September 11, 2001 was a day Americans will remember forever. What started out as a beautiful, blue sky morning in New York City, quickly turned into skies filled with smoke and debris.
For 24 years, Americans have come together to remember those we have lost and give thanks to the brave men and women who put others before themselves that day.
While the events of 9/11 are retold each year, conspiracy theorist believe 9/11 hides secrets we haven’t uncovered. When you look at the unanswered questions, it becomes hard to believe we were told everything.
What Happened On September 11, 2001?
The morning of September 11, 2001 started as any other morning. Around the country people started their commute to work, parents began dropping their children off at school and some stopped by their favorite coffee shop before heading to the airport. But then, everything changed.
At 8:46 a.m. EST, American Airlines Flight 11 made its path across the NYC skyline. But something was off. The plane was too low to the city and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
People around the area were in shock and began calling 911, assuming the crash was an accident. Unsure of what was happening, people in NYC and news stations stood in shock watching the North Tower exude smoke. First responders started to make their way to the strucken tower to assess the damage and plan to get people out.
Then, at 9:03 a.m. EST, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. It was at this moment shock turned into terror as people began to realize NYC was under attack. People began going back home, picking their children up from school and planes were starting to be grounded at airports.
People below the impact zone of the North and South Tower started their descent in the stairwells. Above the impact however, 1,000+ people were trapped with temperatures rising quickly. First responders climbed the staircases floor by floor to get as many people as possible.
At 9:37 a.m. EST, the terror became national as American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. This caused an increase of urgency among responders and officials as it signified the United States was under attack.
After 56 minutes of standing strong, the South Tower was the first to fall at 9:58 a.m. EST. Many civillians and first responders still remained inside. The streets of NYC were engulfed in dust and debris. Making it hard to see and breathe. The first responders at the North Tower soon realized they were in danger and were given orders to evacuate.
However, in Pennsylvania, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in an open field at 10:03 a.m. EST after passengers fought back. It is assumed the target for that flight was either the White House or the U.S. Capitol but has never been confirmed.
Back in NYC, survivors still descending down the stairwells in the North Tower moved as fast as they could. Some firefighters were unable to hear the evacuation order due to radio failure. At 10:28 a.m. EST, the North Tower collapses and fills lower Manhattan in ash, smoke and debris.
The days after 9/11 were long. Rescue attempts began immediately even though the collapse site was unstable, still burning and covered in toxic dust. Fires didn’t get fully extinguished until December 2001 and more than 1.8 million tons of debris needed to be cleared from Ground Zero.
2,977 people lost their lives that day, not including the 19 hijackers. Over 6,000 people had immediate injuries and tens of thousands of survivors, first responders and recovery workers later developed illnesses linked to toxic dust exposure.
After 24 years, the NYC Medical Examiner’s Office is still working to identify more than 1,100 unidentified remains that were recovered from the World Trade Center site. NYC has built a memorial to remember those that we lost on 9/11 and in the 1993 bombing. You can check it out here.
How Conspiracy Theories Surfaced
9/11 was a traumatic and catastrophic event. Coping with the shock, grief and psychological disruption, people began to look for answers. The human mind tends to reject randomness during crises and needs an explanation to relax the mind.
Early reports of what happened on 9/11 were contradictory, incomplete or mistaken during fast breaking events. This led to gaps that allowed for speculation to flow through with people trying to come up with anything to get a sense of clarity.
People began to question the confidence in the United States government. For many Americans, the idea of the government hiding or distorting information wasn’t far-fetched. Historical events and scandals, such as Watergate and the Gulf of Tonkin, had weakened civilian trust. It wasn’t thought to be insane to believe some information was being hidden or possibly changed.
The complexity and organization of the attacks seemed to be too “highly coordinated” for some people. They believed that hijackers being able to hijack four planes in under two felt unprecedented and extraordinary. With the logistical complexity, some believed there was a “helping hand” or inside help.
There was collective confusion about the collapsing of the towers. People started to question the structural failure and physics of the collapse. Claiming that the towers looked as if they fell from demolition and not a plane.
The role of the media, internet and early online communities amplified the conspiracy theories. People would post on Reddit and message boards. Others would write and publish blog posts and join Yahoo groups. Anyone was able to publish ideas without verification, making the theories of 9/11 spread.
