March 3, 2002

Terrorist War Forecast

Usually it is bad manners to yap "I told you so," but columnists are excused. Consequently I call your attention to a piece I wrote Jan. 11, 1986: "Armed Force Against Terror Inevitable."

Stimulus for that observation was the massacre of 16 people, including four Americans, in the Rome and Vienna airports by Libyan terrorists. It was the latest of 230 incidents in which more than 500 innocent people were murdered.

Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi crowed about the victim tally, calling it "an heroic act in a holy war." This was before Osama bin Laden and Al-Queda. The big terrorist back then was Abu Nidal, a Libyan who had set up training camps there.

I opined, "Terrorist attacks are cowardly, inhuman, depraved, evil, devilish and fanatical. The lesson from all this is clear - only military force will stop terrorism."

Well remembered were the 52 American embassy employees held by Iran for 444 days during President Jimmy Carter's administration. The U.S. Marine Barracks in Lebanon had been leveled by a suicide bomber causing 293 deaths during President Ronald Reagan's term.

After the airport bombings, Reagan ordered all Americans to leave Libya, severed diplomatic ties with that country, froze Libyan assets in the U.S. and called on other nations to join an economic boycott.  

Qaddafi retaliated by ordering his terrorists to hit U.S. targets in Lebanon, Italy, Germany and Central America. The most severe was the bombing of a Berlin discotheque frequented by U.S. servicemen. Two were killed, many Americans and Germans wounded.

Reagan then sailed the Navy into the Gulf of Sidra opposite Libya and bombed military targets there. Thirty Libyans were killed.

The Libyan confrontation came to climax with the terrorist bombing of Pan am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in Dec. 1988, killing 270 people aboard and on the ground. It was the most horrific terrorist act up to that time.

Under threat of U.S. troop invasion, Qaddafi renounced terrorism in 1992. In 2000, he turned over two suspects in the Pan Am bombing to a special court at Lockerbie. One defendant was found guilty and imprisoned, one was acquitted.

1986 Terrorism Column

Following is what I wrote 16 years ago:

American policy makers would do well to get out their history books to see how we stopped terrorism back in 1805.

At the end of the Revolutionary War we had only one fighting ship still in service. However, we had a large and growing fleet of merchant ships trading extensively around the world.

The lack of military might, and the heavily laden merchant ships, was seen by the Barbary States of North Africa as a golden opportunity for racketeering. Algiers was the first to strike, capturing two American vessels and holding 21 crewmen hostage for large ransom.

Negotiations for release of the Americans dragged on for 10 years, during which time 11 of them died. Again, in 1794, Algerian pirates captured 11 U.S. merchant ships, confiscated cargoes and held 113 sailors for ransom.

The toothless United States was frustrated but helpless. It paid a million-dollar ransom, delivered by our consul general who was forced to crawl into the Dey's presence and kiss his hand.

Thereafter, we paid each of the Barbary States - Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Tripoli -- $25,000 annually. Remember, back then U.S. money was equivalent to 40 times today's dollar value.

This humiliation goaded Congress into creating the U.S. Navy Department and authorizing funds for three 44-gun frigates. The shipbuilding bill squeaked through by two votes. Congress attached a rider stipulating that all work on the frigates would cease if the Dey signed a treaty to spare American ships.

President John Adams ignored the directive and spent one-fourth of the nation's revenues on these and 10 other fighting ships.

President Thomas Jefferson, Adams' successor, was "peace loving" and laid up seven of the l3 war ships Adams had built. The others were confined to port.

Jefferson planned to rely on 50-foot revenue cutters at home, and good intentions abroad.

 * * *

Once more, the Barbary pirates perceived a lack of resolve by Americans. In 1801, the terrorist cartel demanded large increases in their tribute payments. Jefferson, who was more parsimonious than peace loving, refused.

With this, the Beshaw of Tripoli declared "war" on the United States. He kidnapped a dozen American sailors and demanded $60,000 ransom. We coughed up.

However, President Jefferson had enough. He called his frigates out of mothballs and sent a squadron to blockade the port of Tripoli.

The blockade dragged on for four years, during which time the spanking new U.S.S. Philadelphia ran aground while chasing a blockade runner in Tripoli harbor. The ship was burned by a daring U.S. commando sortie to prevent it falling into the hands of the enemy.

Finally, the U.S.S. Constitution -- later to earn the nickname "Old Ironsides" -- began bombing the port of Tripoli in the summer of 1804.

The following spring, William Eaton, a young American adventurer, persuaded the U.S. consul at Alexandria, Egypt, to let him raise a volunteer army against Tripoli.

Eaton first enlisted the embassy guard of eight U.S. Marines - a lieutenant, a sergeant and six privates. Then he added several hundred American, Egyptian, Greek and Arabian volunteers.

With Eaton and the gallant Marines leading the way, the motley expedition marched 600 miles to capture the forts at Bomba and Derna. Not a man was lost.

The Beshaw of Tripoli surrendered to a determined U.S. Navy at sea and the motley band of freedom lovers ashore. Imprisoned American hostages were released.

* * *

Unfortunately the nasty business of hostage ransom did not stop with victory over the Barbary Pirates.

In the 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco, 1,113 prisoners were taken by Cuba - freedom fighters to whom we had give political asylum and rifles. Castro demanded $53 million worth of tractors and medicine for their release. After some sputtering, President John F. Kennedy paid off.

The lesson from all this is clear - only military force stops terrorism. Dialog, hand-kissing and tribute only postpone the inevitable.

Thomas Jefferson learned the hard way, proclaiming: "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

Author: Lindsey Williams

cutline - 3 col. - ships

Detail of a painting my Michelle Corne, U.S. Navy, 1805

[The U.S.S. Constitution, left, bombarded Tripoli in 1804. Lt. Decatur and Capt. Somers, in gunboats with Marine detachments, captured and destroyed pirate craft. ]

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