Barbary Pirates, Drugs, Violence, Extortion

Some 180 years ago, the US was paying extrotion money to the Barbary Coast Islamic States of Libia, Algeria and Tunisia, some $60,000 a year.  In addition, the Islamic Barbary Pirates would caputre an occasional warship, with a crew of 70 or so, and deman a Ranomoe of $200,000.   

What are the lessons to be learned from the experience kidnapping and extortion by the Drug using, Islamic Barbary Pirates?

For some 500 years, from 1300 to 1830, the Barbary Pirates had been playing one European country off against another.   

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Briatan and Spaind and France, all fell into thiking they were manipulating the Barbary Pirates to their advantage, agsinst ther adversaries.

 Today, we are arming certain Shiite or Suni tribes, to go against Al Queda.  Is this smart?   Aren't we trying to get teh Iraquis and all Muslims to find non-violent means of expression of their political ideals? 

How do drube fit into the picture?  The Russians described difficulties in fighting soldiers who had become addicted, or otherwise under hte influence of Narcotics.  Nio ashortage of Opium through Pakistan.

The US does not report the drug use.  The US ignores, rather than treats Drug use/habituation/addiciton.   Some effective programs have been developed, but they are time consuming and expensive.  The US is not really understanding their enemy, because htey are not even trying to assess the secretive use of narcotics.

The US does not understand that the suport structure is where hte battel must be won.  Kicking down doors of peaceful muslims truns their support to the militants.  The militant operations would be substantially reduced if the moderate Muslims stopped supporting the Militant Muslims. 

That is how the Bombarment of Tripoli worked.  Teh Moderate Muslims got tires of their cities on the Barbary Coast from getting shelled.  The Europeans finally figured out they were getting played against each other, and united in the bombardments of the Barbary Coast cities.