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CarlFilip19 (talk | contribs) 9 December 2009, this article was protected due to excessive vandalism. I am editing this template because people may appreciate seeing the reason for the article's protection. Tag: Reverted |
Herostratus (talk | contribs) →No-planes theory: parens, it looks like we were reporting more of what HE said. (IMO refutations in our voice should probably appear below rather than right in between quotes, but whatever) |
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{{short description|Conspiracy theories regarding the September 11 attacks}}
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There are various [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] that attribute the preparation and execution of the [[September 11 attacks]] against the [[United States]] to parties other than, or in addition to, [[al-Qaeda]].<ref name=Norman>{{cite web |author=Norman, Joshua |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/9-11-conspiracy-theories-wont-stop/ |title=9/11 conspiracy theories won't stop |work=[[CBS News]] |date=September 11, 2011 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> These include the theory that high-level government officials had [[September 11 attacks advance-knowledge conspiracy theories|advance knowledge of the attacks]]. Government investigations and independent reviews have rejected these theories.<ref name=popularmechanics.com /><ref name=Purdue /> Proponents of these theories assert that there are inconsistencies in the commonly accepted version, or that there exists evidence that was ignored, concealed, or overlooked.<ref name=VF>{{cite web |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/features/2006/08/loosechange200608 |title=Click Here For Conspiracy |author=Sales, Nancy Jo |publisher=Vanity Fair |date=July 9, 2006 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref>
The most prominent conspiracy theory is that the [[Collapse of the World Trade Center|collapse of the Twin Towers]] and [[7 World Trade Center (1987–2001)|7 World Trade Center]] were the [[World Trade Center controlled demolition conspiracy theories|result of controlled demolitions]] rather than structural failure due to impact and fire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Summers |first=Anthony |title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden |url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ |url-access=registration |year=2011 |publisher=Ballantine |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/104 104] |author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=February 3, 2005 |title=Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report – The World Trade Center |journal=Popular Mechanics |publisher=Hearst Communication |url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center |quote=That explanation hasn't swayed conspiracy theorists, who contend that all three buildings were wired with explosives in advance and razed in a series of controlled demolitions.}}</ref> Another prominent belief is that [[the Pentagon]] was hit by a missile launched by elements from inside the U.S. government,<ref>{{cite book |last=Summers |first=Anthony |title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden |url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ |url-access=registration |year=2011 |publisher=Ballantine |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/109 109] |author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref><ref name="usgovDidPlaneHitPentagon" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kemble |first1=Gary |title=Challenging September 11 conspiracy theories |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/september-11-remembered/2011-09-09/september-11-conspiracies/2875134 |website=ABC News|date=September 9, 2011 }}</ref> or that hijacked planes were remotely controlled, or that a commercial airliner was allowed to do so via an effective stand-down of the American military. Possible motives claimed by conspiracy theorists for such actions include justifying the U.S. invasions of [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]] in 2001 and [[Iraq War|Iraq]] in 2003 (even though the U.S. government concluded Iraq was not involved in the attacks)<ref name="nytimes.com">[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/02/world/us-drops-last-link-of-iraq-to-9-11.html U.S. Drops Last Link of Iraq to 9/11] New York Times May 2, 2002</ref> to advance their [[geostrategy|geostrategic]] interests, such as [[Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline|plans to construct a natural gas pipeline through Afghanistan]].<ref name="Knight">{{cite journal |doi=10.1215/0094033X-2007-024 |title=Outrageous Conspiracy Theories: Popular and Official Responses to 9/11 in Germany and the United States |year=2008 |last1=Knight |first1=Peter |journal=New German Critique |volume=35 |pages=165–93 |issn = 0094-033X }}</ref> Other conspiracy theories revolve around authorities having advance knowledge of the attacks and deliberately ignoring or assisting the attackers.<ref name=VF/><ref name="The Eleventh Day pp92" /><ref name="BBCevolution">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7488159.stm |title=The evolution of a conspiracy theory |date=July 4, 2008 |work=BBC News |access-date=July 27, 2008}}</ref>
The [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] (NIST) and the technology magazine ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' have investigated and rejected the claims made by 9/11 conspiracy theorists.<ref name="investigation">{{cite web |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NCSTAR1/ |title=NIST NCSTAR 1: Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster |date=September 2005 |publisher=[[National Institute of Standards and Technology|NIST]] |page=146 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529010501/http://wtc.nist.gov/NCSTAR1/ |archive-date=May 29, 2009 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name="finalreport">{{cite web |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/media/NIST_NCSTAR_1A_for_public_comment.pdf |title=Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 |date=August 2008 |publisher=[[National Institute of Standards and Technology|NIST]] |pages=22–4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928013317/http://wtc.nist.gov/media/NIST_NCSTAR_1A_for_public_comment.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2008 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name=PopMech-ConspiracyIndustry-2006/> The [[9/11 Commission]] and most of the [[civil engineering]] community accept that the impacts of jet aircraft at high speeds in combination with subsequent fires, not controlled demolition, led to the collapse of the Twin Towers,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bažant |first1=Z.K.P. |author-link1=Zdenek Bažant |last2=Verdure |first2=M. |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2007)133:3(308) |title=Mechanics of Progressive Collapse: Learning from World Trade Center and Building Demolitions |journal=Journal of Engineering Mechanics |volume=133 |issue=3 |pages=308–319 |year=2007 |url=http://www.civil.northwestern.edu/people/bazant/PDFs/Papers/466.pdf |publisher=[[American Society of Civil Engineers]] |quote=As generally accepted by the community of specialists in structural mechanics and structural engineering (though not by a few outsiders claiming a conspiracy with planted explosives), the failure scenario was as follows: [continues with a four-part scenario of progressive structural failure].