Usama Bin Ladin's book collection included many American liberal writers

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently posted a list of documents and books found in Usama bin Ladin's (yes, that's the official government spelling, for those keeping track) collection at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. According to The Blaze, his collection included a pretty vast porn stash, but perhaps even more telling of the man's mindset were the authors he was reading. Among the English-language book collection were a number of liberal writers, including Noam Chomsky. His collection included a few mainstream works, like Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward, but also included a number of conspiracy advocates and 9/11 "truthers." It seemed he was a particular fan of liberal authors who hated American democracy.  

Among the books found in Bin Ladin's library were:

America’s “War on Terrorism” by Michel Chossudovsky. It's a little amazing to think Bin Ladin was reading a book by a 9/11 truther who thinks President George W. Bush was behind the attacks. In its Amazon listing, Chossudovsky's book features this phrase in its description: "the 'war on terrorism' is a complete fabrication based on the illusion that one man, Osama bin Laden, outwitted the $40 billion-a-year American intelligence apparatus." One wonders how Bin Ladin felt about that.

Bloodlines of the Illuminati by Fritz Springmeier. The politics of Illuminati conspiracy theorists like Springmeier are all over the place, but they are all certifiably crazy. Which is probably why it found a home on Bin Ladin's bookshelf.

Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance and Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies by Noam Chomsky. Chomsky, who has espoused principles of liberalism, socialism, and anarchy, is an outspoken critic of what he calls "American imperialism." He is also Professor Emeritus at MIT, so he not only has a platform for his radical views, he is highly regarded among the educational elite. And yet, two of his books caught the eye of Bin Ladin.


New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David Ray Griffin. Another 9/11 truther, Griffin's book has been criticized for being weak on the facts but heavy on the speculation. He theorizes that the Twin Towers could only have been toppled by planted explosives, and the Bush Administration hid the truth about the attacks.

Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower by William Blum. Rogue State fits perfectly on Bin Ladin's shelf: this liberal tome is a heavy-handed critique of American exceptionalism and global leadership. It argues, as Bin Ladin did, that American intervention around the world evoked a response, including the terrorist attacks on America.

The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly Hall. Hall believed man was a "god in the making," and his book espouses new-age concepts and a buffet of other religious ideas thrown in for good measure. A strange book choice for a "committed" Muslim.

Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins. Mullins was a Nazi sympathizer, Holocaust denier, and an anti-Semite. Those aren't the only things he has in common with Bin Ladin. They are both now dead.

The Taking of America 1-2-3 by Richard Sprague. How can any terrorist leader's library be complete without a Kennedy assassination conspiracy book? Sprague believes the U.S. government was behind every major assassination in modern times, so his book rightfully found a home in Bin Ladin's book collection. We're not sure if he wanted to believe the theories, or was simply laughing at the ideas put forth.