No consensus on who was behind Sept 11 (global poll)

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, there is no consensus outside the United States that Islamist militants from al Qaeda were responsible, according to an international poll published Wednesday.

The survey of 16,063 people in 17 nations found majorities in only nine countries believe al Qaeda was behind the attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people in 2001.

U.S. officials squarely blame al Qaeda, whose leader Osama bin Laden has boasted of organizing the suicide attacks by his followers using hijacked commercial airliners.

On average, 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.

The poll was conducted 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 in the United States.

In Europe, al Qaeda was cited by 56 percent of Britons and Italians, 63 percent of French and 64 percent of Germans. The U.S. government was to blame, according to 23 percent of Germans and 15 percent of Italians.

Respondents in the Middle East were especially likely to name a perpetrator other than al Qaeda, the poll found.

Israel was behind the attacks, said 43 percent of people in Egypt, 31 percent in Jordan and 19 percent in the Palestinian Territories. The U.S. government was blamed by 36 percent of Turks and 27 percent of Palestinians.

In Mexico, 30 percent cited the U.S. government and 33 percent named al Qaeda.

The only countries with overwhelming majorities blaming al Qaeda were Kenya with 77 percent and Nigeria with 71 percent.

Interviews were conducted in China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Egypt, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, the Palestinian Territories, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and Ukraine.

The poll, taken between July 15 and Aug. 31, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 to 4 percent

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?arti...m&buid=3281

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

[IAMX 3,055]

Not surprising, in 2003, 70% of Americans thought Saddam was behind 9/11:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...poll-iraq_x.htm

In 2006, 85% of Americans thought Saddam had responsibility for 9/11:

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1075

While 85% said the U.S. mission is mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9-11 attacks,” 77% said they also believe the main or a major reason for the war was “to stop Saddam from protecting al Qaeda in Iraq.”

What's the lesson here? People are stupid, and so are polls.

Edited September 10, 2008 by SRVT

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

sad

[Peikko 1,575]

Why is it sad?

I would definitely be in the 'I don't know for sure' camp. While the bravado from Al Quaida seems highly plausible, the attempt to catch him in Iraq was laughable. Why did the US go after Al Quaida in Iraq when they knew they were in Afghanistan? I know that is a simplistic question of a very complicated problem, but still it doesn't exactly aid transparency in what is really known and what is educated guess, hunch or downright not true.

Still, if you are happy with your certainty, that's cool.

[akdiver 3]

I dunno for sure either - but I think it was cooked up by the Bush Administration as an excuse to invade whomever they want and shred the U.S. constitution and the principles of freedom and liberty the country was founded upon.

Their plan as clearly worked.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Both of you are sad. Is that clearer?

[Peikko 1,575]

You're sad because you can't control how other people think? That's funny.

[IAMX 3,055]

You're sad because you can't control how other people think? That's funny.

You're sad because you question President King George II. Anyone who questions a self-proclaimed God crusader is a crazy a$$.

[kaydee457 13]

I think that on the eve of 9/11 that this thread is disrespectful. I hope it's removed.

[akdiver 3]

I think that on the eve of 9/11 that this thread is disrespectful. I hope it's removed.

Wow - thought control. You could work for the Bush Administration.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

So you don't believe 9/11 was a radical Islamic attack?

I don't want this thread removed.

[Peikko 1,575]

So you don't believe 9/11 was a radical Islamic attack?

I don't want this thread removed.

As that isn't the question the poll posed, that's not the question that I answered.

[akdiver 3]

So you don't believe 9/11 was a radical Islamic attack?

I dunno for sure either - but I think it was cooked up by the Bush Administration as an excuse to invade whomever they want and shred the U.S. constitution and the principles of freedom and liberty the country was founded upon.

Their plan as clearly worked.

[Scott & Lai 12]

So you don't believe 9/11 was a radical Islamic attack?

I dunno for sure either - but I think it was cooked up by the Bush Administration as an excuse to invade whomever they want and shred the U.S. constitution and the principles of freedom and liberty the country was founded upon.

Their plan as clearly worked.

"Cooked up by the Bush Administration"? So you believe Bush ordered the mass-murder of 3000 American citizens? If I believed that, I would be calling for, first, Bush's impeachment, and second, his execution.