}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bažant |first1=Z.K.P. |author-link1=Zdenek Bažant |last2=Le |first2=J.L. |last3=Greening |first3=F.R. |last4=Benson |first4=D.B. |title=What Did and Did Not Cause Collapse of World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York? |doi=10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2008)134:10(892) |journal=Journal of Engineering Mechanics |volume=134 |issue=10 |page=892 |year=2008 |url=http://www.civil.northwestern.edu/people/bazant/PDFs/Papers/00%20WTC%20Collapse%20-%20What%20Did%20%26%20Did%20Not%20Cause%20It.pdf |publisher=[[American Society of Civil Engineers]] |quote=Universally though has the foregoing explanation of collapse been accepted by the communities of structural engineers and structural mechanics researchers, some outside critics have nevertheless exploited various unexplained observations to disseminate allegations of controlled demolition.}}</ref> but some conspiracy theory groups, including [[Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth]], disagree with the arguments made by NIST and ''Popular Mechanics''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Blatchford |first=Andy |publisher=Canadian Press |title=U.S. skeptics to speak of 9–11 cover-up at three Canadian universities |date=April 30, 2010 |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/803231--u-s-skeptics-to-speak-of-9-11-cover-up-at-three-canadian-universities |access-date=May 1, 2010 |location=Toronto |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504143115/http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/803231--u-s-skeptics-to-speak-of-9-11-cover-up-at-three-canadian-universities |archive-date=May 4, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="KGO">{{cite news |publisher=KGO Newstalk |title=Architects and Engineers Seek 9/11 Truth |date=June 3, 2009 |url=http://www.kgoam810.com/Article.asp?id=1353865 |access-date=June 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802192109/http://www.kgoam810.com/Article.asp?id=1353865 |archive-date=August 2, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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* [[Al-Qaeda]] suicide operatives hijacked and crashed [[United Airlines Flight 175]] and [[American Airlines Flight 11]] into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, and crashed [[American Airlines Flight 77]] into the Pentagon. The impact and resulting fires caused the collapse of the Twin Towers and the destruction and damage of other buildings in the World Trade Center complex. The Pentagon was severely damaged by the impact of the airliner and the resulting fire. The hijackers also crashed [[United Airlines Flight 93|a fourth plane]] into a field near [[Shanksville, Pennsylvania]] after the passengers and flight crew attempted to regain control of the aircraft.{{refn|<ref name="investigation"/><ref name="finalreport"/><ref name='Flight93Story'>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/flni/historyculture/index.htm |title=The Flight 93 Story |access-date=September 22, 2011 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp |title=Profiles of 9/11 – About 9/11 |publisher=Biography.com |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=July 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716140728/http://www.biography.com/profiles-of-9-11/about911.jsp |archive-date=July 16, 2009}}</ref>}}
* Pre-attack warnings of varying detail of the planned attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda were ignored due to a lack of communication between various law enforcement and intelligence personnel. For the lack of interagency communication, the 9/11 report cited bureaucratic inertia and laws passed in the 1970s to prevent abuses that caused scandals during that era, most notably the [[Watergate scandal]]. The report faulted both the [[Presidency of Bill Clinton|Clinton]] and the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush]] administrations with "[[failure of imagination]]".<ref name="Schmitt">{{cite news |last=Schmitt |first=Richard |title=The 9/11 Commission Report; Panel Calls for Single Intelligence Chief |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 23, 2004 |url=https://
This consensus view is backed by various sources, including:
* The reports from government investigations – the [[9/11 Commission Report]] (that incorporated intelligence information from the earlier [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] investigation ([[PENTTBOM]]) and the Joint Inquiry of 2002), and the studies into building performance carried out by the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] (FEMA)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm |title=FEMA: World Trade Center Building Performance Study |publisher=Fema.gov |date=March 17, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430200952/http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/wtcstudy.shtm |archive-date=April 30, 2011}}</ref> and the [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] (NIST)<ref name="investigation"/>
* Investigations by non-government organizations that support the accepted account – such as those by scientists at [[Purdue University]].<ref name="Purdue">{{cite news |last=Herman |first=Steve |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-20-fireproofing-wtc-collapse_N.htm |title=Purdue study supports WTC collapse findings |work=USA Today |date=June 20, 2007 |access-date=July 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916174128/https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-20-fireproofing-wtc-collapse_N.htm |archive-date=September 16, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=5442 |title=Behind Purdue's computing simulation on the 2001 World Trade Center attack ZDNET June 20, 2007 |publisher=
* Articles supporting these facts and theories appearing in magazines such as ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'', ''[[Scientific American]]'', and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''.<ref name=PopMech-ConspiracyIndustry-2006>{{cite news |url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4199607.html |title=The Conspiracy Industry |publisher=Popular Mechanics |author=Meigs, James |date=October 13, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024062122/http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4199607.html |archive-date=October 24, 2006}}</ref>
