WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING / 162 CLAIMS RATED
The claims board
Each claim is a proposition people repeat about the September 11 attacks and what followed them, rated against the public record as of 22 October 2026. Fact-checkers are cited as sources, not as the final word. Grouped by rating, then topic.
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- DOCUMENTED — Shown by primary records, sworn testimony, recordings, physical evidence or official findings. The claim as stated holds up.
- PARTLY TRUE — A real fact sits inside the claim, but the popular version adds, omits or overstates something material.
- DISPUTED — Credible evidence points in more than one direction, or the claim turns on accounts that informed people weigh differently.
- UNPROVEN — Not established by any public record available on 22 October 2026. It may be investigated or believed; it is not shown. Not the same as false.
- FALSE — Contradicted by primary records, recordings, physical evidence, dates or official findings.
DOCUMENTED · 94
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Osama bin Laden ordered the attacks.”
He denied it in September 2001, then said repeatedly that he decided on it, and captured planners described him approving the plot and choosing the hijackers.
Who says it: The 9/11 Commission, bin Laden himself.
Evidence for the claim
- His October 2004 video.
- Accounts of KSM and Ramzi Binalshibh.
Evidence against / limits
- Some planner accounts came from CIA custody and could not be cross-examined.
Sources: Al Jazeera, 1 November 2004: full transcript of bin Laden’s speech ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Bin Laden denied carrying out 9/11.”
True for September 2001: a statement through Al Jazeera denied it. He later claimed it repeatedly.
Who says it: People who doubt the official account.
Evidence for the claim
- The 2001 statement is real.
Evidence against / limits
- His 2004 video and other later statements say he ordered it.
Sources: CNN, 17 September 2001: Bin Laden says he wasn’t behind attacks ↗ · Al Jazeera, 1 November 2004: full transcript of bin Laden’s speech ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Al Qaeda declared it a duty to kill American civilians.”
The February 1998 statement said killing “the Americans and their allies — civilians and military” was an individual duty for every Muslim.
Who says it: Bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and co-signers.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Federation of American Scientists: World Islamic Front statement, 23 February 1998 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Bin Laden said the 1982 Israeli bombing of Beirut gave him the idea of destroying towers in America.”
He said so in his October 2004 video.
Who says it: Bin Laden.
Evidence against / limits
- A motive he stated afterward, not a contemporaneous record.
Sources: Al Jazeera, 1 November 2004: full transcript of bin Laden’s speech ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the architect of 9/11.”
The Commission called him “the principal architect.” He proposed the planes plan to bin Laden in 1996.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence for the claim
- Commission chapter 5.
- His role in the 1993 and Bojinka plots.
Evidence against / limits
- Much of what is known about the planning comes from KSM in CIA custody.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff statement 16: Outline of the 9/11 Plot ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The attacks cost about half a million dollars.”
Commission staff estimated $400,000 to $500,000, about $300,000 of it through the hijackers’ U.S. bank accounts.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission staff.
Evidence for the claim
- Wire, bank and ATM records.
Evidence against / limits
- The ultimate origin of the money was never determined.
Sources: 9/11 Commission staff monograph: Terrorist Financing ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The hijackers sent their leftover money back days before the attack.”
They wired about $26,000 they had not spent back to the UAE.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission staff.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission staff monograph: Terrorist Financing ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“No foreign government funded the plot.”
Commission staff found “no evidence that any foreign government — or foreign government official — supplied any funding.” The Saudi arguments are about help with housing and logistics, not the budget.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission staff.
Evidence against / limits
- The money’s ultimate origin is unknown; later FBI files raise questions about help, not funding.
Sources: 9/11 Commission staff monograph: Terrorist Financing ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Flight 93 was headed for the Capitol or the White House.”
The Commission concluded its target was “either the Capitol or the White House.”
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence for the claim
- Flight path; Jarrah set the Reagan National beacon.
Evidence against / limits
- Which of the two is unsettled.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · National Park Service: Flight 93 frequently asked questions ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis.”
The four pilots were from Egypt, the UAE, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia; the muscle hijackers were mostly young Saudis.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence for the claim
- Identities and visa records.
Evidence against / limits
- Nationality alone says nothing about government involvement.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The hijackers entered the U.S. almost every time they tried.”
Commission staff found they got in 33 of 34 times, some on doctored passports and flawed visa forms.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission staff.
Evidence against / limits
- One, al-Kahtani, was refused.
Sources: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel, chapter 2: A chronology of the hijackers’ entries ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff monograph: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“A flight school got Atta’s visa approval six months after the attack.”
In March 2002 a Venice, Florida, school received the paperwork approving Atta’s and Shehhi’s student status. The inspector general blamed a routine backlog.
Who says it: Justice Department inspector general.
Evidence against / limits
- A backlog, not a sign of protection.
Sources: DOJ Inspector General, May 2005: INS processing of student visas for Atta and Shehhi ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Al Qaeda attacked because of U.S. policy in the Middle East.”
Its own statements cite U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Iraq sanctions, support for Israel and for Arab rulers. Explaining a motive is not justifying it.
Who says it: Al Qaeda; many analysts.
Evidence against / limits
- The Commission saw a wider war on the West and on other Muslims.
Sources: Federation of American Scientists: World Islamic Front statement, 23 February 1998 ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 2: The Foundation of the New Terrorism ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The Guardian took down bin Laden’s “Letter to America” after it went viral on TikTok.”
The Guardian removed it on 15 November 2023, saying it had been shared without context; TikTok removed videos and blocked the hashtag.
Who says it: News reports.
Evidence for the claim
- Guardian and TikTok statements.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: The Guardian, 16 November 2023: TikTok to remove videos promoting bin Laden’s letter ↗ · 404 Media, November 2023: Guardian deletes bin Laden’s Letter to America after it goes viral ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The hijacker pilots learned to fly in America.”
Atta, Shehhi and Jarrah trained in Florida; Hanjour had learned in Arizona in the 1990s and trained there again.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“A would-be hijacker was turned away at the airport.”
Mohamed al-Kahtani, picked by bin Laden for the operation, was refused entry by an immigration inspector.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission staff.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel, chapter 5: Analysis of hijacker travel documents ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff monograph: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“2,977 people were killed.”
The National September 11 Memorial lists 2,977 from 90 nations: 2,753 in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 on Flight 93, not counting the hijackers.
Who says it: The 9/11 Memorial.
Evidence against / limits
- The Commission’s 2004 figure was 2,973.
Sources: 9/11 Memorial & Museum: FAQ about 9/11 ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The FDNY lost 343 members.”
The largest loss of any emergency service in history; the Port Authority police lost 37 and the NYPD 23.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Screening flagged hijackers that morning, and they flew anyway.”
The CAPPS system flagged several, including Atta, but the only consequence then was holding their checked bags until they boarded.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- The rules in force did not call for more.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“People in the towers were told to stay where they were.”
911 operators, who did not know rooftop rescue was impossible, told many callers to stay put.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Operators were overwhelmed and misinformed, not malicious.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Firefighters died partly because their radios failed.”
Many companies inside the North Tower never heard the evacuation order after the South Tower fell.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The government sat on the Pentagon video for years.”
It held the footage as evidence until the Moussaoui trial ended. Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request in December 2004 and released the videos in May 2006.
Who says it: Judicial Watch, skeptics.
Evidence against / limits
- The released video is low frame-rate and shows only a blur; it does not support a missile.
Sources: Judicial Watch, 2006: Defense Department FOIA release on the Pentagon attack ↗ · CBS News, 16 May 2006: Pentagon makes public 9/11 footage ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The Pentagon hijacker pilot was a terrible pilot.”
Instructors judged Hani Hanjour weak; one simulator instructor called his work “well below standard.”
