Article

2007-01-28 Africa North

Nurses to be spared execution: Gaddafis son

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Posted by Steve White 2007-01-28 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 So, there will be a ~~ransom~~ ~~tribute~~ rightful compensation. The barbary pirates would be so proud, nothing really has changed.

Posted by anonymous5089 2007-01-28 09:24|| 2007-01-28 09:24|| Front Page Top

#2 "...The Dey of Tripoli considered himself at war with the United States of America and was acting accordingly, with one notable exception that we shall examine momentarily. As far as Yusef Bey was concerned, he was at war with the entire United States - Navy and Merchant Marine alike - and they were all fair game. The United States, on the other hand, in its majesty, glory and wisdom, had not made a reciprocal declaration and therefore had very little to bargain with. In fact, as we have seen, US crews were releasing Tripolitian prisoners.
Yusefs own peculiar outlook on things complicated matters a bit. He did consider himself at war and was acting as such but if we were willing to come up with enough money, he was willing to let Philadelphias crew go, whether or not hostilities had been concluded. This was and had been standard operating procedure in that part of the world for centuries. After all, there were only so many people and desert outposts one could conquer, taxes and baksheesh could only go so far, and every now and then the navies of the world cracked down on active piracy. That left ransom an ancient and honored form of royal income that by the time we encountered it had been refined to an art form.
It was a pretty simple operation, really. You captured your prisoners and separated them by ability to pay. The poor frequently ended up enslaved while everyone else was kept in conditions that while unpleasant were frequently no worse and occasionally better than those the average subject of the Dey toiled under. This was not a reflection of any compassion on the Deys part but rather a simple, hardheaded business decision dead captives brought nothing, while live ones were always a bargaining chip. There was no real malice here, and it was certainly nothing personal. It was simply business, and on the whole it was reasonably profitable..."

I think that covers it quite nicely.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2007-01-28 09:39|| 2007-01-28 09:39|| Front Page Top

#3 Shame the Bulgarians don't have the stones of, say, Ethiopia.

Posted by Excalibur 2007-01-28 11:44|| 2007-01-28 11:44|| Front Page Top

#4 It's not matter of stones, this is where a lack of force projection comes in. That said, the Bulgars do have some funky umbrellas.

Posted by Shipman 2007-01-28 15:46|| 2007-01-28 15:46|| Front Page Top

#5 It's not matter of stones, this is where a lack of force projection comes in

That's pretty ironical, isn't it? Through terror proxies quite a few otherwise negligible muslim countries can/could project their forces and have a weight unproportionated to their real importance (think iran able to act decisively in south america)... an ability the overhelming majority of western countries lack.
you're absolutely right. What can Bulgaria do about it? Resort to terror?

Posted by anonymous5089 2007-01-28 17:07|| 2007-01-28 17:07|| Front Page Top

#6 That's where the umbrellas come in 5089.

Posted by Shipman 2007-01-28 17:21|| 2007-01-28 17:21|| Front Page Top

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