* Similar articles in news media throughout the world, including <!-- [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] Needs another link. The former link has no information regarding this news. -->''[[Times of India|The Times of India]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1550477.cms |title=Osama claims responsibility for 9/11 |date=May 24, 2006 |work=[[The Times of India]] |location=India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027153604/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1550477.cms |archive-date=October 27, 2007 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC),<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-claims-responsibility-for-9-11-1.513654 |title=Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11 |publisher=CBC (Canada) |date=October 29, 2004}}</ref> the [[BBC]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/americas/2001/day_of_terror/ |title=America's day of terror |work=BBC News |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=May 30, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110527033533/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/americas/2001/day_of_terror/ |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |url-status= live}}</ref> ''[[Le Monde]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-687756@51-641954,0.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804050128/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-687756@51-641954,0.html |archive-date=August 4, 2012 |title=Depuis le 11-Septembre, la menace terroriste est devenue permanente |website=[[Le Monde]] |url-status=live |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> [[Deutsche Welle]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,623034,00.html |title=Sept. 11: One Year Later |publisher=Deutsche Welle – Dw-world.de |date=May 2, 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212142424/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0%2C2144%2C623034%2C00.html |archive-date=December 12, 2007 |access-date=May 29, 2014 }}</ref> the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1736235.htm |title= Bin Laden tape shown days before 9/11 anniversary |publisher=ABC |location=Australia |access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref> and ''[[The Chosun Ilbo]]'' of South Korea.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200609/200609110002.html
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== History ==
Since the attacks, a variety of conspiracy theories have been put forward in websites, books and films. Many groups and individuals advocating 9/11 conspiracy theories identify as part of the [[9/11 Truth movement]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Feuer|first=Alan|date=June 5, 2006|title=500 Conspiracy Buffs Meet to Seek the Truth of 9/11|access-date=May 5, 2009|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/us/05conspiracy.html | work=The New York Times| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110512222259/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/us/05conspiracy.html| archive-date=May 12, 2011| url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory| last=Griffin|first=David Ray|author-link=David Ray Griffin|isbn=978-1-56656-686-5|publisher=Olive Branch Press|year=2007}}</ref><ref>The following news media state that the movement is being known as or being called "9/11 Truth movement":
* {{Cite news| title = The 9/11 Truth Movement's Dangers| last = Hayes| first = Christopher| work = CBS News| date = December 10, 2006| url =
* {{Cite news| title = The truth is out there| last = Barber| first = Peter| newspaper = Financial Times| date = June 7, 2008| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8d66e778-3128-11dd-ab22-000077b07658.html| access-date = May 23, 2009| quote = An army of sceptics, collectively described as the 9/11 Truth movement| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090603164130/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8d66e778-3128-11dd-ab22-000077b07658.html| archive-date = June 3, 2009| url-status = live| ref = none}}
* {{Cite news| title = The Disbelievers| last = Powell| first = Michael| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]| date = September 8, 2006| url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003250424_911conspire09.html| access-date = June 13, 2010| quote = The loose agglomeration known as the '9/11 Truth Movement'| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100723110251/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003250424_911conspire09.html| archive-date = July 23, 2010| url-status = dead| df = mdy-all| ref = none}}
* {{Cite news |title=9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Gather in N.Y. |last=Barry |first=Ellen |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 10, 2006 |url=https://
* {{Cite news| title = The 30 greatest conspiracy theories — part 1| last = Hunt| first = H.E.| newspaper = [[The Daily Telegraph]]| date = November 19, 2008| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3483477/The-30-greatest-conspiracy-theories-part-1.html| access-date = May 30, 2009| quote = A large group of people — collectively called the 9/11 Truth Movement| location = London| ref = none}}
* {{Cite news |title=Richard Gage: 9/11 truther extraordinaire |last=Kay |first=Jonathan |journal=National Post |date=April 25, 2009 |url=https://nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1532386 |quote=The '9/11 Truth Movement,' as it is now commonly called |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605070241/http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1532386 |archive-date=June 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 29, 2014 |ref=none }}</ref> Within six hours of the attack, a suggestion appeared on an Internet chat room suggesting that the collapse of the towers looked like an act of controlled demolition. "If, in a few days, not one official has mentioned anything about the controlled demolition part," the author wrote, "I think we have a REALLY serious problem."<ref>{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/93 93]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref> The first theories that emerged focused primarily on various perceived anomalies in the publicly available evidence, and proponents later developed more specific theories about an alleged plot.<ref name="Knight" /> One false allegation that was widely circulated by e-mail and on the Web is that not a single Jew had been killed in the attack and that therefore the attacks must have been the work of the [[Mossad]], not Islamic terrorists.<ref name="Knight" />
The first elaborated theories appeared in Europe. One week after the attacks, the "inside job" theory was the subject of a thesis by a researcher from the [[French National Centre for Scientific Research]] published in the newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]''. Other theories sprang from the far corners of the globe within weeks.<ref>{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/95 95]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref> Six months after the attacks, [[Thierry Meyssan]]'s piece on 9/11, ''L'Effroyable Imposture'', topped the French bestseller list. Its publication in English (as ''[[9/11: The Big Lie]]'') received little attention, but it remains one of the principal sources for "trutherism".<ref name=WeeklyStandard>{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/german-protestors-marked-911-denouncing-inside-job-reichstag-fire |title=German Protestors Marked 9/11 by Denouncing "Inside Job," "Reichstag Fire" Weekly Standard September 21, 2010 |publisher=Weeklystandard.com |date=September 21, 2010 |access-date=October 15, 2010| archive-url= https://archive.today/20130209171015/http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/german-protestors-marked-911-denouncing-inside-job-reichstag-fire| archive-date=February 9, 2013 | url-status=