Who says it: The 9/11 Commission; an FBI memo.
Evidence for the claim
- Commission chapter 5; FBI memo.
Evidence against / limits
- He had a commercial license and simulator time.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report: endnotes ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The passengers on Flight 93 fought back.”
The cockpit recorder captured the assault from 9:57, and the hijackers crashed the plane rather than lose control of it.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · National Park Service: Flight 93 frequently asked questions ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The military had only nine minutes’ warning of the first hijacking.”
Boston Center called NEADS at 8:37:52, nine minutes before American 11 hit; that was the most notice it had of any of the four.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff statement 17: Improvising a Homeland Defense ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“NORAD officials gave the Commission a false account of the morning.”
Their May 2003 testimony on United 93 and American 77 was wrong, made the military look ready, and some commissioners suspected deliberate deception.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission and staff.
Evidence for the claim
- Staff statement 17; the tapes.
Evidence against / limits
- Whether the misstatements were deliberate was never established.
Sources: 9/11 Commission staff statement 17: Improvising a Homeland Defense ↗ · Washington Post, 2 August 2006: “9/11 Panel Suspected Deception by Pentagon,” by Dan Eggen ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“A spy agency had a drill that morning about a plane hitting its building.”
The National Reconnaissance Office planned an exercise simulating a small corporate jet crashing into one of its buildings. No plane was involved; it was cancelled when the real attacks began.
Who says it: AP, NRO.
Evidence against / limits
- It involved no terrorism and no aircraft.
Sources: USA Today (Associated Press), 22 August 2002: the National Reconnaissance Office’s plane-crash drill on 11 September ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Bush kept reading to children after being told America was under attack.”
He stayed for five to seven minutes, he said to project calm.
Who says it: Film; 9/11 Commission.
Evidence for the claim
- Video and his own account.
Evidence against / limits
- Nothing in the record suggests foreknowledge.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Passports and notes were found at Shanksville.”
Investigators recovered hijackers’ passports, notes and a knife, and a page of Jarrah’s passport is a trial exhibit.
Who says it: FBI, Moussaoui trial.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: FBI video: investigation of Flight 93 ↗ · U.S. District Court (E.D. Va.): United States v. Moussaoui, prosecution trial exhibits ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Luggage left behind at Logan Airport held a handwritten letter in Arabic.”
A four-page letter found in that luggage was entered at the Moussaoui trial.
Who says it: Moussaoui trial.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: U.S. District Court (E.D. Va.): United States v. Moussaoui, prosecution trial exhibits ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Some people above the South Tower impact escaped.”
At least four came down the one passable stairwell from the 81st floor or above.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Many others went up toward a locked roof.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“The towers’ roof doors were locked.”
Many people climbed toward the roof hoping for rescue; it was locked, and rooftop rescue was impossible.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“People survived inside the North Tower as it fell.”
Twelve firefighters, a Port Authority officer and three civilians in stairwell B survived.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 9: Heroism and Horror ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Fighters chased a plane that had already crashed.”
At 9:21 the FAA wrongly reported American 11 still airborne; the Langley fighters were scrambled and sent east over the Atlantic.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff statement 17: Improvising a Homeland Defense ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The morning of 11 September
“Flight 93’s passengers voted on whether to fight back.”
According to one call, they did.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Known from a single call.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The Twin Towers fell because of plane damage and fire.”
NIST found the impacts severed columns and stripped fireproofing, and fires weakened floors until they pulled the outer columns in.
Who says it: NIST; most structural engineers.
Evidence for the claim
- Photo, video and steel evidence.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST modeled only up to the start of collapse.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1: Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers (2005) ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“NIST never modeled the full collapse.”
Its simulations stop when the collapse begins; it argues the rest was inevitable once the top section moved.
Who says it: Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth.
Evidence against / limits
- Bažant’s peer-reviewed work argues such a collapse cannot be stopped.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗ · Bažant and Verdure, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, March 2007: Mechanics of progressive collapse ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Most of the jet fuel burned off in minutes.”
It did, in fireballs. Office contents kept the fires going.
Who says it: NIST.
Evidence against / limits
- The fuel spread the fires across several floors.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The towers were designed to survive a plane strike.”
They were designed with a Boeing 707 impact in mind, but NIST found no documentation of how that analysis was done or whether fire was considered.
Who says it: Architects and commentators.
Evidence for the claim
- Design claims from the 1960s.
Evidence against / limits
- No record of fire being considered.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Building 7 fell at free-fall speed.”
NIST’s final report found about 2.25 seconds of free fall, roughly eight stories, after first saying it was slower.
Who says it: A&E for 9/11 Truth; NIST itself.
Evidence for the claim
- NIST revised its draft after public comment.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST says the interior had already failed.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗ · NIST NCSTAR 1A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Firefighters reported hearing explosions.”
In the FDNY oral histories, some described what sounded like explosions; Richard Banaciski described “all these explosions” like a belt.
Who says it: The oral histories.
Evidence against / limits
- No recording captures a demolition-charge blast, and no physical evidence of charges has been found.
Sources: New York Times, August 2005: The September 11 records (FDNY oral histories) ↗ · FDNY World Trade Center Task Force interview: Firefighter Richard Banaciski, 6 December 2001 (New York Times archive PDF) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“NIST did not test the steel for explosives.”
NIST concedes it “did not test for the residue,” arguing such tests would not be conclusive.
Who says it: NIST; critics.
Evidence against / limits
- Its reasoning about common materials.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The editor of the journal that published the thermite paper resigned over it.”
Marie-Paule Pileni said she had not been told it would appear and resigned.
Who says it: Videnskab.dk.
Evidence against / limits
- Her resignation does not test the chips.
Sources: Videnskab.dk, 2009: editor-in-chief resigns over controversial 9/11 article ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The steel was shipped off and recycled before investigators could examine it.”
Most was removed during rescue and recovery; NIST analyzed 236 tower pieces and had no identifiable WTC 7 steel.
Who says it: Critics, firefighters’ groups.
Evidence for the claim
- Documented in NIST and FEMA reports.
Evidence against / limits
- No evidence it was removed to hide anything.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The BBC reported WTC 7’s collapse before it fell.”
It did, more than 20 minutes early, with the building behind the correspondent.
Who says it: The archive clip.
Evidence against / limits
- American networks had reported it collapsing since 4:15 p.m.
Sources: PolitiFact, December 2021: BBC reporting error is not proof the network was part of an inside job ↗ · BBC editors’ blog, 27 February 2007: “Part of the conspiracy?” by Richard Porter ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“A charge big enough to fell WTC 7 would have been heard half a mile away.”
NIST calculated 130 to 140 decibels; no recording or witness has it.
Who says it: NIST.
Evidence against / limits
- Proponents posit quieter methods such as thermite.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008) ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“NIST refused to release some of its WTC 7 model files.”
It withheld connection models as a security risk, and a court upheld that in 2011. The Alaska team published all its files.
Who says it: A&E for 9/11 Truth.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST’s security rationale.
Sources: University of Alaska Fairbanks (Hulsey, Quan, Xiao), March 2020: A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7 ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“Bush was warned a month before that bin Laden was determined to strike in the U.S.”
The 6 August brief said so and noted FBI signs of hijacking preparations. It gave no date, place or method.
Who says it: The 9/11 Commission; critics.
Evidence against / limits
- Bush called it “historical in nature.”
Sources: National Security Archive: “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US,” President’s Daily Brief, 6 August 2001 ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“The government knew an attack was coming that summer.”
The threat reporting was intense; Tenet said “the system was blinking red.” It did not say where or when.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- None identified a domestic target.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“Richard Clarke urgently asked the new administration for a high-level review of al Qaeda.”
