a vague and shifting foe across the seas. The first time was the campaign against the barbary pirates. Starting in 1784 Congress allocated money for the payment of tribute to pirates off the coast of Africa. Because of continued problems, Congress allocated money to build a navy in 1801. The new United States Navy was successful at ending tribute payments to the pirates by 1815.
All in all, then, it was 31 years from the first attention to the problem until success was achieved. Isn't that comforting?
Barbary pirates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monday, November 07, 2005
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