While these theories were popular in Europe, they were treated by the U.S. media with either bafflement or amusement, and they were dismissed by the U.S. government as the product of [[anti-Americanism]].<ref name="Knight-Popular">{{cite journal |doi=10.1215/0094033X-2007-024 |title=Outrageous Conspiracy Theories: Popular and Official Responses to 9/11 in Germany and the United States |year=2008 |last1=Knight |first1=Peter |journal=New German Critique |volume=35 |pages=165–93 |quote=Although immensely popular in Europe (and soon translated into Arabic), these early conspiracy accounts were treated by the U.S. media with either bafflement or amusement and were dismissed by the U.S. government as the product of anti-Americanism.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Ian|title=Conspiracy Theories about Sept. 11 Get Hearing in Germany|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=September 29, 2003|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB106479068042179400}}</ref> In an address to the United Nations on November 10, 2001, President [[George W. Bush]] denounced the emergence of "outrageous conspiracy theories [...] that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists, themselves, away from the guilty."<ref>{{cite web| author= Bush, George Walker|title = Remarks by the President To United Nations General Assembly| publisher = [[White House]]| date = November 10, 2001| url =https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011110-3.html}}</ref>
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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228104436/http://www.america.gov/st/pubs-english/2006/September/20060828133846esnamfuaK0.2676355.html
|archive-date=February 28, 2011
}}</ref> A 2006 national security strategy paper declared that terrorism springs from "subcultures of conspiracy and misinformation," and that "terrorists recruit more effectively from populations whose information about the world is contaminated by falsehoods and corrupted by conspiracy theories. The distortions keep alive grievances and filter out facts that would challenge popular prejudices and self-serving propaganda."<ref name="NSec2006">{{cite book | last1 = Bush | first1 = George W. | author-link1 = George W. Bush | title = The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (March 2006) | publisher = Wordclay | year = 2009 | page = 10 | isbn = 978-1-60037-587-3}}</ref> Al-Qaeda has repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attacks, with chief deputy [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] accusing [[Shia]] Iran and [[Hezbollah]] of denigrating [[Sunni]] successes in hurting America by intentionally starting rumors that Israel carried out the attacks.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7361414.stm |title=Al-Qaeda accuses Iran of 9/11 lie |work=BBC News |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=May 30, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110511123743/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7361414.stm| archive-date=May 11, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-22-al-qaeda-tape_N.htm |title=USA Today |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Michael |first=Maggie |url=http://news.scotsman.com/world/AlQaeda-No-2-accuses-Iran.4009088.jp |title=Al-Qaeda No 2 accuses Iran of 9/11 conspiracy theory |work=The Scotsman |location=UK |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=May 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926221502/http://news.scotsman.com/world/AlQaeda-No-2-accuses-Iran.4009088.jp |archive-date=September 26, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=
Some of the conspiracy theories about the September 11 attacks do not involve representational strategies typical of many conspiracy theories that establish a clear dichotomy between good and evil, or guilty and innocent; instead, they call up gradations of negligence and complicity.
Just before the fifth anniversary of the attacks, mainstream news outlets released a flurry of articles on the growth of 9/11 conspiracy theories,<ref>{{Cite news|first = Jim |last = Wolf|title = U.S rebuts 9/11 homegrown conspiracy theories|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/02/AR2006090200527.html|publisher = Reuters|date=September 2, 2006}}</ref> with an article in [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] stating that "[t]his is not a fringe phenomenon. It is a mainstream political reality."<ref name="The Eleventh Day pp92">{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/92 92]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref><ref name="time">{{Cite news|first = Lev|last = Grossman|title = Why The 9/11 Conspiracies Won't Go Away|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531304-1,00.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061104175923/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531304-1,00.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = November 4, 2006|work=Time Magazine|date=September 3, 2006}}</ref> Several [[Opinion polls about 9/11 conspiracy theories|surveys]] have included questions about beliefs related to the September 11 attacks. In 2008, 9/11 conspiracy theories topped a "greatest conspiracy theory" list compiled by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. The list was ranked by following and traction.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3483477/The-30-greatest-conspiracy-theories-part-1.html |title=The 30 greatest conspiracy theories The Telegraph November 19, 2008 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=November 19, 2008 |access-date=July 20, 2009 |first=H. E. |last=Hunt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmauk.co.uk/nma/do/live/factsAndFigures |title=Audit Bureau of Circulations Ltd |publisher=Nmauk.co.uk |date=February 23, 2009 |access-date=July 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501233741/http://www.nmauk.co.uk/nma/do/live/factsAndFigures |archive-date=May 1, 2009 }}</ref>
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Insurance companies saw anomalous trading activities as well. [[Citigroup Inc.]], which estimated that its [[Travelers Insurance]] unit could pay $500 million in claims from the World Trade Center attack, had about 45 times the normal volume during three trading days before the attack for options that profit, if the stock falls below $40. Citigroup shares fell $1.25 in late trading to $38.09. [[Morgan Stanley]], which occupied 22 floors at the World Trade Center, experienced bigger-than-normal pre-attack trading of options that profited when stock prices fell. Other companies directly affected by the tragedy had similar jumps.<ref>{{cite news|work=Bloomberg News |date=September 20, 2001 |title=SEC asks Goldman, Lehman for data}}</ref>
The initial options were bought through at least two [[brokerage firm]]s, including [[Fidelity Investments#Brokerage|NFS]], a subsidiary of [[Fidelity Investments]], and [[TD Waterhouse]]. It was estimated that the trader or traders would have realized a five million dollar profit. The [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] launched an [[insider trading]] investigation in which [[Osama bin Laden]] was a suspect after receiving information from at least one Wall Street Firm.<ref>{{cite news|url=
