Tripoli, the American national anthem and an old drinking song

Libyan rebels are finally taking Tripoli and have reached Gaddafi's own compound, two months after US lawmakers rebuked and filed a lawsuit against President Obama for not seeking congressional authorization for military involvement in Libya. Now comes the 'reflection' phase of the operation. Despite the press coverage and analysis of this conflict, the ironic history of America's military connection to Tripoli and its relationship with the US national anthem remains largely unknown. President Thomas Jefferson became the first US president to bypass Congress and take the nation to war in 1801, when he pitted the US Navy against Tripoli's pirate fleet and blockaded the city. This was America's first forgotten conflict with Tripoli - the First Barbary War of 1801-1805.