His 25 January 2001 memo to Condoleezza Rice said “we urgently need such a Principals level review on the al Qida network.”
Who says it: The declassified memo.
Evidence for the claim
- National Security Archive copy.
Evidence against / limits
- It warned about al Qaeda broadly, not about the 9/11 plot.
Sources: National Security Archive: Richard Clarke memo to Condoleezza Rice, 25 January 2001 ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 6: From Threat to Threat ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“The CIA knew two hijackers were in the U.S. and did not tell the FBI in time.”
The inspector general and the Commission documented the failure, including a report on Mihdhar’s visa that was held back.
Who says it: DOJ inspector general; 9/11 Commission.
Evidence for the claim
- “pls hold off on CIR for now.”
Evidence against / limits
Sources: DOJ Inspector General: Hazmi and Mihdhar ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 11: Foresight—and Hindsight ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“Two hijackers lived with an FBI informant.”
Hazmi and Mihdhar rented a room in San Diego from an FBI informant.
Who says it: DOJ inspector general.
Evidence against / limits
- No evidence the informant knew their plans.
Sources: DOJ Inspector General: Hazmi and Mihdhar ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“An FBI agent warned about bin Laden followers at flight schools.”
Kenneth Williams’s memo urged a survey of flight schools. No headquarters manager saw it before 9/11.
Who says it: DOJ inspector general.
Evidence against / limits
- Williams was not warning of suicide pilots; the Commission thought it would not have uncovered the plot.
Sources: DOJ Inspector General, 2004 (released 2006): the Phoenix electronic communication ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“FBI headquarters blocked a search of Moussaoui’s laptop.”
Headquarters said Minneapolis lacked grounds for a criminal or FISA warrant; a supervisor had warned he might crash a plane into the World Trade Center.
Who says it: DOJ inspector general.
Evidence against / limits
- The legal standard for FISA was strict.
Sources: DOJ Inspector General: the FBI’s handling of Zacarias Moussaoui ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“Publicity about Moussaoui might have stopped the plot.”
The Commission said it “might have derailed the plot.”
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- A judgment, not a certainty.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“Able Danger’s data was destroyed.”
Erik Kleinsmith testified his team was forced to destroy it in 2000 under rules on intelligence about U.S. persons.
Who says it: Kleinsmith testimony.
Evidence for the claim
- Senate Judiciary testimony.
Evidence against / limits
- Destruction followed standing rules.
Sources: Testimony of Erik Kleinsmith to the Senate Judiciary Committee, 21 September 2005 ↗ · Senate Judiciary Committee, 21 September 2005: Able Danger and intelligence information sharing (hearing) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“The two hijackers were watchlisted only weeks before 9/11.”
The INS told the FBI on 22 August 2001 that both had entered the country; the search began too late.
Who says it: DOJ inspector general; 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: DOJ Inspector General: Hazmi and Mihdhar ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“There were chances to stop the plot that were missed.”
The Commission listed ten “operational opportunities,” the first five involving the CIA.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Whether any would have stopped it is speculative.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 11: Foresight—and Hindsight ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Warnings & intelligence failures
“The CIA has released dozens of pre-9/11 briefings on bin Laden.”
In September 2026 it released 71 more PDB items going back to 1998.
Who says it: CIA.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: CIA, 11 September 2026: 71 declassified 9/11-related President’s Daily Brief products ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The 28 pages were kept secret for 14 years.”
Classified from the Joint Inquiry’s December 2002 report until July 2016.
Who says it: Congress, families.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: House Intelligence Committee, 15 July 2016: declassified “28 pages” ↗ · Joint Inquiry, Part Four (“the 28 pages”), as declassified in 2016 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The Commission found the Saudi government did not fund al Qaeda.”
It found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization,” while noting Saudi-sponsored charities might have diverted money.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Later FBI files concern help to hijackers, not funding.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“A Saudi man helped two hijackers settle in San Diego.”
Omar al-Bayoumi met them in Los Angeles, found them an apartment in his building and co-signed the lease.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission; the 2025 ruling.
Evidence against / limits
- Whether he knew who they were is disputed.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗ · U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 28 August 2025: memorandum decision and order denying Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss (ECF 11182) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bayoumi was a paid Saudi intelligence asset.”
FBI memos from 2017 say he was paid a monthly stipend as a co-optee of Saudi intelligence until 9/11. Saudi Arabia and Bayoumi deny it.
Who says it: FBI memos.
Evidence against / limits
- Not tested in court; Saudi denial.
Sources: FBI electronic communication, 14 June 2017, “Albayoumi / GIP Cooptee,” filed as ECF 8871-4 in In re Terrorist Attacks (S.D.N.Y.) ↗ · ProPublica, 10 September 2026: 25 years after 9/11, questions about the FBI’s pursuit of Saudi suspects have only grown ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bayoumi filmed the Capitol’s entrances.”
60 Minutes aired his 1999 footage narrating the Capitol. Saudi Arabia calls it tourist video.
Who says it: 60 Minutes, BBC Panorama.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: CBS News 60 Minutes, 2024: video of Saudi official Omar al-Bayoumi examined ↗ · BBC Panorama, 7 September 2026: new videos of man in 9/11 lawsuit reveal extremist links ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The FBI never gave the Bayoumi sketch and video to the 9/11 Commission.”
Senators said so in 2025 and the BBC reported it in 2026; no public record explains why.
Who says it: Senators Blumenthal and Cornyn; BBC.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Senators Richard Blumenthal and John Cornyn to FBI Director Kash Patel, 12 May 2025 ↗ · BBC Panorama, 7 September 2026: new videos of man in 9/11 lawsuit reveal extremist links ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“A Saudi diplomat tasked someone to help the hijackers.”
The 2016 Encore memo says a redacted person “was tasked by Thumairy to assist Hazmi and Midhar.”
Who says it: FBI memo.
Evidence against / limits
- Name redacted; untested in court.
Sources: FBI electronic communication, 4 April 2016 (Operation Encore), released 11 September 2021 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The 9/11 families’ case against Saudi Arabia can go forward.”
Judge Daniels ruled in 2025 that it can proceed to the merits. Saudi Arabia’s appeal was argued on 7 October 2026.
Who says it: The families.
Evidence against / limits
- A jurisdiction ruling, not a finding of guilt.
Sources: U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 28 August 2025: memorandum decision and order denying Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss (ECF 11182) ↗ · BBC, 7 October 2026: New York court hears arguments in 9/11 families’ lawsuit against Saudi Arabia ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Iran let some hijackers pass through.”
The Commission found eight to ten of the muscle hijackers traveled through Iran and that border officials did not stamp passports.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- No evidence Iran knew of the plot.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Pakistan’s ISI chief was in Washington on 9/11.”
General Mahmud Ahmed was visiting and met Armitage in the days after.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
- Being in Washington is not evidence of involvement.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10: Wartime ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Five Israelis were arrested after filming the burning towers.”
They were seen on a van roof, stopped, investigated by the FBI and held for visa violations.
Who says it: ABC News; FBI file.
Evidence against / limits
- No evidence they knew of the plot.
Sources: ABC News 20/20, June 2002: Were Israelis detained on Sept. 11 spies? ↗ · FBI Newark file on the five Israelis, section 1 (Internet Archive text of the FOIA release) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Odigo employees got a warning two hours before.”
Two employees received a vague message warning of an attack, which the company passed to Israeli security and the FBI. It did not name the WTC.
Who says it: Computerworld.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Computerworld, 28 September 2001: FBI probes advance IM attack warnings ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The 28 pages say the Saudi ambassador’s family supported a man linked to the hijackers.”
They say Osama Bassnan and his wife received financial support from the ambassador and his wife. The pages did not test what it meant.
Who says it: The 28 pages.
Evidence against / limits
- Unverified lead, by the inquiry’s own account.
