This piece by Roger Brown expresses the artist’s interest in international politics, especially as it was fueled by the complex tangle of interests which arose during the latter years of the Cold War. This painting recounts an event little remembered today, but which was at the time a major international incident. In 1985, October 7, 1985, the Italian ship MS Achille Lauro was hijacked by four men representing the Palestine Liberation Front off the coast of Egypt, as she was sailing from Alexandria to Ashdod, Israel. An American was killed during the hijacking, leading to a knot of interests between Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Italy, Britain, West Germany, Tunisia, Greece, Yugoslavia, and the United States, sparking what would be called the Sigonella Crisis. Following the ship hijacking, the PLO members were able to return to Egypt by tugboat, and ultimately were able to secure a flight on a new plane, EgyptAir 737. While in air, looking for a place to land, the plane was intercepted by American fighter jets, who forced it to land and surrounded it. Conflict over jurisdiction made the situation complicated and involved numerous parties all seeking justice for their respective entanglements, and complicating relationships between many of these countries (especially the United States, Egypt, and Italy) for years to come thereafter.

Brown's depiction of the event is highly theatrical, draping Italy beneath mountains bordering a sky full of planes. The title gives some minor indication of perspective: "Kicking Ass in the Mediterranean" reads slightly acerbic, a sarcastic commentary on the United States involving itself as "global police" over an incident that was primarily unrelated to the United States.