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Here's from some blogger's commentary on Obama's speech in Egypt:
Obama also twisted history when, for example, he mentioned how ?Islam has always been a part of America?s story.? He said: ?In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President John Adams wrote, ?The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.? ? That made the treaty sound like a celebration of American-Muslim partnership when in reality it was a treaty whereby the U.S. paid substantial bribes to the ruler of Tripoli in return for a cessation of attacks on American shipping by his corsairs. Tripoli didn?t keep its promises, and the result was America?s first overseas conflict ? the Barbary Wars fought against the Muslim states of North Africa.
Obama in CairoShould Obama have refrained from using his bit about historical American-Muslim relations?
Perhaps he should have said the Treaty of Marrakech which was arguably when Morocco recognized US sovereignty. But Morocco being the first? I question that a lot. France more likely.That whole paragraph of his speech is confusing.Also using Jefferson's koran as an example is poor. There is no evidence for, nor is there evidence against Jefferson's motives. Some say he wanted the koran because he was wondering how Islamic law justified the pirates and/or he wanted to know the enemy before he declared war on them. Others say Jefferson simply used it in his own law studies.Another blogger said Jefferson motivation was because of this statement by the Tripolitan ambassador to Britain:
These future United States presidents questioned the ambassador as to why his government was so hostile to the new American republic even though America had done nothing to provoke any such animosity. Ambassador Adja answered them, as they reported to the Continental Congress, ?that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.?
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2007/01/the_myth_of_jef.htmlEither treaty, Tripoli or Marrakech, may very well have been the first international treaties of the US, but they were also the first to be violated by these other nations.