Sources: Joint Inquiry, Part Four (“the 28 pages”), as declassified in 2016 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Most Americans once believed Saddam was involved.”
A poll weeks before Bush’s statement found 69% thought it likely.
Who says it: The poll.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: USA Today, 6 September 2003: Poll: 70% believe Saddam, 9-11 link ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The post-9/11 wars killed hundreds of thousands.”
Brown’s Costs of War project estimates more than 940,000 direct violent deaths.
Who says it: Costs of War.
Evidence against / limits
- Estimates vary by method.
Sources: Watson Institute, Brown University: Costs of War, human costs ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The PATRIOT Act passed within six weeks.”
It was signed on 26 October 2001 after large majorities in both houses.
Who says it: 9/11 Commission.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10: Wartime ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The government secretly collected Americans’ phone records in bulk.”
Snowden’s files exposed it, an oversight board found no case where it stopped a plot, and an appeals court held the law did not authorize it.
Who says it: The Guardian; PCLOB; the Second Circuit.
Evidence against / limits
- The appeals court ruled on the statute and did not decide whether the program was constitutional.
Sources: The Guardian, 6 June 2013: NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily ↗ · Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, January 2014: report on the Section 215 telephone records program ↗ · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 7 May 2015: ACLU v. Clapper ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The main surveillance law tied to the war on terror has lapsed.”
Section 702 expired in June 2026, but court certifications keep collection going at least until March 2027.
Who says it: News reports.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: NPR, 12 June 2026: FISA 702, a key U.S. spy tool, has lapsed ↗ · CBS News, 13 June 2026: A key spy authority, Section 702, expired due to inaction in Congress. Here’s what happens next ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The CIA tortured 9/11 suspects.”
The Senate found at least 119 detainees and 183 waterboardings of KSM, and that the techniques were not effective.
Who says it: Senate Intelligence Committee.
Evidence against / limits
- The CIA said its interrogations produced useful intelligence; the committee found otherwise.
Sources: Senate Intelligence Committee, December 2014: study of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program (executive summary) ↗ · Senate Intelligence Committee, December 2014: findings and conclusions of the CIA detention and interrogation study ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“KSM still has not been tried, 25 years later.”
The plea deals were withdrawn, the Supreme Court declined to restore them, and a trial is set for June 2028.
Who says it: News reports.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 11 July 2025: In re United States (the KSM plea agreements) ↗ · Axios, 19 October 2026: Supreme Court denies Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s 9/11 plea deal appeal ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The EPA wrongly said the air was safe.”
Its inspector general found it lacked the data, and the White House pushed reassuring language.
Who says it: EPA inspector general.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: EPA Inspector General, August 2003: EPA’s response to the World Trade Center collapse ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“More firefighters have died of 9/11 illnesses than on the day.”
The FDNY counted 343 in 2023 and 453 by the 25th anniversary.
Who says it: FDNY.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: NPR, 25 September 2023: FDNY deaths from 9/11-related illnesses now equal the number killed on Sept. 11 ↗ · EMS1, September 2026: FDNY marks 25 years as illness deaths surpass lives lost in the attacks ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“9/11 victims are covered until 2090.”
The compensation fund takes claims until 1 October 2090, and the health program runs to the same year.
Who says it: Congress.
Evidence against / limits
- A 2026 fix closed a shortfall.
Sources: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund: about the VCF ↗ · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, February 2026: full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The CIA destroyed interrogation tapes the Commission never knew about.”
The Commission’s chairmen wrote in 2008 that the CIA never told them about the tapes.
Who says it: Kean and Hamilton.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: New York Times, 2 January 2008: “Stonewalled by the C.I.A.,” by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The Archives released the Commission’s summary of the pre-9/11 daily briefs.”
On 11 September 2026 the National Archives released it, and the CIA released the underlying brief items.
Who says it: National Archives; CIA.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Public Interest Declassification Board (National Archives), 11 September 2026: Long-sought 9/11 records now declassified ↗ · CIA, 11 September 2026: 71 declassified 9/11-related President’s Daily Brief products ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The Pentagon cancelled plea deals with KSM.”
Defense Secretary Austin withdrew from them in August 2024, and the D.C. Circuit upheld his power to do so.
Who says it: Court records.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 11 July 2025: In re United States (the KSM plea agreements) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The anthrax letters killed five Americans.”
Five were killed and 17 sickened; the case closed in 2010.
Who says it: FBI.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: FBI: Amerithrax or anthrax investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Congress fixed a shortfall in the 9/11 health program.”
In February 2026 Congress approved a fix to head off a projected multibillion-dollar shortfall.
Who says it: News reports.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: ABC News, 5 February 2026: Congress approves funding fix for WTC Health Program ↗ · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, February 2026: full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“A 9/11 commissioner called the deal over White House briefings “a national scandal.””
Max Cleland said so while the Commission worked, and said it had to subpoena the FAA and NORAD.
Who says it: Max Cleland.
Evidence against / limits
- His complaint was about access, not about the findings.
Sources: Salon, November 2003: Max Cleland on the 9/11 Commission ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Bush and Cheney insisted on being interviewed together.”
They sat together for the Commission interview in the Oval Office on 29 April 2004; the notes were released in 2022.
Who says it: Critics; the National Archives release.
Evidence against / limits
- The joint format is documented; that it hid anything is not.
Sources: National Archives, Public Interest Declassification Board blog, 9 November 2022: declassified 9/11 Commission interviews with Bush and Cheney ↗ · ABC News, November 2022: Dramatic details released on Bush and Cheney dealing with 9/11 attacks ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“One in five Americans thinks the government was behind 9/11.”
20% told YouGov in 2023.
Who says it: YouGov.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: YouGov, 2023: Which conspiracy theories do Americans believe? ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“Biden ordered the 9/11 FBI files declassified.”
Executive Order 14040 set deadlines, and the FBI has released more than 30 sets of records.
Who says it: White House; FBI.
Evidence against / limits
- Many passages remain redacted.
Sources: Federal Register: Executive Order 14040, 3 September 2021 ↗ · FBI Vault: index of 9/11 material released under Executive Order 14040 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“FBI agents only saw the Bayoumi asset memos when they were released.”
Agents told ProPublica they first saw them on release.
Who says it: ProPublica.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: ProPublica, 10 September 2026: 25 years after 9/11, questions about the FBI’s pursuit of Saudi suspects have only grown ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“The FBI barely looked at the evidence seized from Bayoumi in 2001.”
San Diego was asked to review five of more than 80 tapes; no public record explains why.
Who says it: ProPublica.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: ProPublica, 10 September 2026: 25 years after 9/11, questions about the FBI’s pursuit of Saudi suspects have only grown ↗
Read the full file ↗
DOCUMENTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“The Supreme Court refused to hear the directed-energy case.”
It declined on 25 January 2010, after the Second Circuit affirmed dismissal.
Who says it: Court records.
Evidence against / limits
- The courts did not rule on the physics.
Sources: Supreme Court of the United States: docket 09-548, Wood v. Applied Research Associates ↗ · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 16 July 2009: Wood ex rel. United States v. Applied Research Associates, 328 F. App’x 744 (OpenJurist) ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE · 13
PARTLY TRUE The morning of 11 September
“Amateur pilots could not have flown those planes into their targets.”
The pilots were mediocre, but they had licenses and simulator time, took over at cruising altitude and needed only to steer into large targets.
Who says it: Pilots for 9/11 Truth, others.
Evidence for the claim
- Hanjour’s poor reviews.
- The low, fast final approach.
Evidence against / limits
- No takeoff or landing was required.
