US Public Divided on 9/11 Perpetrators, New Study Finds

A quarter-century after the September 11th attacks, a significant divergence in views regarding the event's perpetrators is evident within American society, according to research by the Jerusalem Center for Security and International Affairs (JCFA). The study, conducted by Dr. Irwin J. Mansdorf and Charles Jacobs, highlights deep religious, age, and political divides among U.S. citizens.

The findings indicate that official conclusions about Al-Qaeda's central role are increasingly being supplanted by alternative narratives. Among non-Muslim respondents, 62.24% acknowledge Al-Qaeda's responsibility, a figure that drops to 23.56% among American Muslims. Alarmingly, 27.4% of Muslim participants and 18.51% of all respondents blamed Israelis or Zionist movement supporters, while another 18.51% suggested the attacks were a CIA operation.

Researchers noted a "serious disintegration of a unified American reality" driven by a profound socio-religious chasm and a widespread erosion of historical facts. Among young adults aged 18-29, only 40% affirmed Al-Qaeda's guilt, with 28.57% admitting they were unsure about the attackers' identities.

Regarding perceived national security threats, 24.76% of American Muslims and 20% of those under 30 identified Israel as the primary danger. Additionally, 26.2% of Muslim respondents and 15.24% of young people viewed U.S. intelligence agencies and government bodies as a threat. In contrast, older non-Muslim respondents continue to identify radical Islamism and Iran as the main risks.