The Bin-Laden Library

For John, BLUF:  "If you think of Osama bin Laden as a thrifty, frustrated, nth-year graduate student, this all makes sense."  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Here is a piece on the Osama bin-Laden books found when we went to take him prisoner (or as some would have it, assassinate him).  An excerpt:

[I]f there is a common theme to his English-language library, it’s great power war and imperial decline.  That fits both his conspiracy books and his more conventional selections.  Such a theme would be unsurprising for bin Laden, as he’d naturally be very interested in any insights into how to bring down what he viewed as the American empire.

What’s interesting, however, is the scattershot nature of these texts.  There were other quality books on empire that bin Laden should have had in his possession given that he was so invested in this topic.  Why this odd mix?

See the Bottom Line, Up Front.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff