I bet you’ve been losing sleep from wondering: “What’s Osama bin reading?”

Well, wonder no more: he’s reading a polemic and frequently irrational diatribe by William Blum entitled Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower. Or, at least, that’s the book Osama would like us all to believe he’s reading.

According to the author, however, Osama’s reference to Blum’s book in his latest tape isn’t even in his own words. Nope, the world’s most notorious terrorist apparently couldn’t be bothered to think up an original thought. Instead, he lifted a quote from the back of another book written by Blum, Freeing the World to Death.

Ok, so maybe you haven’t heard of Blum. You’re not alone. Really. Amid all of the hooplah concerning his sudden public exposure, it’s understandable if you’re curious about this author who’s evidently become a name on the lips of everyone hiding in caves and under camels. Well, fear not. I’ve found the information you’re looking for:

Until now, the mainstream media have paid virtually no attention to Blum. His books rarely are reviewed. But Noam Chomsky has praised his work, and Blum is right there along with Steve Earle, Jane Fonda and Barbara Ehrenreich as a signer of a full-page ad in the New York Times in the fall of 2002 against the military buildup for war in Iraq.

I think you can make up your own mind now, don’t you?