9/11 opinion polls

may have deliberately covered-up and falsified events, in order to hide negligence or even complicity.

A number of 9/11 opinion polls have been carried out to try and establish roughly how many people do or do not believe the mainstream media account.

The size, form and quality of polls naturally varies considerably, as does the range and specificity of questions asked. They range from large, formal polls such as those conducted by Zogby, to smaller, informal polls of limited scope, and unscientific internet polls. This article presents some of the polls which have been reported in the mainstream news media. The questions here relate specifically to doubts about the mainstream account, and in all cases were part of a group of questions dealing with wider issues, usually of a political nature.

World opinion polls

A poll taken by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a collaborative project of research centers in various countries managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, College Park, polled 16,063 people in 17 nations outside of the United States during the summer of 2008. They found that majorities in only 9 of the 17 countries believe Al Qaeda carried out the attacks.

46 percent of those surveyed said al Qaeda was responsible, 15 percent said the U.S. government, 7 percent said Israel and 7 percent said some other perpetrator. One in four people said they did not know who was behind the attacks. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1035876620080910?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true No consensus on who was behind Sept 11: global poll Reuters September 10, 2008] ]

The summary of the poll noted that "Though people with greater education generally have greater exposure to news, those with greater education are only slightly more likely to attribute 9/11 to al Qaeda." Steven Kull, director of WorldOpinionPoll.org, commented "It does not appear that these beliefs can simply be attributed to a lack of exposure to information." [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ] Of those who said the United States was the perpetrator, Kull says many believe it was an attempt to justify an impending U.S. invasion of Iraq. [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-10-voa59.cfm Global Poll Shows Doubt About al-Qaida Role in 9/11 Attacks] ]

National opinion polls

United States

Zogby polls

The polls that have received the most widespread media attention are those conducted by Zogby International. The Zogby polls have been sponsored by organisations within the 9/11 Truth Movement including [http://www.911truth.org. 911truth.org] .

The first one was conducted in August 2004, on the eve of a Republican National Convention, on 808 randomly-selected residents of New York State. It found that 49 percent of New York City residents and 41 percent of New York state citizens believe individuals within the US government "knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to act". [cite web|url=http://www.zogby.com/search/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855 |title=Half of New Yorkers Believe US Leaders Had Foreknowledge of Impending 9-11 Attacks and “Consciously Failed” To Act; 66% Call For New Probe of Unanswered Questions by Congress or New York’s Attorney General, New Zogby International Poll Reveals |year=2004|publisher=Zogby] The margin of error for this poll was 3.5 percent.

The second major Zogby poll on 9/11 was conducted in May 2006. It was a telephone interview of 1,200 randomly-selected adults from across the United States, consisting of 81 questions, with a 2.9 percent margin of error. [cite web |title=A word about our poll of American thinking toward the 9/11 terrorist attacks| url=http://www.zogby.com/features/features.dbm?ID=231 |date=2006-05-24 |Publisher=Zogby] Some of the questions asked include the following:

:"Some people believe that the US government and its 9/11 Commission concealed or refused to investigate critical evidence that contradicts their official explanation of the September 11th attacks, saying there has been a cover-up. Others say that the 9/11 Commission was a bi-partisan group of honest and well-respected people and that there is no reason they would want to cover-up anything. Who are you more likely to agree with?"

*Responses: 48% No Cover-up / 42% Cover-up / 10% Not sure

:"World Trade Center Building 7 is the 47-story skyscraper that was not hit by any planes during the September 11th attacks, but still totally collapsed later the same day. This collapse was not investigated by the 9/11 Commission. Are you aware of this skyscraper's collapse, and if so do you believe that the Commission should have also investigated it? Or do you believe that the Commission was right to only investigate the collapse of the buildings which were directly hit by airplanes?"

*Responses: 43% Not Aware / 38% Aware - should have investigated it / 14% Aware - right not to investigate it / 5% Not Sure

:"Some people say that so many unanswered questions about 9/11 remain that Congress or an International Tribunal should re-investigate the attacks, including whether any US government officials consciously allowed or helped facilitate their success. Other people say the 9/11 attacks were thoroughly investigated and that any speculation about US government involvement is nonsense. Who are you more likely to agree with?"

*Responses: 47% Attacks were thoroughly investigated / 45% Reinvestigate the attacks / 8% Not Sure

The third major Zogby poll regarding 9/11 was conducted in August 2007. It was a telephone interview with a target of 1,000 interviews with randomly-selected adults from across the United States, consisting of 71 questions, with a 3.1 percent margin of error. [ [http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1354 Zogby International ] ]

The results of the 2007 August poll indicate that 51% of Americans want Congress to probe Bush/Cheney regarding the 9/11 attacks and over 30% of those polled seek immediate impeachment. While only 32% seek immediate Bush and/or Cheney impeachment based on their personal knowledge, many citizens appear eager for clear exposure of the facts.