- The Pentagon’s face is hundreds of feet long.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · ASCE (Mlakar et al.), January 2003: The Pentagon Building Performance Report (NIST copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The morning of 11 September
“Cell phones could not work from the planes, so the calls were fake.”
Most calls were made from seat-back airphones, and all of Flight 77’s were. Popular Mechanics’ experts said cell phones do work at that altitude.
Who says it: Skeptics.
Evidence for the claim
- Cell coverage at altitude was poor in 2001.
Evidence against / limits
- Airphone records compiled for the Moussaoui trial.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report: endnotes ↗ · Democracy Now!, 11 September 2006: Loose Change filmmakers debate Popular Mechanics ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The towers fell because the floors pancaked.”
Floors did fall, but NIST’s finding is that sagging floors pulled the columns in first; “pancaking” is not NIST’s cause.
Who says it: Early media explanations.
Evidence for the claim
- Popular accounts in 2001.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST rejected it as the initiating cause.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“No plane hit WTC 7, yet it collapsed.”
True that no plane hit it. Debris from the North Tower started fires that burned uncontrolled for hours because the water mains were broken.
Who says it: Demolition proponents.
Evidence against / limits
- Debris damage and seven hours of fire.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008) ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Molten metal poured from the South Tower.”
Something glowing did pour out just before 9:52. NIST concluded it was aluminum from the plane mixed with burning debris; it was never sampled.
Who says it: Video; critics.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Pools of molten steel in the rubble prove thermite.”
Hot and eroded metal was found and FEMA could not explain sulfur attack on two members. The rubble was never systematically tested.
Who says it: Demolition proponents.
Evidence against / limits
- Long heating in the pile; sulfur in wallboard.
Sources: FEMA 403 Appendix C: Limited metallurgical examination ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Silverstein took out the lease weeks before and profited from the insurance.”
The lease was signed on 24 July 2001 and insurers paid $4.55 billion, but it was tied to rebuilding and below what the courts allowed.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
- The money went into rebuilding; no evidence of foreknowledge.
Sources: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: 2006 financial statements ↗ · New York State Comptroller, July 2007: Review of the Financial Plan of the City of New York (report 3-2008) ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The 28 pages proved Saudi Arabia was behind 9/11.”
They describe contacts between hijackers and people possibly tied to the Saudi government, but the inquiry said it had not checked those leads.
Who says it: Families, critics.
Evidence for the claim
- Bayoumi, Bassnan and Thumairy leads.
Evidence against / limits
- “Did not attempt to investigate and assess.”
Sources: Joint Inquiry, Part Four (“the 28 pages”), as declassified in 2016 ↗ · House Intelligence Committee, 15 July 2016: declassified “28 pages” ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Abu Zubaydah’s phone book linked al Qaeda to the Saudi ambassador.”
It held a number linked to a company managing Prince Bandar’s Colorado home. The FBI said CIA traces showed no direct links to U.S. numbers.
Who says it: People reading the 28 pages.
Evidence against / limits
- FBI response quoted in the pages.
Sources: Joint Inquiry, Part Four (“the 28 pages”), as declassified in 2016 ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The Saudis were flown out without being questioned.”
The FBI screened them and interviewed 22 of 26 on the bin Laden flight, but most passengers on the other flights were not interviewed.
Who says it: Critics.
Evidence against / limits
- No one with known terror links left.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10: Wartime ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The FBI traced the 9/11 money to Pakistan.”
The Times of India reported FBI testimony that funding was traced back to accounts in Pakistan; it did not mention the ISI, and the Commission said the ultimate origin was unknown.
Who says it: Times of India.
Evidence against / limits
- Commission: “the origin of the funds remains unknown.”
Sources: Times of India, 2003: 9/11 funds came from Pakistan, says FBI ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 5: Al Qaeda Aims at the American Homeland ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The 9/11 Commission was obstructed.”
It had to subpoena agencies, was not told about CIA tapes later destroyed, and missed FBI material on Bayoumi. That does not show its core findings wrong.
Who says it: Commissioners; critics.
Evidence for the claim
- Cleland; Kean and Hamilton.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Salon, November 2003: Max Cleland on the 9/11 Commission ↗ · New York Times, 2 January 2008: “Stonewalled by the C.I.A.,” by Thomas H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton ↗
Read the full file ↗
PARTLY TRUE Inside job, money & viral theories
“The CIA created bin Laden.”
The U.S. armed the Afghan mujahedin through Pakistan, and that war made bin Laden’s name. No record shows the CIA armed, paid or trained him.
Who says it: Common claim; Rand Paul in 2013.
Evidence for the claim
- About $3 billion in covert aid.
Evidence against / limits
- Coll, Bergen, the Commission, the CIA.
Sources: FactCheck.org, February 2013: the claim that the CIA armed and funded bin Laden ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 2: The Foundation of the New Terrorism ↗ · U.S. State Department, January 2005: “The United States did not create Osama bin Laden” (Internet Archive copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED · 14
DISPUTED The morning of 11 September
“Cheney gave the shootdown order without Bush.”
The Commission found no documentary record of the call in which Bush authorized it, and note-takers did not record one. Bush and Cheney say it happened.
Who says it: Some writers.
Evidence against / limits
- The 2004 joint interview notes record Bush approving it “before 10:00.”
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · ABC News, November 2022: Dramatic details released on Bush and Cheney dealing with 9/11 attacks ↗ · National Archives (ISCAP appeal 2012-163): 9/11 Commission memorandum of the Bush–Cheney interview, released 2022 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The morning of 11 September
“Mineta heard Cheney confirm an order to let the Pentagon plane through.”
Mineta testified he heard “Do the orders still stand?” before the Pentagon strike; the Commission put Cheney in the room only after it. Nothing shows the order was a stand-down.
Who says it: Theorists; Mineta’s testimony.
Evidence against / limits
- The Commission’s timeline.
- Mineta said he did not know what the order was.
Sources: 9/11 Commission hearing, 23 May 2003: testimony of Norman Mineta ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The morning of 11 September
“Barbara Olson never called her husband from Flight 77.”
The FBI list shows one unconnected call from her and four calls to unknown numbers that briefers attributed to her. Ted Olson and his office say she called.
Who says it: Skeptics, citing the FBI list.
Evidence for the claim
- No call is listed by number as connected to her.
Evidence against / limits
- Ted Olson’s FBI interview the same day.
- The DOJ briefers’ interviews.
Sources: FBI FD-302 interview of Theodore Olson, 11 September 2001 ↗ · FBI/DOJ briefing to 9/11 Commission staff, 20 May 2004: Flight 93 and other cell and phone calls (Commission file scan) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Fire brought down WTC 7.”
NIST found thermal expansion pushed a girder off Column 79, the first known tall building brought down mainly by fire. A study funded by A&E for 9/11 Truth disputes it.
Who says it: NIST; the University of Alaska Fairbanks study.
Evidence against / limits
- UAF’s 2020 report.
- NIST withheld some connection models.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008) ↗ · University of Alaska Fairbanks (Hulsey, Quan, Xiao), March 2020: A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Free fall proves WTC 7 was demolished.”
Proponents say only removing all support at once can do it; NIST says the outer shell fell freely because the interior was already gone.
Who says it: Demolition proponents.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST’s interior-collapse model.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗ · University of Alaska Fairbanks (Hulsey, Quan, Xiao), March 2020: A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Puffs of dust below the collapse were demolition charges.”
NIST says they were air pushed out ahead of the falling floors.
Who says it: Demolition proponents.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST’s piston explanation.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Demolition experts say Building 7 was a controlled demolition.”
One Dutch contractor said so from video. The best-known American demolition firm said it could not have been prepared in an occupied building without anyone noticing.
Who says it: Richard Gage; Danny Jowenko.
Evidence for the claim
- Jowenko: “It’s a hired job.”
