Friedman: America Must Reclaim "World Leader" Status

Sept. 20, 2007— -- After almost three years without hearing from Osama bin Laden—he has released three messages in the last couple of weeks alone.

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman speculates it may be just an attempt to get Al Qaeda in the headlines again—or simply a method for getting messages to their people.

"I think there is a $25 million reward for bringing them in. I think we should reduce it to 25 cents and an autographed picture of Dick Cheney because I think that's all they're worth," Friedman said.

As experts speculate Osama may be in Pakistan-- many think we should declare war against them.

"I think Pakistan is the most dangerous country in the world right now and it probably is because they feel there is a chance they could topple Musharraf under the right conditions-- which would be a very scary scenario," Friedman said. "It would put a country with nuclear missiles under the control of these radical Islamists."

What To Do With Iraq

Jaws have been dropping with military leaders and what they're saying about Iraq-- General Petraeus said he could no longer connect what's going on in Iraq now with an enhancement of American security.

"That's really one of the sad things about where we are right now," Friedman said. "Iraq has become just about itself, in the sense that the most we could hope for now is to stabilize Iraq so it doesn't implode on the region."

America As A World Leader

Friedman continues to update his book, "The World Is Flat," which addresses how the world is connected and how technology has played a role in making it small.

"I've been updating the book because the subject keeps getting bigger for me. One of the things I focused in on in this book is really rules of business in the flat world," he said. "The iron rule is whatever can be done will be done."

Friedman stressed the importance of every individual's involvement, as a part of the whole.

"The only question is will it be done by you or to you? So if you have a good idea up there at ABC, please do it," he said.

He stresses the important role imagination plays in competition, and how competition was formerly between countries, but now, the most important competition of all is between us and our own imagination.

"Because in this flat world, individuals can now act on their own imagination so much farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before," he said.

From Al Qaeda to Iraq, Friedman addresses the unrest in the world, and he is quick to place the burden of that unrest on America's shoulders.

"I don't know that one person can do anything. But for me it is so much about America. A lot of bad things happen in the world without America. But not a lot of good things," Friedman said.

And it's time to change.

"It would be a better improvement in a world that looked up to America again," he said.