In addition, the poll also found that two-thirds (67%) of Americans say the 9/11 Commission should have investigated the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7. Only 4.8 percent of the respondents agreed that members of the United States government "actively planned or assisted some aspects of the attack."

Newsweek Magazine polls

The "Newsweek Magazine" poll "What America Knows", conducted Princeton Survey Research Associates International, regularly asks American citizens a wide range of questions relating to world events past and present and a number of more trivial questions of general knowledge. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19375611/site/newsweek/ NEWSWEEK Poll Conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International] June 23, 2007] On five occasions the following question has been asked:

:"Do you think Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was directly involved in planning, financing, or carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001?"

*September 2003 responses: 47% Yes, 37% No, 16% not sure.
*January 2004 responses: 49% Yes, 39% No, 12% not sure.
*September 2004 responses: 42% Yes, 44% No, 14% not sure.
*October 2004 responses: 36% Yes, 51% No, 13% not sure.
*June 2007 responses: 41% Yes, 50% No, 9% not sure.

New York Times / CBS News polls

The first 9/11 poll carried out by the "New York Times" and CBS News was conducted in May 2002. The same 9/11 related question was asked again in April 2004 and October 2006. The 2002 and 2006 polls were apparently published for the first time not by CBS or the NYTimes, but by polling researcher AngusReid.com The 2004 NY/Times CBS poll is available at NYTimes.com (Question 77).

The 2004 poll was conducted by telephone with 1024 adults nationwide in the US, with a 3% margin of error. [http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/politics/20040429_poll/20040429_poll_results.pdf}] The 2006 poll was conducted by telephone on 983 randomly-selected citizens of the United States, with a 4% margin of error. [http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13469}] One of the questions was the following:

:"When it comes to what they knew prior to September 11th, 2001, about possible terrorist attacks against the United States, do you think members of the Bush Administration are telling the truth, are mostly telling the truth but hiding something, or are they mostly lying?"

*May 2002 responses: 21% said "telling the truth", 65% said they are "mostly telling the truth but hiding something", 8% said they are "mostly lying", 6% not sure.

*3/30-4/1/04 CBS 24% said "telling the truth", 58% said they are "mostly telling the truth but hiding something", 14% said they are "mostly lying", 4% not sure.
*4/8/04 CBS 21% said "telling the truth", 66% said they are "mostly telling the truth but hiding something", 10% said they are "mostly lying", 4% not sure.
*4/23-27/04 24% said "telling the truth", 56% said they are "mostly telling the truth but hiding something", 16% said they are "mostly lying", 4% not sure.
*Oct 2006 responses: 16% said "telling the truth", 53% said they are "mostly telling the truth but hiding something", 28% said they are "mostly lying", 3% not sure.

New York Times / CBS News have conducted a number of polls on the Iraq War that have included the question:

:"Was Saddam personally involved in 9/11?" [ [http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:3XkEiWt0DaYJ:www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/sep07a-iraq.pdf+CBS+poll+September+9/11+2007&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a 403 Forbidden ] ]

*April 2003 responses: 53% said Yes, 38% said No.
*October 2005 responses: 33% said Yes, 55% said No.
*September 2006 responses: 31% said Yes, 57% said No.
*September 2007 responses: 33% said Yes, 58% said No.

cripps Howard polls

A poll from July 2006, sponsored by Scripps Howard and conducted by Ohio University, surveyed 1,010 randomly-selected citizens of the United States, with a margin of error of 4 percent. [cite web|url=http://www.scrippsnews.com/911poll |title=Third of Americans suspect 9-11 government conspiracy |year=2006 |publisher=Scripps News] It made some statements relating to some of the 9/11 conspiracy theories and asked respondents to say whether they thought that the statements were likely to be true.

:"Federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon or took no action to stop them".:* 59% "not likely":* 20% "somewhat likely":* 16% "very likely" [ [http://www.newspolls.org/question.php?question_id=716 newsPolls.org: Question/VAR 27 ] ]

:"The collapse of the twin towers in New York was aided by explosives secretly planted in the two buildings".:* 77% "unlikely":* 10% "somewhat likely":* 6% "very likely" [ [http://www.newspolls.org/question.php?question_id=718 newsPolls.org: Question/VAR 29 ] ]

:"The Pentagon was struck by a military cruise missile in 2001 rather than by an airliner captured by terrorists".

