Conspiracy theories spread in the US 25 years after the September 11 attacks
Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, conspiracy theories about those attacks continue to spread in the United States. According to a 2023 YouGov poll, one in five Americans believes that the US government was behind the attacks, Deutsche Welle English reports.
On that day, the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger planes. Two of them crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York, while a third hit the Pentagon near Washington. The fourth plane, which is believed to have been headed for the Capitol, crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers intervened. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, and thousands more were injured.
Controlled demolition claims
One conspiracy theory claims that the Twin Towers and other buildings in the World Trade Center complex allegedly collapsed not only because of the aircraft impacts, but also as a result of controlled explosions. Its supporters point, among other things, to horizontal clouds of smoke visible during the towers' collapse.
At the same time, there is no evidence that explosives were used or that bombs were found at the scene of the tragedy. An investigation by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology explained that the aircraft impacts caused fires that led to the towers' collapse. Analysts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the consulting firm Weidlinger Associates reached similar conclusions.
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Why these theories persist
Daniel Jolly, a professor of social psychology at the University of Nottingham, noted that conspiracy theories often emerge after sudden large-scale events, when people seek to restore a sense of control, certainty and security. Historian Klaus Oberhauser emphasized that gaps in knowledge and the many questions that arise immediately after a tragedy contribute to the emergence of such narratives.
Social media accelerate the spread of false information and conspiracy claims. Jolly also noted that belief in such versions can increase distrust of the state and other people and contribute to social isolation.
Separately, an antisemitic myth alleging Jewish involvement in the September 11 attacks is spreading on social media. This claim has no evidence and is linked to the antisemitic stereotype that Jews supposedly collectively seek to control the world.
