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NEW YORK, Jan 23, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Osama bin Laden's endorsement of a book that criticizes U.S. foreign policy has propelled sales of the work to No. 21 on the Amazon.com top-seller list.
Sales of "Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower" by 72-year-old historian and former State Department employee William Blum were skimpy until early last week when bin Laden praised it in a video aired on the Arabic al-Jazeera television network.
"If (President) Bush decides to carry on with his lies and oppression, it would be useful for you to read the book 'Rogue State,'" bin Laden said.
Orders for the 320-page book then took off, The Independent reported.
Blum begins the book with "Washington's war on terror is as doomed to failure as its war on drugs has been," and goes on to describe the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as "an understandable retaliation against U.S. foreign policy."
Blum said most interviewers have suggested he reject bin Laden's endorsement, but he says he has no qualms about being promoted by the world's most wanted man.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
