Speaking of publicity, let's try some unwanted endorsements...

The New York Times reported this week that Osama bin Laden released a new audiotape to the American people two days after the 8th anniversary of 9/11. In his speech, he gives Americans a "reading list": The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, and Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

I would not want to be one of the authors of one of those books or the publisher. Despite the phrase "all publicity is good publicity," I don't think it applies here. Bin Laden is not an endorsement anyone wants.

NYTimes bloggers Sharon Otterman and Robert Mackey discuss:

While Oprah’s seal of approval on a book cover is sought after in America, Osama Bin Laden’s is, to put it mildly, not. On Monday, the authors of three books apparently recommended to American readers by the leader of Al Qaeda in his latest communique might be wondering how one goes about returning an unsolicited endorsement to a shadowy militant who has been in hiding for eight years.

As our colleague Mark McDonald reported on Sunday, Mr. Bin Laden apparently released a new audiotape, entitled “An Address to the American People.” According to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist Web sites, on the tape, a voice claiming to be that of the Qaeda leader described three books that he says support his analysis of global politics and the systematic maltreatment of Muslims at the hands of America and her allies.

Read more HERE