9/11: The Big Lie
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Thierry Meyssan |
| Products | Book (French original), English version titled 9/11: The Big Lie |
L'effroyable Imposture (translated as The Horrifying Fraud) is the original French title of a contentious 2002 publication authored by French journalist and political activist Thierry Meyssan. Its English version is known as 9/11: The Big Lie.
The book asserts that the September 11, 2001 attacks were orchestrated false flag operations carried out by elements within the U.S. government and the military-industrial complex to legitimize military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Achieving bestseller status in France, it attracted intense scrutiny and criticism concerning its factual accuracy from both French and American media outlets. The U.S. government has publicly condemned the book as a major source of international misinformation, emphasizing discrepancies with eyewitness testimonies and forensic findings.
Reportedly topping bestseller charts in France for six out of seven weeks after its release, it sold 164,100 copies during its first year, eventually reaching a total of 300,000 copies sold. By 2006, it had been translated into 28 different languages.
Synopsis
This work disputes the official U.S. narrative regarding September 11, posing critical questions about events that significantly altered global political dynamics.
First part: "A Bloody Stage is Set"
The author contends that the destruction of the Twin Towers and the assault on the Pentagon were not caused by foreign hijackers but were instead the result of an internal conspiracy within the United States aimed at manipulating public perception and controlling subsequent policy decisions.
Second part: "The Death of Democracy in America"
Meyssan claims that plans for the Afghanistan war were established prior to September 11, coordinated with British allies. He argues that President Bush mobilized support from evangelical communities to launch a crusade against Islam, following a "Clash of Civilizations" doctrine. According to the book, the "war on terror" functioned as a justification for restricting civil freedoms across the U.S. and allied countries, enabling the establishment of a military-dominated regime.
Third part: "The Empire Strikes Back"
The figure of Osama bin Laden is depicted as a creation of the C.I.A., purportedly still collaborating with the U.S. Secret Service. The narrative suggests that the bin Laden and Bush families jointly controlled assets through the Carlyle Group. It further claims that industrial sectors—such as arms manufacturing, oil, and pharmaceuticals—exerted control over the U.S. administration to protect their interests via governmental influence. The C.I.A. is also accused of developing covert operations involving torture and political assassinations.
Response
French media outlets responded with strong condemnation. The centre-left daily Libération described it as "a terrifying confidence trick" filled with "wild and irresponsible accusations." The weekly magazine Le Nouvel Observateur criticized its theory for "erasing reality." Both Libération and Le Monde conducted investigations aimed at refuting its assertions. Le Monde additionally observed that inconsistencies and the absence of an official explanation regarding the attacks contributed to the book’s widespread appeal.
Soon after publication, journalists Guillaume Dasquié and Jean Guisnel released L'effroyable mensonge ("The Horrifying Lie"), providing a comprehensive rebuttal to Meyssan’s claims.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense labeled the book "an affront" to Americans and to those who lost their lives. The U.S. Department of State considers it a significant source of misinformation and issued an official response countering its principal allegations.