:* 80% "not likely":* 6% "somewhat likely":* 6% "very likely" [ [http://www.newspolls.org/question.php?question_id=717 newsPolls.org: Question/VAR 28 ] ]

The organization in November 2007 surveying 811 Americans about their beliefs in several conspiracy theories asked this question [ [http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=CONSPIRACYSIDE-11-23-07 Selected results from a Scripps poll about conspiracies Scripps Howard News Service November 23, 2007] ] :"How about that some people in the federal government had specific warnings of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, but chose to ignore those warnings. Is this very likely, somewhat likely or unlikely?":* 32% "Very Likely":* 30% "Somewhat Likely:* 30% "Unlikely":* 8% "Don't Know/Other"

Other United States polls

A poll reported in the "Washington Post" in September 2003 found that nearly 70 percent of respondents believed Saddam Hussein was probably personally involved in the attacks. [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/18/iraq/main584234.shtml Bush: No Saddam Links To 9/11 CBS News] ]

In May 2007 the "New York Post" published results of a Pew Research Center poll of more than 1,000 American Muslims. It found that 40 percent agreed that "Arabs carried out the 9/11 attacks," while 28 percent disagreed. Of the 28 percent that disagreed, a quarter (7 percent) believe that the US government is responsible. [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/05232007/news/nationalnews/time_bombs_in_our_midst_nationalnews_douglas_montero_and_andy_soltis.htm Time Bombs in our Midst New York Post May 23, 2007] ]

Canada

In September 2006 an Ipsos-Reid poll found that 22 percent of Canadians believe "the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, had nothing to do with Osama bin Laden and were actually a plot by influential Americans." [cite web |title = One in 5 Canadians sees 9/11 as U.S. plot: poll|url = http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N11186384.htm |publisher =Reuters|date=2006-09-11]

Mexico

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 33% of respondents in Mexico believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 30% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 18% named another country. 19% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

United Kingdom

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 57% of respondents in the United Kingdom believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 5% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 12% named another country. 26% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Germany

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 64% of respondents in Germany believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 23% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 2% named another country. 9% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

A September 11, 2008 poll in Germany by the Heise media house found that 58% of respondents believe that the U.S. government was behind the attacks. Only 12% believe that Al Qaeda were responsible. [http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/umfrage/ergebnis.shtml]

France

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 63% of respondents in France believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 8% said the U.S. government were responsible and 7% named another country. 23% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Italy

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 56% of respondents in Italy believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 15% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 7% named another country. 21% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Turkey

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 39% of respondents in Turkey believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 36% said the U.S. government were responsible, 3% said Israel and 1% named another country. 21% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Russia

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 57% of respondents in Russia believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 15% said the U.S. government were responsible, 2% said Israel and 6% named another country. 19% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

A poll placed on the website of Russia Today on September 11, 2008 found that 88% of respondents felt that the 9/11 Commission deliberately hid the truth from their report. Only 12% felt that they "did a great job collecting evidence". [http://www.russiatoday.com/poll/results/377]

Ukraine

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 42% of respondents in the Ukraine believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 15% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 5% named another country. 39% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Finland

A September 11, 2008 poll in Finland found that 37% of respondents believe that the U.S. government was behind the attacks, with 44% believing that Al Qaeda were responsible. 5% said they thought Israel was responsible, while 13% said they didn't know. [http://www.uusisuomi.fi/kysely/kenen-uskot-olleen-syyskuun-11-paivan-wtc-iskujen-taustalla]

China

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 32% of respondents in China believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 9% said the U.S. government were responsible and 3% named another country. 56% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Taiwan

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 53% of respondents in Taiwan believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 4% said the U.S. government were responsible and 10% named another country. 34% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

outh Korea

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 51% of respondents in South Korea believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 17% said the U.S. government were responsible, 1% said Israel and 9% named another country. 22% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Indonesia

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 23% of respondents in Indonesia believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 14% said the U.S. government were responsible, 5% said Israel and 1% named another country. 57% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

India

A poll conducted by CNN-IBN in August 2007 found that only 2 out of 5 of those polled in India believe that al-Qaeda is responsible for the 9/11 attacks. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/hot_links/386.php?nid=&id=&pnt=386 World Public Opinion ] ]

Pakistan

A poll conducted by CNN-IBN in August 2007 found that only 1 in 20 of those polled in Pakistan believe that al-Qaeda is responsible for the 9/11 attacks. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/hot_links/386.php?nid=&id=&pnt=386 World Public Opinion ] ]

Palestinian Territories

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 42% of respondents in the Palestinian Territories believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 27% said the U.S. government were responsible, 19% said Israel and 9% named another country. 3% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Egypt

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 16% of respondents in Egypt believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 12% said the U.S. government were responsible, 43% said Israel and 11% named another country. 18% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Jordan

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 11% of respondents in Jordan believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 17% said the U.S. government were responsible, 31% said Israel and 4% named another country. 36% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Kenya

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 77% of respondents in Kenya believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 4% said the U.S. government were responsible, 3% said Israel and 3% named another country. 12% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

Nigeria

The WorldPublicOpinion.org opinion poll conducted during the summer of 2008 found that 71% of respondents in Nigeria believe Al Qaeda were responsible. 7% said the U.S. government were responsible, 2% said Israel and 6% named another country. 14% said they did not know. [ [http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/535.php?nid=&id=&pnt=535&lb= International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11] ]

References

ee also

*September 11, 2001 attacks
*9/11 Truth Movement
*9/11 conspiracies
*Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda
*Zogby International