Strange 9/11 Conspiracy Theories That Refuse to Die Down

Many claim that the real truth about 9/11 remains unknown.

An American flag near the base of the destroyed World Trade Center in New York. 

(Photo: Reuters)

Insider Trading: Traders Knew About the Attacks

Many claim that the real truth about 9/11 remains known.

The attack on World Trade Center’s twin towers. (Photo: Giphy)

Apparently, a large number of ‘put’ options (an option to sell assets at an agreed price on or before a particular date) were placed on United Airlines and American Airlines stocks — the airlines that were hijacked during the 9/11 attacks. There were so called “short selling” transactions in several cities all over the world involving shares that dropped dramatically after the attacks. Many speculated that traders were tipped off about the attacks earlier and they profited from the tragedy. The trading was however, later tracked to other causes.

9/11 an Inside Job by the US Government

This series of photographs shows the hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 as it hits the World Trade Center’s twin towers. (Photo: Reuters)

UK daily The Telegraph claims that roughly one-third of Americans believe that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job. Conspiracy theorists claim that the US government, under the Bush administration, manipulated a war with Iraq and attacked Afghanistan after 9/11 gave them a strong motive to wage wars they had wanted for some time.

Conspiracy theorists suggest that it was done allegedly to destabilise the world’s geopolitical dynamics and provide the Bush administration with an excuse to invade Iraq.

Tower 7 Was a Govt Controlled Demolition

An aerial view of the site of the World Trade Center disaster. (Photo: Reuters)

In addition to the Twin Towers, the World Trade Center Seven collapsed at 5:20 p.m. EST – hours after towers one and two. It was suggested that the demolition of Tower Seven was brought down by explosives placed inside the building by the US government.

ISI Planned the Attacks

The remaining tower of New York’s World Trade Center dissolves in a cloud of dust and debris. (Photo: Reuters)

There are allegations that officials of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) may have played an important role in financing the attacks. There are also claims that other foreign intelligence agencies, such as the Israeli Mossad, had prior knowledge of the attacks, and that Saudi Arabia may have played a role in financing them.

Air Defence Stand Down Theory

An American flag near the base of the destroyed World Trade Center in New York. (Photo: Reuters)

Another claim put forward by conspiracy theorists is that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) issued a stand down order to fighters to allow the hijacked airplanes to reach their targets without interference. According to this theory, NORAD had the capability of locating and intercepting planes on 9/11, and its failure to do so indicates a government conspiracy to allow the attacks to occur.

(This article was originally published on 11 September 2015. It is being republished from The Quint’s archives to mark the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.)