Quote:
Originally Posted by Oil Stain
I dunno. From what I have been reading of the history of the region, the Middle East seems to have been exactly like it is now for centuries.
Research the Barbary Pirates.
American Ships Were Protected Before Independence
Before the United States achieved independence from Britain, American merchants ships were protected on the high seas by Britain's Royal Navy. But when the young nation was established its shipping could no longer count on British warships keeping it safe.
In March 1786, two future presidents met with an ambassador from the pirate nations of North Africa. Thomas Jefferson, who was the US ambassador in France, and John Adams, the ambassador to Britain, met with the ambassador from Tripoli in London. They asked why American merchant ships were being attacked without provocation.
The ambassador explained that Muslim pirates considered Americans to be infidels and they believed they simply had the right to plunder American ships.
From http://history1800s.about.com/od/ame...arbarywars.htm
From what I read the extreme sect of Muslims in the Wahhabi movement have been around since the 1700's.
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d'oh, couldn't ninja edit in time.