Monday, April 13, 2009

Daring raid on pirates 200 years ago


The dramatic ending to the Somali pirate crisis today is a good example of the kind of low-scale, daring attack that is the key to successfully combating pirates. Navy SEALs shot and killed three Somali pirates today and rescued hostage, Capt. Richard Phillips.

If you're looking for parallels or perhaps some lessons, you don't have to look very far. A little farther north, pirate states flourished along what was then called Barbary. Corsairs cruised the Mediterranean attacking merchants and holding prisoners for ransom. Plus ca change...

There's a good blogpost on the Barbary Wars blog that gives the details of Lt. Stephen Decatur's daring raid to blow up the USS Philadelphia, a 44-gun frigate that had run aground outside Tripoli and been captured in 1804.

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