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12 Most Convincing 9/11 Conspiracy Theories You've Never Heard Of

12 Most Convincing 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
Were the 9/11 attacks really the work of Al-Qaeda, or part of a larger government conspiracy? Click here to learn about some theories that point towards the latter.
Satyajeet Vispute
Last Updated: Dec 21, 2017
Justice at Last!
On May 2, 2011, one of the world's most wanted criminals, Osama Bin Laden, was killed in an American raid in Pakistan, for his involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
On 9/11/2001, along with the twin towers, America's perceived immunity to world terrorism also came down. These series of attacks on American soil had proven that even the mightiest of nations could be made vulnerable. No one was safe anymore!

Following the attacks, the US was quick to retaliate by launching a worldwide war against terrorism. In a series of bombings, attacks, and invasions, America toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, killed several key leaders of Al-Qaeda, and finally killed Osama Bin Laden - the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.

After the killing of Bin Laden, President Barack Obama announced that 'justice had been done'. And yet, right from that fateful day in September 2001, till today, there are those who believe that justice hasn't been done, not yet! But who are these people, and why do they say this?

They call themselves the 'truthers'. They are the ones who believe that the 9/11 attacks were, in fact, one of the most intricately planned and executed series of events, which were carried out as a part of a large-scale conspiracy by none other than the American government itself. Their motive? The Oil!

The truthers claim that, America needed a reason to attack the Middle East and secure oil from there. Hence, the Bush administration orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, which allowed them to launch their anti-terror campaign, and subsequently invade Iraq and secure the oil deposits there.

But any such claim would be baseless without solid evidence, which the truthers say they have. The following are a few conspiracy theories that the truthers proclaim is evidence that the 9/11 attacks were part of a governmental conspiracy. But before that, let's examine the official story.
The Official Story
The following are the main facts about the 9/11 attacks:

On the morning of September 11, 2001, members of the terrorist outfit Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners, with the intention of carrying out suicide attacks in the US.
One of these airplanes was crashed into the Pentagon, while two of them hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, completely demolishing them. The last remaining airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania before it could reach its intended target.
This tragic series of events, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives, was one of the biggest failures of the American government and military to protect American citizens.
That being said, here are some conspiracy theories that have been doing the rounds ever since the attacks.
9/11 Conspiracy Theories
Mysterious Trade in the Stock Market
Many speculate that stock traders knew about the 9/11 attacks well before they actually took place. An unprecedented amount of 'put options' were placed on the stocks of United Airlines and American Airlines. These were the same airlines whose planes were hijacked by the terrorists. Many believe that stock traders were tipped off about the attacks, and so they made investments in order to profit from them.
Mysterious Trade
The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into the insider trading that took place at the time, in which Osama Bin Laden became a suspect after one Wall Street firm provided information that pointed towards his involvement.
Air Defense Stand-down
The US military has a series of emergency responses that were put in place so that they should immediately be activated at the first sign of trouble in the country's airspace. However, the failure of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to 'scramble' their fighter jets and enervate or bring down the hijacked airliners has raised several questions.
Air Defense Stand-down
Many truthers are of the opinion that, a stand-down order from higher-up authorities in the chain of command had been issued on the day of the attacks, which prevented NORAD from taking necessary action. They also note that, a number of training exercises and war games were suspiciously staged on 9/11/2001. These made it difficult for responsible authorities to distinguish between the real and simulate activities, which must have delayed their response to the emergency.
Explosions Similar to Controlled Demolition
Several witnesses have come forward claiming that, as they were escaping, they saw/heard numerous explosions, which seemingly came from within the building. This coupled with the peculiar way in which the towers came down, has led many to believe that the fall of the WTC towers may have actually been due a controlled demolition, staged to look like an attack.
Further, several architects and experts claim that a plane's fuel doesn't burn at high enough temperatures to melt the steel frames of buildings. This fact strengthens the argument that it was explosives planted within the buildings, and not the planes that crashed into it which made the two towers fall.
The Hole in the Pentagon
One of the four planes that were hijacked by the terrorists was crashed into the Pentagon. However, many truthers claim that, the facts in this official story do not add up.
Specifically, the impact hole in the Pentagon building was much too small as compared to the size of the American Airlines plane that supposedly crashed into it.