Evidence against / limits
- Mark Loizeaux; FEMA’s Gene Corley found no evidence.
Sources: BBC News, 4 July 2008: “Q&A: The collapse of Tower 7” (The Conspiracy Files, archived copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Barry Jennings heard explosions inside Building 7 before the North Tower fell.”
He and Michael Hess were trapped by a loud blast; NIST and Hess himself put it at the North Tower’s collapse, which severed seven of WTC 7’s columns.
Who says it: Jennings; Loose Change.
Evidence for the claim
- Hess on 9/11: “there was an explosion.”
Evidence against / limits
- Hess in 2008: he did not hear one. Jennings: “I never saw dead bodies.”
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1-9: Structural Fire Response and Probable Collapse Sequence of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008), section 6.5.2 ↗ · BBC editors’ blog, 21 October 2008: “Caught up in a conspiracy theory,” by Mike Rudin (archived copy) ↗ · BBC News, 4 July 2008: “Q&A: The collapse of Tower 7” (The Conspiracy Files, archived copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bayoumi knowingly helped the hijackers on Saudi orders.”
A judge found a reasonable inference he followed Saudi instructions; the merits are untried, and the Commission found him an unlikely extremist.
Who says it: The families; the 2025 ruling.
Evidence for the claim
- Co-optee memos; Thumairy tasking; the sketch.
Evidence against / limits
- Commission investigators’ view; Saudi denial.
Sources: U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 28 August 2025: memorandum decision and order denying Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss (ECF 11182) ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗ · FBI electronic communication, 14 June 2017, “Albayoumi / GIP Cooptee,” filed as ECF 8871-4 in In re Terrorist Attacks (S.D.N.Y.) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bayoumi met the hijackers by chance.”
He said so and the Commission could not tell. Witnesses the FBI learned of in 2007 said Thumairy arranged their ride to the meeting.
Who says it: Bayoumi; the Commission left it open.
Evidence against / limits
- ProPublica’s witnesses; the Encore memo.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗ · ProPublica, 10 September 2026: 25 years after 9/11, questions about the FBI’s pursuit of Saudi suspects have only grown ↗ · FBI electronic communication, 4 April 2016 (Operation Encore), released 11 September 2021 ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bayoumi had a sketch of a plane with a descent calculation.”
The sketch in his handwriting was seized in 2001; what it means is disputed and for a court to decide.
Who says it: BBC Panorama; senators; families.
Evidence for the claim
- Seized by British police.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Senators Richard Blumenthal and John Cornyn to FBI Director Kash Patel, 12 May 2025 ↗ · BBC Panorama, 7 September 2026: new videos of man in 9/11 lawsuit reveal extremist links ↗ · U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 28 August 2025: memorandum decision and order denying Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss (ECF 11182) ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Bruce Ivins sent the anthrax letters.”
The FBI concluded so; he died before charges, and the National Academies found the science alone could not settle it.
Who says it: FBI; skeptics.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: FBI: Amerithrax or anthrax investigation ↗ · National Academies, 2011: summary of the review of the FBI’s anthrax science (NCBI Bookshelf) ↗ · FBI and Justice Department, February 2011: response to the National Academies review ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“The Commission’s director was a Bush insider who steered the report.”
Zelikow had close ties to Rice and took calls from Rove; he says they were unrelated, and vice chairman Hamilton says he did not sway the report.
Who says it: Philip Shenon; Commissioner Bob Kerrey.
Evidence for the claim
- Rove calls in the logs; Rice book; transition team.
Evidence against / limits
- Zelikow’s denial; Hamilton’s defense; unanimous report.
Sources: Associated Press via NBC’s Today, 3 February 2008: “New book sheds light on 9/11 investigation” ↗ · Democracy Now!, 7 February 2008: interview with Philip Zelikow ↗ · Democracy Now!, 5 February 2008: interview with Philip Shenon on The Commission ↗
Read the full file ↗
DISPUTED Inside job, money & viral theories
“The government is still withholding 9/11 files to protect Saudi Arabia.”
The families say so; the attorney general says the withheld material is genuinely classified.
Who says it: The families; AG Blanche.
Evidence for the claim
- Redactions for foreign-government information.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: CBS News, 14 September 2026: Blanche vows to release more 9/11 documents ↗ · FBI Vault: documents responsive to Executive Order 14040, sections 2(c) and 2(d), supplemental release 2 ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN · 15
UNPROVEN Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The December 2001 bin Laden “confession” tape was faked.”
Skeptics point to his appearance and the rough translation. No independent analysis has shown it is fake, and the case no longer rests on it.
Who says it: Skeptics.
Evidence for the claim
- The translators said their transcript was not word for word.
- Skeptics say the man looks heavier.
Evidence against / limits
- Later videos and the planners’ accounts confirm the same story.
Sources: State Department Washington File, 13 December 2001: transcript of the videotape of Usama bin Laden discussing the September 11 attacks (usinfo.org archive mirror) ↗ · Al Jazeera, 1 November 2004: full transcript of bin Laden’s speech ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN The morning of 11 September
“A hijacker’s passport was planted at the WTC.”
The Suqami passport was handed to an NYPD detective by a passerby who was never identified. Light papers were thrown out in quantity; nothing shows it was planted.
Who says it: Skeptics.
Evidence for the claim
- The unidentified passerby.
Evidence against / limits
- Suqami’s passport had al Qaeda-linked fraudulent stamps.
- Other IDs were found at the other sites.
Sources: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel, chapter 2: A chronology of the hijackers’ entries ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff monograph: 9/11 and Terrorist Travel ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The University of Alaska study proved WTC 7 was demolished.”
It concluded fire did not cause the collapse but did not identify what did and found no physical evidence of explosives.
Who says it: A&E for 9/11 Truth.
Evidence for the claim
- It published all its model files.
Evidence against / limits
- Funded by A&E; tested one alternative; no evidence of charges.
Sources: University of Alaska Fairbanks (Hulsey, Quan, Xiao), March 2020: A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7 ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The buildings were brought down by controlled demolition.”
No charges, detonators, wiring or residue have been found, and no recorded blast. NIST did not test for residue, so absence of proof is partly absence of testing.
Who says it: A&E for 9/11 Truth, others.
Evidence for the claim
- Speed and symmetry.
- Witnesses describing explosions.
Evidence against / limits
- No physical evidence; no insider has come forward.
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗ · University of Alaska Fairbanks (Hulsey, Quan, Xiao), March 2020: A Structural Reevaluation of the Collapse of World Trade Center 7 ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Thermite was found in the dust.”
A 2009 paper reported red-gray chips it called “unreacted thermitic material.” No independent study in a mainstream journal has confirmed it; critics say the chips are primer paint.
Who says it: Harrit, Jones and co-authors.
Evidence for the claim
- Chips in four samples; published tests.
Evidence against / limits
- Editor resigned over the paper.
- Huge quantities would be needed.
Sources: Harrit et al., The Open Chemical Physics Journal, 2009: Active thermitic material discovered in dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center catastrophe ↗ · Videnskab.dk, 2009: editor-in-chief resigns over controversial 9/11 article ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“A Bush-linked company ran World Trade Center security and could have planted explosives.”
Marvin Bush sat on the board of Securacom, which had an $8.3 million WTC security contract from 1996. Its main project there closed out in 1998, and no evidence ties it to explosives.
Who says it: Demolition proponents; Margie Burns (2003).
Evidence for the claim
- SEC filings confirm the board seat and the contract.
Evidence against / limits
- Electronic security work; project closed out in 1998; no witness or document.
Sources: Securacom Inc., prospectus filed with the SEC, 2 October 1997 ↗ · Stratesec Inc. (formerly Securacom), annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, 30 March 2000 ↗ · Common Dreams, 4 February 2003: “Bush-Linked Company Handled Security for the WTC, Dulles and United,” by Margie Burns ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Warnings & intelligence failures
“The CIA withheld the information because it was trying to recruit the two hijackers.”
