As you may have noticed, I added “Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower” to the “BUZZ BOOKS” list in the left column after hearing Keith Olbermann interview the book’s author about his being mentioned prominently in Usama bin Laden’s purported latest tape.


Update [2006-1-25 15:55:35 by susanhu]: Arcturus quoted Kurt Nimmo’s take:

[T]he fact the Straussian neocons would have a fake Osama cite the Blum book demonstrates that they are preparing to portray critics of the invasion as traitorous fifth columnists working for “Islamofascists” and thus should be dealt with, especially considering the fact the Straussian neocons are preparing to attack Iran and, of course, this will swell the ranks of the antiwar movement in America. It is designed to send a message: if you disagree with the murderous neocons, you are a traitor working in league with Osama and his intrepid cave dwellers. It’s an amplification of Bush’s “you’re either with us or the terrorists” mantra.. …

Absolutely what’s going on here, imho.

What struck me were 1) how thoughtfully Keith Olbermann interviewed the man, and 2) how serious and troubled the man is by our country’s directions. And, given the state of this country these days, I consider both Keith Olbermann and William Blum to be two rather brave men.

Here, without further comment, is that interview — starting, of course, with Keith’s snappy, sardonic tease:

Let’s call it the Osama book club. Bin Laden mentions the book “Rogue State” in his tape. On the Amazon bestsellers list, it jumps a few spots. Well, 209,542 spots, to be precise.


Maybe we need to hear what bin Laden thinks of “A Million Little Pieces,” or maybe about “The Year of Yes,” one woman asked out by different people in one year, 150 times, says yes 150 times. End result? Well, you’ll just have to watch my interview with her, won’t you?


All that and more, now on COUNTDOWN. … continued below


Update [2006-1-25 15:10:8 by susanhu]: Tonight on Countdown: “President Bush heads to the National Security Agency on Wednesday for another speech defending his controversial spying program, one that he insists should be called a ‘terrorist surveillance program’ – not domestic spying without a warrant.”

(I think you’ll be as impressed with both Olbermann and Blum as I was …)

… Osama bin Laden … yesterday recommended a book to the American public, calling it, quote, useful to read.  In question, the book, William Blum’s “Rogue State,” a guide to the world’s only superpower, first printed in 2000, updated in 2005. 

And apparently, Osama’s book club recommendation is spawning a bestseller of sorts.  Twenty four hours, “Rogue State” was rated 209,572 at Amazon.com’s bestseller list.  Now, thanks to the bin Laden mention, it is number 26. 

Joining me now by phone is the author of “Rogue State,” William Blum. 

Thanks for your time tonight, sir.

WILLIAM BLUM, AUTHOR, “ROGUE STATE”:  Hi.  Good evening. 

OLBERMANN:  Just 24 hours after bin Laden’s statement, the book jumps over 209,500 places on the Amazon bestseller list.  Obviously, any author would like that kind of leap, but how do you feel about the fact that it’s the result of the recommendation of a mass murderer? 

BLUM:  That doesn’t bother me.  If he and I share a deep resentment of certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy, as my book does, and he shares those views, that, taken by itself, doesn’t bother me. 

The book stands on its own legs.  If people read the book, they will either find it credible or they will not find it credible.  And it doesn’t matter who recommended it or not.  The book stands by itself. 

And I’m very anxious to have as many people read it as can be.  And if his endorsement, if that’s the word to use, gets it to many more people, then I’m glad. 

OLBERMANN:  It seems almost facile to point this out, but you did not obviously ask for that to happen.

BLUM:  No. 

OLBERMANN:  But it has happened, and inadvertently this leads to financial reward.  Do you have a plan for the additional profit here? 

BLUM:  I have no idea whatsoever how much money is involved.  I don’t know.  Those rankings are not the same as sales.  I don’t—we’re not talking of large numbers.  My publisher—this issue, this edition of my book, only about 2,000 copies were printed.  So, I mean, it can’t be too much of a sale. 

OLBERMANN:  In the audio message, bin Laden specifically referenced the introduction to your book, saying that you had said—let me quote it exactly—“If I were president, I would halt the operations against the United States.  First, I will extend my apologies to the widows, orphans, and the persons who were tortured.  Afterwards, I will announce that the U.S. interference in the world countries has ended forever,” ending the quote from bin Laden.

But am I right that’s not even from your book, “Rogue State”? 

BLUM:  No, it’s not.  It’s taken from something I wrote, which appears in one of my other books.  It also appears probably all over the Internet, because I’ve used it in various speeches I’ve given and the writings of mine.  So it’s very easy to find that paragraph on the Internet.  But what he quotes there are just—it’s a small portion only of that paragraph. 

OLBERMANN:  There’s a certain irony to that, too. 

Given the fact that the book is meant to explain what people like bin Laden would list as their reasons for enmity towards the U.S., I guess this is understating this—you’ve probably gotten a lot of blowback from people here who do not want to hear that, who do not want to believe there is a rationale, even if it is flawed or prismed in a bad way, or something like that—but can somebody—I’m not trying to be patronizing here, but can somebody read your book without, as I heard it phrased on this network last night, being in bed with Osama bin Laden? 

BLUM:  Yes.  When I wrote the book, I was not in bed with him.  I’d hardly even heard of him.  The was written before—the first edition of it was written before 9/11, even. 

The book, it stands quite independent of any Islamic fundamentalist or any terrorist movement.  It attempts to explain the motivations in the minds of terrorists. 

Now, there are people who think that anti-American terrorists are just mindless, irrational beasts with no good reason for doing what they do.  But, in the minds of these terrorists, there is a rational motivation.  And I attempt to explain that.  And I think it’s important for Americans to understand that these people in their own minds have a very clear and good motivation. 

OLBERMANN:  It is amazing to think that the people who are most vehemently opposed to the Osama bin Ladens of this world, with good reason, often don’t want to hear any of the logic behind the behaviors of Osama bin Laden and others, when at minimum you could use whatever knowledge you gain of that against people like Osama bin Laden, couldn’t you? 

BLUM:  Well, what I suggest is that you use that knowledge to rectify the situation.  Of course, basically, it’s U.S. foreign policy which creates anti-American terrorists.  It’s the things we do to the world. 

It’s not, as the White House tells us, that they hate our freedom and democracy.  That’s just propaganda.  They hate our foreign policy.  They hate what we do to them, the bombings, and the invasions, and the occupations, and the torture, and a whole bunch of other things. 

And if what I have in my book can lead to changes in our foreign policy, that would be the purpose I’m looking for. 

OLBERMANN:  Bill Blum, the author of “Rogue State,” the book inadvertently perhaps mentioned in the Osama bin Laden tape yesterday, and somewhat erroneously mentioned.  Great thanks for your time tonight, sir. 

BLUM:  Thank you very much.  Bye-bye.


Full Transcript, Friday, January 20, 2006.


As you’ll see in the interview, his publisher only printed 2,000 copies of the book so I suggest buying now if you’d like to have it. Try Alibris and Overstock too…. I’ll add those links in a bit (it takes time, sigh).