The [[9/11 Commission Report]] concluded that "Exhaustive investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, FBI, and other agencies have uncovered no evidence that anyone with advance knowledge of the attacks profited through securities transactions."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf |title=Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States |page=172 |access-date=July 20, 2015 |date=July 22, 2004 |publisher=9-11commission.gov}}</ref> The report further stated:
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The longest warning NORAD received of the hijackings was some eight minutes for American Airlines Flight 11, the first flight hijacked. The FAA alerted NORAD to the hijacked Flight 175 at just about the same time it was crashing into the World Trade Center's South Tower. The FAA notified NORAD of the missing – not hijacked – Flight 77 three minutes before it struck the Pentagon. NORAD received no warning of the hijack of United Flight 93 until three minutes after it had crashed in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/123|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/123 123–]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref>
==== Alleged
[[Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America|CAMERA]] and [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency|JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)]] criticized claims by [[Carl Cameron]] who stated, "certain suspects in the September 11th attacks may have managed to stay ahead of them by knowing who and when investigators are calling on the telephone," by using information from [[Amdocs|Amdocs Limited]], an Israeli-based private communications company, and [[Comverse Technology|Comverse Infosys]], another Israeli-run company that provides electronic eavesdropping technology for the U.S. government.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Berger |first1=Matthew |title=Jews Worry That 'baseless' Report on 9/11 Could Be a Blow to Israel |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/jews-worry-that-baseless-report-on-911-could-be-a-blow-to-israel |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=March 20, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Safian |first1=Alex |title=Fox News's Carl Cameron Recycles More Rubbish |url=https://www.camera.org/article/fox-news-s-carl-cameron-recycles-more-rubbish/ |website=CAMERA}}</ref>
==== Israeli agents ====
{{See also|September 11 attacks advance-knowledge conspiracy theories#Israel}}
It has been claimed that [[Mossad|Israeli agents]] may have had foreknowledge of the attacks, and a persistent theory claimed Israeli and/or Jewish involvement.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Greenberg|first1=Richard|title=The 9/11 Lie that Won't Die|url=https://www.jta.org/2006/08/31/lifestyle/the-911-lie-that-wont-die|website=JTA|date=August 31, 2006|access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> Four hours after the attack, the FBI arrested five Israelis who had been filming the smoking skyline from the roof of a white van in the parking lot of an apartment building, for "puzzling behavior." The Israelis were videotaping the events, and one bystander said they acted in a suspicious manner: "They were like happy, you know ... They didn't look shocked to me. I thought it was very strange." The van was found to be owned by an Israeli-owned company called Urban Moving, which the FBI believed was providing cover for an Israeli intelligence operation. The case was then moved to the FBI's Foreign Counterintelligence Section. According to a former CIA operations chief, "many people in the U.S. intelligence community believed that some of the men arrested were working for Israeli intelligence." A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in the United States said the men had not been involved in any intelligence operation in the United States. The FBI eventually concluded that the five Israelis probably had no foreknowledge of the attacks.<ref name="White Van">[https://abcnews.go.com/amp/2020/story?id=123885 Were Israelis Detained on Sept. 11 Spies?] [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] June 21, 2002</ref>
=== World Trade Center ===
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}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.america.gov/st/webchat-english/2009/May/20060828133846esnamfuaK0.2676355.html |title=The Top September 11 Conspiracy Theories |publisher=America.gov |access-date=July 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714061116/http://www.america.gov/st/webchat-english/2009/May/20060828133846esnamfuaK0.2676355.html |archive-date=July 14, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/112 112]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref> Some conspiracy theories say the phone calls the passengers made were fabricated by voice morphing, the passengers' bodies disposed of, and a missile fired at the Pentagon.<ref name="Dunbar|Reagan|2011"/><ref>{{Cite news |title=September 11 conspiracy theories continue to abound |work=The Guardian |access-date=March 15, 2012 |date=September 5, 2011 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/05/september-11-conspiracy-theories |location=London |first=Chris |last=McGreal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |issn=1091-2339 |last=Stahl |first=Jeremy |title=The Theory vs. the Facts |work=Slate |access-date=March 15, 2012 |date=September 7, 2011 |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/trutherism/2011/09/the_theory_vs_the_facts.html}}</ref>
The pressure group [[Judicial Watch]] filed a [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]] request on December 15, 2004, to force the government to release video recordings from the Sheraton National Hotel, the Nexcomm/Citgo gas station, Pentagon security cameras and the Virginia Department of Transportation. On May 16, 2006, the government released the Pentagon security camera videos to Judicial Watch.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4987716.stm| title=US releases 9/11 Pentagon video|work=BBC News| date=May 16, 2006}}</ref> The image of American Airlines Flight 77 which appears in the videos has been described as "[a] white blob" and "a white streak" (by the BBC),<ref>{{cite news|title=US releases 9/11 Pentagon tape|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_4980000/newsid_4988000/4988038.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&bbcws=1|work=BBC News|access-date=May 5, 2011|format=Video|quote=At first it's hard to make out the hijacked plane, but if one looks closely at the lower right-hand corner, the blured white blob entering the frame appears to be the nose of the plane, skidding along the ground at high speed before crashing into the Pentagon, and not a missile. That adds to images from a second security camera, ten feet away, which show a white streak in the lower right-hand corner, then the explosion.|date=May 16, 2006}}</ref> "a thin white blur" (by The [[Associated Press]]),<ref>{{cite news|title=Video of 9/11 plane hitting Pentagon is released |url=
=== Flight 93 ===
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In 2003, the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL) published a report attacking "hateful conspiracy theories" that the 9/11 attacks were carried about by Israelis and Jews, saying they had the potential to "rationalize and fuel global [[anti-Semitism]]." It found that such theories were widely accepted in the [[Arab conspiracy theories|Arab and Muslim world]], as well as in Europe and the United States.
