9/11 Conspiracy Theories

The terrorist attacks already look set to outstrip the JFK assassination and the death of Princess Diana as the world's greatest provoker of conspiracy theories.

Already dozens of different plots have been exposed on the internet. On the 30,000 or so websites that specialise in conspiracies, the events of 11 September are referred to as "911": the US shorthand for that date, and also the country's emergency telephone number.

In some Middle-Eastern and Muslim circles the idea of a Zionist conspiracy is favoured. This says that Mossad and the Israeli government masterminded the scheme to damage Arab interests internationally. This theory has even emerged on The Independent's own debate website. "What happened last week was not a random act of violence. The reason why no one amongst the Muslim world is claiming responsibility is because they haven't done it. Arabs may have been used as pawns," says one contributor.

Another version has it that the Israeli government secretly told 4,000 Israelis who work in Manhattan to stay away on the day of the attacks. However, this is rather spoiled by the fact that large numbers of Israelis died in the tragedy at the World Trade Centre.

Among American conspiracy theorists, fingers are pointed at the Bush administration. One cites the Tarot cards. "The six-pointed star (Jewry's capital after Jerusalem, New York City) and the five pointed star (Masonry's military capital, Arlington's five-sided Pentagon) were show to be symbolically and literally weak on Sept 11."

Robin Ramsay, British author of a book on conspiracy theories, says: "E-mails that are circulating at the moment refer to the WTC attack in terms of the Reichstag fire. According to this theory the CIA orchestrated the terrorism so that the Bush administration can withdraw civil liberties and impose a fascist government. This idea has taken particular hold with those who believe that Waco and the Oklahoma bombing were organised by the US government."