Former FBI officials gave that opinion in a 2021 defense filing. No released document supports it.
Who says it: Former FBI officials quoted in the Canestraro declaration.
Evidence against / limits
- Secondhand, given years later; no documents.
Sources: Declaration of Donald C. Canestraro, 20 July 2021 (Wikisource transcription) ↗ · DOJ Inspector General: Hazmi and Mihdhar ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Warnings & intelligence failures
“A military program identified Atta a year before 9/11.”
Able Danger existed and its data was destroyed, and team members say they remember Atta on a chart. The Pentagon inspector general found the evidence did not support it.
Who says it: Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, others.
Evidence for the claim
- Several witnesses’ memories.
Evidence against / limits
- No chart has been found; IG did not substantiate.
Sources: DoD Inspector General, 18 September 2006: Alleged misconduct by senior DoD officials concerning the Able Danger program (H05L97905217), Federation of American Scientists copy ↗ · Testimony of Erik Kleinsmith to the Senate Judiciary Committee, 21 September 2005 ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“The radical imam Anwar al-Awlaki knew about the plot.”
He knew Hazmi and Mihdhar in San Diego, and Hazmi and Hanjour later turned up at his Virginia mosque. The 9/11 Commission said it could not learn enough to reach a conclusion.
Who says it: Investigators and journalists who followed the San Diego trail.
Evidence for the claim
- He met Hazmi several times, by his own account.
- The Virginia appearance “may not have been coincidental,” the Commission wrote.
- He later led external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Evidence against / limits
- He denied contact with them in Virginia.
- No investigation found proof he knew of the plot.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗ · The White House, 30 September 2011: Remarks by the President at the “Change of Office” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ceremony ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“A court has found Saudi Arabia responsible for 9/11.”
No court has ruled on the merits; the 2025 decision only kept the case alive.
Who says it: Online claims.
Evidence for the claim
- The judge’s reasonable-inference finding.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 28 August 2025: memorandum decision and order denying Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss (ECF 11182) ↗ · NBC News / AP, 7 October 2026: appeals judges don’t reveal how they’ll rule on Saudi Arabia ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Iran was behind 9/11.”
A 2011 default judgment found Iran gave material support, but Iran did not defend, and the Commission found no evidence it knew of the plot.
Who says it: Havlish plaintiffs and others.
Evidence against / limits
- Default; one-sided evidence.
Sources: U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.), 22 December 2011: Havlish v. bin Laden, findings of fact and conclusions of law ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Pakistan’s spy chief had $100,000 wired to Atta.”
The claim came from unnamed Indian sources in October 2001; no U.S. investigation has confirmed it.
Who says it: Times of India, Dawn.
Evidence against / limits
- Not in the Commission’s money trail.
Sources: Times of India, 9 October 2001: India helped FBI trace ISI-terrorist links ↗ · Dawn, 9 October 2001: Gen Mahmud’s exit due to links with Umar Sheikh ↗ · 9/11 Commission staff monograph: Terrorist Financing ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Israel knew about 9/11 in advance.”
Nothing in the public record shows that the five men, Odigo or Israel knew of the plot.
Who says it: Online claims.
Evidence for the claim
- The five; the Odigo warning.
Evidence against / limits
- The FBI file; Odigo’s vague message.
Sources: FBI Newark file on the five Israelis, section 1 (Internet Archive text of the FOIA release) ↗ · Computerworld, 28 September 2001: FBI probes advance IM attack warnings ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
““A new Pearl Harbor” shows the attacks were planned.”
The line is real, but in context it predicts that change would be slow without a shock. It is not a plan.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: Project for the New American Century, September 2000: Rebuilding America’s Defenses ↗
Read the full file ↗
UNPROVEN Inside job, money & viral theories
“Sudan offered to hand over bin Laden and the U.S. refused.”
The Commission found no credible evidence of the offer.
Who says it: Sudan’s defense minister.
Evidence against / limits
- The ambassador’s instructions; no indictment at the time.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 4: Responses to al Qaeda’s Initial Assaults ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE · 26
FALSE Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“Several of the hijackers are still alive.”
The living men named in 2001 were different people with the same names or wrongly used photographs. The 19 were identified by seats, video, calls and remains.
Who says it: BBC report of 23 Sept 2001, still widely quoted.
Evidence for the claim
- The 2001 BBC report.
- Mueller said identities were “still in question” on 20 September.
Evidence against / limits
- The BBC itself explained the confusion in 2006.
- Trial evidence and DNA.
Sources: BBC News, 23 September 2001: Hijack ‘suspects’ alive and well ↗ · BBC editors’ blog, 27 October 2006: “9/11 conspiracy theory,” by Steve Herrmann ↗ · Los Angeles Times, 21 September 2001: FBI chief raises new doubts over hijackers’ identities (Internet Archive copy) ↗ · FBI press release, 27 September 2001: photographs of the 19 individuals believed to be the hijackers ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Al Qaeda, the plot & the hijackers
“The Letter to America is a fair critique of U.S. policy that the media suppressed.”
Parts discuss foreign policy, but the full letter includes antisemitic and homophobic language and calls for violence, which the viral clips mostly skipped.
Who says it: TikTok videos.
Evidence for the claim
- It was removed from the Guardian site.
Evidence against / limits
- Read whole, it is not what the clips presented.
Sources: NBC News, November 2023: TikTok removes hashtag after bin Laden letter goes viral ↗ · The Guardian, 16 November 2023: TikTok to remove videos promoting bin Laden’s letter ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“A missile, not a plane, hit the Pentagon.”
The damage survey, radar, eyewitnesses, recovered wreckage and remains point to Flight 77. No missile or substitute has ever been shown.
Who says it: Loose Change, Thierry Meyssan and others.
Evidence for the claim
- Early photos of a small hole.
- Few large pieces on the lawn.
- Years without video.
Evidence against / limits
- The small hole was the exit in Ring C; the facade damage was about 90 feet wide.
- Light poles were struck; an “ALHAZMI” ID card was recovered.
Sources: ASCE (Mlakar et al.), January 2003: The Pentagon Building Performance Report (NIST copy) ↗ · U.S. District Court (E.D. Va.): United States v. Moussaoui, prosecution trial exhibits ↗ · Democracy Now!, 11 September 2006: Loose Change filmmakers debate Popular Mechanics ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“The hole in the Pentagon was too small for a 757.”
The often-pictured hole is the exit hole in the Ring C wall. The facade damage was roughly 90 feet wide, and the outer wings did not enter the building.
Who says it: Loose Change and others.
Evidence for the claim
- Photos of the inner hole.
Evidence against / limits
- The engineers’ survey of the facade.
Sources: ASCE (Mlakar et al.), January 2003: The Pentagon Building Performance Report (NIST copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“CNN’s reporter said no plane crashed at the Pentagon.”
Jamie McIntyre said there was no evidence of a plane crash “anywhere near” the Pentagon: the only crash site was the building itself. The clip cuts the sentence.
Who says it: Loose Change.
Evidence against / limits
- The rest of his sentence.
Sources: Democracy Now!, 11 September 2006: Loose Change filmmakers debate Popular Mechanics ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“Flight 93 was shot down.”
The military learned of the hijacking after the crash; the shootdown authority reached NORAD at 10:31; the recorders show a deliberate dive ending at 10:03:11.
Who says it: Online theorists.
Evidence for the claim
- A shootdown order existed.
- Cheney at first thought it had been shot down.
Evidence against / limits
- NEADS heard of Flight 93 at 10:07, after it crashed.