Another fact that many truthers claim to be most damning, is that the hijacked plane somehow just happened to impact the exact section of the Pentagon building which vacated for renovation purposes.
Flight 93 Crash was a Bluff
The fourth plane that was hijacked―Flight 93―crashed in Shanksville, Penn. Authorities have stated that, this happened because, possibly, the passengers fought the terrorists who then lost control of the airliner.
Crash was a Bluff
However, skeptics rule out this explanation altogether. They claim that, Flight 93 landed safely, and a substitute plane was crashed in its place. The passengers were all either murdered or relocated to distant places, to never be able to return to their homeland.
The Terrorists/Hijackers are Alive
One theory that indicates that the 9/11 attacks were a part of a big conspiracy originates from the documentary 'Loose Change', which claims that the terrorists said to be responsible for hijacking and crashing the airliners are in fact alive and living in other countries.
While this theory loses its basis, owing to the fact that, different people can easily have the same name, it still points out one interesting thing - in the aftermath of the attacks, passports and identifications of the terrorists were found and used by the investigators to identify them. So how was it that the explosions which brought down buildings made of steel and concrete, were unable to burn these documents made out of paper?
Fake Calls to and from the Passengers
On that fateful day, some harrowing and heartbreaking phone calls were made to and by some of the passengers of the doomed airliners. However, skeptics state that this would have been scientifically impossible, as cell phones typically do not get reception at the high flying altitudes of airplanes.
The truthers even point their fingers at one particular call, which they claim is proof that the phone calls were faked. It was a call from a son to his mother, wherein strangely, he addresses himself by his first as well as last name.
Jewish People Knew About the Attack
Though it is surely false, one conspiracy theory states that, the Jewish people knew about the attacks in advance. Truthers point out that, allegedly 4,000 Jewish employees took a leave off work on 9/11/2001.
Black Boxes Have Been Hidden
Every airplane mandatorily has a black box in it which records in-flight events. It is designed to survive an airplane crash, so that the data recorded by it can be used to ascertain the cause of the accident.
After 9/11, finding the black boxes became a top priority. Three of the four black boxes were subsequently found, out of which only one was in working condition.

The tape recording of this box was initially not released to the public, but was later shared with the families of the victims in 2002. Many theorists claim that, the tapes were purposely kept in the shadows to hide the original scheme.
Bin Laden Tapes Fake
While the suspicion for the attacks was automatically pointed in his direction, terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden originally denied any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Truthers believe that, Osama was targeted because of his shares in the stock market, as well as to remove the obstacle in the way of the business ventures of the former President George W. Bush in the Middle East.
Commercial Airplanes Cannot Penetrate Buildings
The frames of commercial airplanes are made from very light aluminum. This is done in order to make them lighter, more fuel efficient, and easier to maneuver in the sky. This raises the question that, how was it that these airplanes made from aluminum, were able to damage the strong concrete and steel structure of the WTC. Conspiracy theorists claim that this is simply impossible and that it must have been explosives such as bombs and missiles that brought down the towers.
Penetrate Buildings
Mayor Willie Brown Receives a Warning
San Francisco mayor Willie Brown claimed that he received a phone call from what he described as airport security, a full eight hours prior to the 9/11 attacks, warning him that Americans should be careful about their air travel.
This led to a flurry of speculations, which stated that this call clearly indicated the existence of prior knowledge in the political circle about the 9/11 attacks. On being questioned later on, Mayor Willie Brown couldn't keep the story straight, which truthers claim is clear proof of his attempt to hide the truth.
Over the years, since the 9/11 attacks, these, and many more conspiracy theories have raised their heads. Some of them are plain absurd, while others have a more compelling basis behind them. But could it really be that the US government attacked its own citizens for the sake of oil? We don't like to believe so. But with the number of truthers and their conspiracy theories growing, we simply cannot overlook what they have to say. Clearly, a more scientific and 'transparent' investigation into the 9/11 attacks is the need of the hour.