The ADL's report found that "The Big Lie has united American [[far-right politics|far-right]] extremists and [[white supremacy|white supremacists]] and [[Antisemitism in the Arab world|elements within the Arab and Muslim world]]". It asserted that many of the theories were modern manifestation of the 19th-century ''[[Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'', which purported to map out a Jewish conspiracy for world domination.<ref name=mutations>{{cite web|url=http://www.adl.org/presrele/asint_13/4346_13.htm |title=Conspiracy Theories About Jews and 9/11 Cause Dangerous Mutations in Global Anti-Semitism |publisher=Adl.org |date=September 2, 2003 |access-date=May 30, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110525143344/http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/4346_13.htm| archive-date=May 25, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Anti_Semitism_Arab/911_Conspiracies.htm|title=9/11 Conspiracy Theories Take Root in Arab/Muslim World|author=Abraham H. Foxman|publisher=Adl.org -This article originally appeared in Jewish News Weekly of Northern California|date=September 8, 2006|access-date=May 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604144105/http://www.adl.org/ADL_Opinions/Anti_Semitism_Arab/911_Conspiracies.htm|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ADL has characterized the [[Jeff Rense]] website as carrying anti-Semitic materials, such as "American Jews staged the 9/11 terrorist attacks for their own financial gain and to induce the American people to endorse wars of aggression and [[genocide]] on the nations of the Middle East and the theft of their resources for the benefit of Israel".<ref>[http://www.adl.org/main_Extremism/Rense_Web_Site.htm Rense Web Site Promotes Anti-Semitic Views] March 17, 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027104746/http://www.adl.org/main_Extremism/Rense_Web_Site.htm |date=October 27, 2012 }}</ref>
Pedro A. Sanjuan, a former [[United Nations]] diplomat, alleged that antisemitic 9/11 conspiracy theories were quite common at high levels of the organization following the attacks.<ref>Pedro A. Sanjuan. ''The UN Gang.'' Doubleday, 2005. p. 165</ref>
==== Saudi Arabia ====
{{See also|Alleged
British investigative journalists [[Anthony Summers]] and Robbyn Swan claimed in their 2011 book ''The Eleventh Day'' that the [[Saudi Royal Family]] provided material and financial support to the hijackers and that the Bush Administration covered this up as well as their own alleged incompetence. The authors claim the [[9/11 Truth movement]] helped this coverup by deflecting attention away from these actions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/a-convincing-argument--4-127648388.html |title=Conspiracies and catastrophe Winnipeg Free Press August 14, 2011 |newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press |date=August 13, 2011 |publisher=Winnipegfreepress.com |access-date=June 4, 2014|last1=Dudley |first1=Michael }}</ref> In September 2011 a "Lloyd's insurance syndicate" began legal action against Saudi Arabia demanding the repayment of £136m it paid out to victims of the 9/11 attacks. A number of prominent Saudi charities and banks as well as a leading member of the al-Saud royal family were accused of being "agents and alter egos" for the Saudi state that "knowingly" provided funding to al-Qaeda and encouraged anti Western sentiment.<ref>{{cite news|author=Cahal Milmo |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lloyds-insurer-sues-saudi-arabia-for-funding-911-attacks-2356857.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921081837/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lloyds-insurer-sues-saudi-arabia-for-funding-911-attacks-2356857.html |archive-date=2011-09-21 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Lloyd's insurer sues Saudi Arabia for 'funding 9/11 attacks' The Independent September 19, 2008 |publisher=Independent.co.uk |date=September 19, 2011 |access-date=June 4, 2014}}</ref>
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=== No-planes theory ===
[[File:Noseoutframe.jpg|thumb|right|The "no-plane theory", promoted via Internet videos, claims that this shot of the second impact, taken from a news helicopter, depicts a video composite of a [[Boeing 767]] accidentally appearing from behind a [[Layers (digital image editing)#Layer Mask|Layer Mask]].]]