- Flight data recorder.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · ABC News, November 2022: Dramatic details released on Bush and Cheney dealing with 9/11 attacks ↗ · National Park Service: Flight 93 flight data recorder ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“There was no plane wreckage at Shanksville.”
The plane buried itself in soft ground at more than 560 mph; both recorders, engine parts, a fuselage section, passports and remains were recovered.
Who says it: Skeptics.
Evidence for the claim
- The crater was small and the debris scattered.
Evidence against / limits
- Recovered recorders and wreckage.
Sources: National Park Service: Flight 93 frequently asked questions ↗ · FBI video: investigation of Flight 93 ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“NORAD was ordered to stand down.”
No order has surfaced. The tapes show officers scrambling for information the FAA gave them late, wrong or not at all.
Who says it: Loose Change and others.
Evidence for the claim
- Interceptions were routine before 9/11.
Evidence against / limits
- The NEADS tapes.
- Only four fighters were on alert for the region.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗ · Vanity Fair, August 2006: “9/11 Live: The NORAD Tapes,” by Michael Bronner ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“War games that morning were used to keep the fighters away.”
Vigilant Guardian was real and briefly caused confusion, but the Commission found it took about 30 seconds to switch over and that extra staff on duty helped.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence for the claim
- “Is this real-world or exercise?” on the tapes.
Evidence against / limits
- The NEADS answer was immediate.
- The Commission examined exactly this.
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report: endnotes ↗ · Vanity Fair, August 2006: “9/11 Live: The NORAD Tapes,” by Michael Bronner ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The morning of 11 September
“Bush’s calm in the classroom shows he knew in advance.”
The record shows only that he stayed for several minutes; nothing in it suggests foreknowledge.
Who says it: Online theorists.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams, so fire couldn’t have brought the towers down.”
Nobody official said the steel melted. NIST says it weakened: at 1,000°C bare steel keeps about a tenth of its strength.
Who says it: A long-running meme.
Evidence for the claim
- Steel melts near 1,500°C.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST: “In no instance did NIST report that steel... melted.”
Sources: NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC towers investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Silverstein admitted demolishing WTC 7 when he said “pull it.””
His office said he meant withdrawing firefighters. A 47-story demolition takes weeks to prepare, and NIST found no blast.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
- His spokesman’s 2005 statement.
Sources: Skeptic magazine: 9/11 conspiracy theories, the truth movement in perspective ↗ · NIST: Questions and answers about the NIST WTC 7 investigation ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“The BBC clip shows the media were reading a script.”
Firefighters expected the collapse, the expectation spread through the media, and an incorrect Reuters report was repeated.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
- Reuters corrected its report; no evidence of foreknowledge.
Sources: PolitiFact, December 2021: BBC reporting error is not proof the network was part of an inside job ↗ · BBC Trust, June 2012: editorial standards findings ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE The towers, WTC 7 & demolition
“Diesel fuel stored in WTC 7 brought it down.”
NIST considered and rejected diesel fuel as a cause.
Who says it: Early theories.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1A: Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 (2008) ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Warnings & intelligence failures
“Bush was told exactly what would happen and ignored it.”
The brief was general. The Commission found the domestic agencies “never mobilized,” which is a failure, not proof of foreknowledge.
Who says it: Some critics.
Evidence against / limits
- No date, place or method.
Sources: National Security Archive: “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US,” President’s Daily Brief, 6 August 2001 ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 8: “The System Was Blinking Red” ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“Bin Laden’s relatives flew out of the U.S. while all planes were grounded.”
The Commission found no Saudi flights left before airspace reopened on 13 September; the bin Laden flight left on 20 September.
Who says it: Books and films after 2001.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10: Wartime ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“A flight out of Tampa flew while the skies were closed.”
It left at 4:37 p.m. on 13 September, after national airspace reopened.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report: endnotes ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 10: Wartime ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan & Israel
“4,000 Jews stayed home from the World Trade Center.”
The number came from Israelis believed near the sites. Hundreds of Jewish people died.
Who says it: Al Thawra, then online.
Evidence against / limits
- State Department review; casualty counts.
Sources: U.S. State Department, January 2005: The 4,000 Jews rumor (Internet Archive copy) ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee found no credible information Iraq was involved; Bush said there was no evidence.
Who says it: Polls in 2003 found many believed it.
Evidence for the claim
- Saddam’s hostility to the U.S.
Evidence against / limits
- Senate report; Bush’s 2003 statement.
Sources: Senate Intelligence Committee, September 2006: postwar findings about Iraq’s WMD programs and links to terrorism ↗ · White House archive, 17 September 2003: remarks by the President ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Atta met an Iraqi spy in Prague.”
The Senate committee found postwar evidence confirmed “no such meeting occurred.”
Who says it: Some U.S. officials in 2001–02.
Evidence against / limits
- Senate committee; 9/11 Commission doubts.
Sources: Senate Intelligence Committee, September 2006: postwar findings about Iraq’s WMD programs and links to terrorism ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 7: The Attack Looms ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Wars, surveillance & the aftermath
“Al Qaeda or Iraq sent the anthrax letters.”
No evidence ties the letters to al Qaeda or Iraq. The FBI concluded an Army scientist acted alone, and the science was consistent with a flask at his lab.
Who says it: Early speculation.
Evidence against / limits
- FBI investigation; the National Academies’ review.
Sources: FBI: Amerithrax or anthrax investigation ↗ · National Academies, 2011: summary of the review of the FBI’s anthrax science (NCBI Bookshelf) ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Inside job, money & viral theories
“9/11 was an inside job.”
Every core piece of the theory has a documented answer. The real failures, the misleading accounts and the withheld evidence do not show the government planned it.
Who says it: Truth movement; 20% of Americans in 2023.
Evidence for the claim
- Real warnings ignored; misleading accounts.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST, the Pentagon evidence, NORAD tapes.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1: Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers (2005) ↗ · ASCE (Mlakar et al.), January 2003: The Pentagon Building Performance Report (NIST copy) ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Inside job, money & viral theories
“Insiders made fortunes betting against the airlines before 9/11.”
The trades were real but traced: one U.S. investor bought 95% of the United puts as part of a wider strategy, and the SEC found no foreknowledge.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: 9/11 Commission Report: endnotes ↗ · SEC, 22 July 2004: statement on the investigation of trading before the attacks ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Inside job, money & viral theories
“The Pentagon’s missing $2.3 trillion was why it was hit.”
The figure was accounting entries without audit trails, reported long before the attack, not missing cash.
Who says it: Theorists.
Evidence for the claim
- Rumsfeld’s 10 September 2001 speech on Pentagon waste.
Evidence against / limits
Sources: PolitiFact, 29 June 2023: the Rumsfeld 10 September speech ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Inside job, money & viral theories
“A directed-energy weapon destroyed the towers.”
NIST found the evidence does not support it, and the courts threw out the lawsuit built on it.
Who says it: Judy Wood.
Evidence for the claim
- Her photos and dust analysis.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST’s response; Second Circuit.
Sources: NIST, 27 July 2007: letter denying Judy Wood’s request for correction (copy posted on Wood’s website) ↗ · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 16 July 2009: Wood ex rel. United States v. Applied Research Associates, 328 F. App’x 744 (OpenJurist) ↗
Read the full file ↗
FALSE Inside job, money & viral theories
“No planes hit the towers; the videos were faked.”
Thousands of photos and videos from at least 185 photographers, passenger calls and identified hijackers contradict it.
Who says it: A small group of theorists.
Evidence for the claim
- None that survives the evidence.
Evidence against / limits
- NIST image record; the calls.
Sources: NIST NCSTAR 1: Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers (2005) ↗ · 9/11 Commission Report, chapter 1: “We Have Some Planes” ↗
Read the full file ↗
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