Early films, such as Loose Change and videos on YouTube that went viral, pushed theories and skepticism more. These videos and films would use dramatic music, choose to highlight selective evidence and include emotional storytelling to make their claims feel believable and factual.
To this day people still indulge in exploring conspiracy theories and creating new ones about the events of 9/11. With social media being much more advanced, people can post and continue to spread false rumors and heighten speculation.
Top Two Conspiracy Theories
Many conspiracy theories have surfaced throughout time on what people believed happened. While it is well known the attacks happened due to a militant Islamist terrorist organization called Al-Qaeda which was led by Osama bin Laden, people still speculate. Let’s dive into the top four conspiracy theories that still have people questioning to this day.
The Controlled Demolition Theory
With people searching for a reason for the events of 9/11, some started to claim that the Twin Towers and World Trade Center building seven were brought down intentionally with pre-planted explosives. Supporters of this theory point out the rapid speed of the vertical collapse of the towers. They argue that only explosives could create a fast, symmetrical fall.
Eyewitness reports of loud bangs and “puffs” of dust coming from the lower floors have been used as evidence to support the theory. Collapse site photographs and videos are used for interpretation to point out the presence of thermitic residue and molten steel. This pushes the narrative to believe the towers were a controlled fall similar to a demolition.
Of course, there have been rebuttals. After investigation, the collapse of the towers was initiated at the point of impact from the aircraft. Due to structural damage and the widespread fire, it weaked the support of the tower, causing it to fall into each floor.
The speed at which the towers fell was strictly due to gravitational acceleration. Once floors and columns lose their support, the weight above them begins to fall to the lower structures. The speed and energy of the falling weight can overwhelm the lower floors. This is what produced the vertical, pancake-like collapse without explosives.
Even with scientific explanations, people are still skeptical. To this day, many conspiracy theorists believe explosives were in the building of the towers and caused the collapse.
The Inside Job Theory
This theory is more on the controversal side. Some theorists believe that the United States helped or orchestrated the attacks on 9/11. The theory suggests that the United States givernment had prior knowledge of the attacks and either allowed them to happen or assisted in them.
There are many motivations for this theory. The first one, is wanting control in the middle east. Theorists believe that the U.S. sought to justify military involvemnet in Afghanistan and Iraq. They claim that 9/11 provided a “rallying point” for public support of long-term middle eastern military presence.
The second motivation used by conspiracy theorists is our government having economic and corporate interests. Theorists have argued that defense contractors, private securty firms and oil companies benefited financially post attacks. While there is no evidence to support this motive, theorists often use insurance, reconstruction contracts and infrastructure funding as possible economic motives.
Another motivation for this theory is justification for war on terror. The rapid passage of the Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) and the USA PATRIOT Act is used as evidence by theorists to prove a pre-existing agenda.
Supporters of this motivation argue that 9/11 enabled a dramatic expani=sion of surveillance powers, intelligence budgets and defnse spending. They claim the attacks allowed for political support for foreign interventionas that may have not been approved by Congress or the public pre-attacks.
Investigations of 9/11 have shown an extensive amount of evidence that debunk this theory and the motivations entirely. Documents show that Al-Qaueda had long pursued a large-scale attack on U.S. soil and evidence of extremist planning. Bin Laden also claimed responsibility shortly after the attacks.
In Conclusion
The events of 9/11 changed our nation forever. After 24 years, the emotional weight of the tragey still shapes how people remember, question and interpret what happened.
The confusion, trauma and unanswered questions in the aftermath gave room for alternative explanations to grow. Complex events, such as 9/11, with incomplete early reporting made it hard for people to fully process and grasp the initial narrative. Allowing for speculation to spread quickly.
Whether you choose to believe in the theories, it is important to rely on fact-checking, credible sources and critical thinking when diving into 9/11. Skepticisim can be healthy as it allows for asking good questions, but misinformation can distort reality and over shadow the truth.
When diving into the theories that surround 9/11, remember that almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day. It is important that in your research you give respect to everyone affected by the tragic day.
If this story left you thinking, share it with someone who would want to uncover the mystery too. Explore our latest story: https://uatwitch.com/denver-airport-conspiracies-explained/. Make sure to follow us on social media @uatwitch so you don’t miss out on new conspiracy discoveries.
