[Public Opinion Brief No. 36] Distrust of the U.S. Fuels 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

Perceptions of Responsibility for the 9/11 Attacks Vary Sharply Worldwide

- Distrust of the U.S. is a Key Factor in Conspiracy Theories

“Global Perceptions of the Perpetrators of the 9/11 Attacks Show a Wide Gap”



Only 46% of the 16,062 respondents across 17 countries identified Al-Qaeda or other Islamic extremist groups as responsible for the 9/11 attacks. 25% responded that they did not know who was responsible, and a minority of 15% indicated that the U.S. government was the actual perpetrator. 7% pointed to Israel as responsible. These findings come from an international survey conducted by World Public Opinion (WPO) to mark the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In South Korea, the East Asia Institute (EAI) and the Kyunghyang Shinmun were responsible for conducting the survey. Despite Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda admitting their responsibility for the 9/11 attacks, leading to the war in Afghanistan, there remain significant doubts about whether Al-Qaeda was indeed behind the attacks. These doubts largely stem from distrust towards the United States.

“The More Distrustful of the U.S., the Stronger the Conspiracy View of the 9/11 Attacks”

Looking at the results by country, nations relatively friendly towards the U.S. show a higher proportion of respondents attributing the 9/11 attacks to Islamic extremist groups like Al-Qaeda. Conversely, citizens in countries with hostile or distant relations with the U.S. are more vocal in identifying the U.S. government or other entities as the actual perpetrators. This indicates that perceptions of 9/11 are influenced by attitudes towards the United States.



In African countries, which generally hold favorable views of the U.S. due to its economic aid and energy diplomacy, conspiracy theories regarding the 9/11 attacks are rare. 77% of Kenyans and 71% of Nigerians identified Islamic extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda as responsible for 9/11. Western European countries (e.g., Germany 64%, France 63%, UK 57%) and traditional Asian allies like Taiwan (53%) and South Korea (51%) showed a relatively higher proportion of respondents viewing 9/11 as the act of Al-Qaeda and Islamic extremists.



In contrast, Middle Eastern countries, where anti-American sentiment is prevalent, show considerable consensus on conspiracy theories, attributing the attacks to the U.S. or Israeli governments. In these countries, the prevalence of conspiracy theories is similar to, or significantly exceeds, the general view attributing the attacks to Al-Qaeda. In Egypt, the theory of Israeli involvement reached 43%, and the U.S. government involvement theory reached 12%, both significantly higher than the 16% who identified Al-Qaeda. In Jordan, 31% supported the theory of Israeli involvement and 17% supported the U.S. government involvement theory, surpassing the 11% who agreed with the Al-Qaeda theory. Turkey and Palestine also showed relatively high levels of conspiracy thinking. In countries with less amicable relations with the U.S., such as Indonesia and China, support for conspiracy theories was not high. However, the proportion attributing responsibility to Al-Qaeda and Islamic extremists was only 23% in Indonesia and 32% in China, with 57% and 56% respectively responding "don't know," indicating a divergence from the international consensus.



On an individual level, the pattern is similar. Those who hold positive views of U.S. international leadership were more likely to state that 9/11 was the act of Al-Qaeda, at 59%, significantly exceeding the overall average of 46%. Conversely, among those with negative views of U.S. leadership, this proportion dropped to 40%. This suggests that distrust of the U.S. is a significant factor amplifying 9/11 conspiracy theories.

As the U.S. presidential election race intensifies, attention is focusing on the candidates' proposed solutions for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Within the U.S., the debate primarily centers on the timing and scale of troop withdrawals from these regions. However, the results of this survey suggest that global perspectives on the U.S. presidential election will focus on more fundamental issues. That is, the key point of observation for the U.S. presidential election will likely be who can present a plan to address the global distrust of the U.S. and the resulting conspiracy theories, rather than the specific policies and timelines for troop deployment proposed by each candidate. The outcome of the U.S. presidential election is drawing significant attention.

In South Korea, 51% of respondents identified Al-Qaeda as responsible, a relatively higher proportion compared to other countries, indicating a perception that Al-Qaeda bears substantial responsibility. However, 22% responded "don't know," and 17% identified the U.S. government as responsible, with 10% choosing "other." This means nearly half of the population either reserves judgment or subscribes to conspiracy theories. It is noteworthy that in South Korea, as in other countries, perceptions of 9/11 are influenced by attitudes towards the U.S., rather than objective information. Furthermore, the significant variation in perceptions based on differing stances is likely to pose a considerable challenge for government policy implementation. Among those who advocate for a more independent approach to ROK-U.S. relations, only 36% attributed responsibility to Al-Qaeda. In contrast, among those who believe the ROK-U.S. alliance should be strengthened, a substantial 60% identified Al-Qaeda as the perpetrator of 9/11. Conversely, 31% of those emphasizing an independent stance agreed with the theory of U.S. involvement, while only 11% of those advocating for a stronger alliance held this view.



It is concerning that if the facts themselves are interpreted differently based on ideology and political stance, the possibility for rational discussion and compromise will inevitably shrink, even with the influx of new information and knowledge. It is important to recognize that if the issue of withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan becomes prominent in the current climate, South Korean society may face significant ideological conflict.