Former chief economist within the Labor Department under the Bush administration, [[Morgan Reynolds]], argues that no planes were used in the attacks. Reynolds claims it is physically impossible that the Boeing planes of Flights 11 and 175 could have penetrated the steel frames of the Towers, and that [[digital compositing]] was used to depict the plane crashes in both news reports and subsequent amateur video. "There were no planes, there were no hijackers", Reynolds insists. "I know, I know, I'm out of the mainstream, but that's the way it is". According to [[David Shayler]], "the only explanation is that they were missiles surrounded by holograms made to look like planes", he says
== Cover-up allegations ==
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=== Bin Laden tapes ===
{{Main|Videos and audio recordings of Osama bin Laden}}
A series of interviews, audio and videotapes were released in the years following the 9/11 attacks that were reported to be from Osama bin Laden. In the first of these the speaker denied responsibility for the attacks. On September 17, 2001, in a statement issued to [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]], Bin Laden is quoted as saying: "The U.S. government has consistently blamed me for being behind every occasion its enemies attack it. I would like to assure the world that I did not plan the recent attacks, which seems to have been planned by people for personal reasons."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/inv.binladen.denial/index.html |title=Bin Laden says he wasn't behind attacks CNN September 17, 2001 |publisher=CNN |date=September 17, 2001 |access-date=July 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707090738/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/16/inv.binladen.denial/index.html |archive-date=July 7, 2009 }}</ref> Some observers, especially people in the [[Muslim world]], doubted the authenticity of the tape.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/september11/story/0,11209,619188,00.html U.S. urged to detail origin of tape] ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' December 15, 2001.</ref> On December 20, 2001, German TV channel "[[Das Erste]]" broadcast an analysis of the White House's translation of the videotape. On the program ''Monitor'', two independent translators and an expert on [[Oriental Studies]] found the White House's translation to be both inaccurate and manipulative, stating, "At the most important places where it is held to prove the guilt of bin Laden, it is not identical with the Arabic", and that the words used that indicate foreknowledge can not be heard at all in the original. Prof. Gernot Rotter, professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies at the Asia-Africa Institute at the [[University of Hamburg]], said "The American translators who listened to the tapes and transcribed them apparently wrote a lot of things in that they wanted to hear but that cannot be heard on the tape no matter how many times you listen to it."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021218105636/http://www.wdr.de/tv/monitor/beitraege.phtml?id=379 "Bin-Laden-Video: Falschübersetzung als Beweismittel?] WDR, Das Erste, MONITOR Nr. 485 am December 20, 2001</ref>
Some members of [[Scholars for 9/11 Truth]] believe that the man in this videotape is not Osama bin Laden at all, citing differences in weight and facial features, along with his wearing of a gold ring, which is forbidden by Muslim law, and writing with his right hand although bin Laden was left-handed.<ref>{{cite web|author=Looking Glass News |url=http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewstory.php?storyid=6233 |title=Osama Tape Appears Fake, Experts Conclude |publisher=Looking Glass News |access-date=March 23, 2010}}</ref>
In an audiotape released in November 2007, Bin Laden claimed responsibility for the attacks and denied the [[Taliban]] and the Afghan government or people had any prior knowledge of the attacks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/alqaida/page/0,12643,839823,00.html |title=Timeline: the al-Qaida tapes The Guardian Unlimited |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=July 20, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=autogenerated5>{{Cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL2912911920071129?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221062504/http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL2912911920071129?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 21, 2007 |title=Bin Laden urges Europe to quit Afghanistan Reuters UK November 29, 2007 |publisher=Uk.reuters.com |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=July 20, 2009}}</ref><ref name=Reuters-Voice>{{Cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKWAT00851220071129 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706081043/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKWAT00851220071129 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 6, 2009 |title=U.S. says voice on Qaeda tape appears to be bin Laden |publisher=Reuters |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=September 15, 2009}}</ref> In an interview with al-Jazeera, [[Khalid Sheikh Mohammed]] and [[Ramzi bin al-Shibh]], two of al-Qaeda's alleged masterminds of the attacks, also confessed their involvement in the attacks.<ref>{{cite news|title=We left out nuclear targets, for now|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/04/alqaida.terrorism|access-date=July 11, 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=March 3, 2003|location=London}}</ref>
=== CIA recruitment efforts ===
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== Suggested historical precedents ==
Conspiracy theorists often point to [[Operation Northwoods]] as a model for the 9/11 attacks, theorizing the attacks were carried out by the U.S. government as a [[false flag]] operation and then blamed on Islamic extremists.<ref name=Knight/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/16693/on-conspiracy-theories/ |author=Arshad Zaman |title=On conspiracy theories |publisher=The Express Tribune |date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> Operation Northwoods was an unimplemented, apparently rejected, plan approved by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1962. One proposal in the plan suggested that covert operatives commit multiple acts of terrorism in U.S. cities and blame Cuba, thus providing a pretext for invasion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92662&page=1|title=U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=May 1, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2012}}</ref>
[[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine contrasted events which inspired past conspiracy theories with those that inspire 9/11 conspiracy theories such as the [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories|assassination of John F. Kennedy]]. ''Time'' called the public assassination of Kennedy a "private, intimate affair" when compared with the attack on the World Trade Center, which was witnessed by millions of people and documented by hundreds of videographers; and said, "there is no event so plain and clear that a determined human being can't find ambiguity in it."<ref name="time" />
