The American Empire: To the American mind, these words sound like an oxymoron. Suggesting to Americans that their country has a compelling lust for political, economic and military hegemony over the rest of the world, divorced from any moral considerations, is akin to telling them of one's UFO abduction - except that they're more likely to believe the abduction story. William Blum has compiled evidence that will make believers of such sceptics. In 'Rogue State', he shows that 'close encounters' between the United States and alien nations have demonstrably been of the cruellest kind.