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[[File:Alex_Jones_NY.jpg|thumb|Alex Jones at a [[9/11 Truth Movement]] event in 2007]]
Prominent adherents of the movement include, among others, radio talk show host [[Alex Jones
Among the organizations that actively discuss and promote such theories are Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, a group that focuses on the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings; [[9/11 Truth movement#9/11 Truth|9/11 Truth]], founded in 2004; [[Scholars for 9/11 Truth]], founded in 2005, and [[9/11 Truth movement#Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice|Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice]], a group that split from Scholars for 9/11 Truth in 2007 and runs the online publication ''Journal of 9/11 Studies''; [[9/11 Citizens Watch]], which was already formed in 2002; and the [[William Rodriguez|Hispanic Victims Group]]. Several of these groups have collected signatures on petitions asking for further investigation of the September 11 attacks.<ref name=ArchitectsEngineers>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/22/inside-the-beltway-70128635/?feat=home_columns |author=Jennifer Harper |title=Explosive News |work=The Washington Times |date=February 22, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/utzons-son-signs-up-for-september-11-conspiracy-theory-20091124-jhf7.html |author=Sean Nicholls |title=Utzon's son signs up for September 11 conspiracy theory |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=November 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/12598/2/ |title=1,000 Architects and Engineers ask for New 9-11 Investigation |publisher=Macedonian International News Agency |date=February 21, 2010 |access-date=May 23, 2011 |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720164433/http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/12598/2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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=== Analysis ===
According to a 2011 analysis in a ''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'' article, people involved in this movement, which seemingly is a disparate group with very diversified backgrounds, could be classified into three groups. They join the movement for different reasons, loosely self-assemble to fill different roles and are united by their shared mistrust in experts and the establishment (government and reputable sources of knowledge), and conspiratorial stance. Through their engagement, they each find their own fulfillment and satisfaction. Together, they contribute to the persistence, resilience and exaggerated claims of acceptance (in general public) of the movement. These three groups are:<ref name=Bartlett>{{cite journal |last1=Bartlett |first1=Jamie |last2=Miller |first2=Carl |title=A Bestiary of the 9/11 Truth Movement: Notes from the Front Line |journal=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] |volume=35.4 |issue=July/August |pages=43–46 |year=2011 |publisher=[[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]] |url=http://www.csicop.org/si/show/a_bestiary_of_the_9_11_truth_movement_notes_from_the_front_line |access-date=May 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001051753/http://www.csicop.org/si/show/a_bestiary_of_the_9_11_truth_movement_notes_from_the_front_line |archive-date=October 1, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Hard core: The organizers and active members of the various 9/11 Truth Movement organizations. They produce the information, spot the anomalies and technical inconsistencies, provide the technical base and form the theories. While they claim to be only interested in facts and to use [[scientific method]], they commit the [[logical fallacy]] of '[[confirmation bias]]' by pre-determining the outcome, then searching for corroborating evidence while ignoring the vast body of [[peer-review]]ed, independent, consensual research which contradict their theories. They supply the physical structure of the movement by organizing events, seminars, discussions, marches and distributing flyers and pamphlets. Their numbers are relatively small but they are tight-knit and highly connected. Their worldview favors 'super-conspiracy', a master plan that is behind conspiracies which they believe they are uncovering.<ref name=Bartlett/>
* Critically turned: They are the young students and political activists whose affiliation with the 9/11 Truth Movement often is rooted from their dissatisfaction and anger at the established political and social order. Their sense of justice and [[idealism]] propels them to activism against perceived oppression and social injustice. Their penchant to use Internet, especially [[social media]], and tech savvy make them the propaganda machine for the movement. They produce [[YouTube]] videos and films with cool, countercultural content, make good use of pop culture parody and eye-catching graphics. The countercultural street cred of their productions buy them broad appeal and exposure to millions of people.<ref name=Bartlett/>
* Illiterati: They are the movement's mass membership backbone, a large, diffuse group which give the movement exaggerated claims of popularity and influence. Participation in the 9/11 Truth Movement, to this group of people, is as much a social and recreational pursuit as the quest for truth. Their partaking is mostly through [[web 2.0]] social networking and YouTube. Their commentaries often are emotional and they make no pretense to be accurate, balanced or to show genuine intent to find truth. Involvement with the movement that fit their worldview gives them a sense of identity and belonging, which they find more appealing than the facts and evidences of the 9/11 terrorist attack itself.<ref name=Bartlett/>
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U.S. representative [[Peter T. King]], chairmen of the [[House Homeland Security Committee]], said 9/11 conspiracy theorists "trivialize" the "most tragic event to affect the United States" and that "[p]eople making these claims are disgraceful, and they should be ashamed of themselves".<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/US/September_11/911-truthers-continue-offer-alternate-claims-sept-11/story?id=14478915 Undaunted, 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Offer Alternate Theories for How Sept. 11 Terror Attacks Were Carried Out ABC News September 9, 2011].</ref>
The hosts of
== In politics ==
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{{Conspiracy theories}}
{{September 11}}
{{George W. Bush}}
[[Category:9/11 conspiracy theories| ]]
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[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Anti-Islam sentiment in the United States]]
[[Category:Anti-Israeli sentiment in the United States]]
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