The CIA and September 11

The CIA and September 11

Company type	Non-fiction book
Industry	Publishing
Founded	2003 (2003)
Founder	Andreas von Bülow
Products	Book
Parent	Piper Verlag

The CIA and September 11 () is a non-fiction work published in 2003 by Andreas von Bülow, who served as state secretary in the German Federal Ministry of Defence and was a Social Democratic representative in the Bundestag from 1969 until 1994. The book disputes the widely accepted attribution of the September 11 attacks to al-Qaeda, proposing instead that the events might have been a false flag operation carried out by the U.S. federal government in conjunction with Israel. Released by Piper Verlag, it achieved commercial success in Germany, selling over 100,000 copies. Nonetheless, it attracted criticism for fostering anti-American sentiments and accusations of antisemitism, while its sources and publication timing generated controversy within the German publishing sector. Von Bülow has refuted claims of antisemitism and defended his work.

Synopsis

The narrative presents the September 11 attacks as a secretive maneuver designed to influence American public opinion to support military actions in Afghanistan and the Iraq conflict. Employing cautious language such as "could" and "might," the text refrains from explicitly blaming the Central Intelligence Agency but seeks to challenge the official account. Though it does not offer a conclusive alternative explanation, it insinuates involvement by intelligence services without providing detailed evidence. The book asserts that no aircraft struck The Pentagon or crashed in Pennsylvania, and that purported mobile phone communications from United Airlines Flight 93 were fabricated.

It claims that the notion of Arab hijackers being responsible was fabricated by the CIA, noting reports that some alleged hijackers were found alive after the incident. The author examines theories including remote-controlled planes and suggests that explosives may have contributed to the collapse of the World Trade Center. Von Bülow dismisses accusations implicating Osama bin Laden or al-Qaeda.

Publication

At the 2003 Frankfurt Book Fair, this book drew considerable attention alongside other German publications presenting alternative perspectives on 9/11, following the popularity of Thierry Meyssan’s 9/11: The Big Lie in France. Other notable bestsellers included Mathias Bröckers' Conspiracies, Conspiracy Theories and the Secrets of September 11th and Gerhard Wisnewski's Operation 9/11, but von Bülow’s work emerged as the most prominent.

Comprising 271 pages, it surpassed sales of 100,000 copies within Germany, and reached third place on the Der Spiegel non-fiction bestseller list.

The book was published by Piper Verlag, a respected publishing house, with editor Klaus Stadler commenting in an interview with Deutsche Welle:

Observers within the industry remarked that heightened competition among German publishers encouraged quicker acceptance of more contentious works.

Its release coincided with prevalent skepticism toward the George W. Bush administration in Germany; a July 2003 survey by Die Zeit indicated that 19% of Germans—and 31% among those under thirty—believed factions within the U.S. government were responsible for 9/11. This environment contributed to robust sales for The CIA and September 11, surpassing authors who supported mainstream explanations such as intelligence analyst Oliver Schrom.

Response

The work has been characterized as promoting anti-Americanism, a charge von Bülow refuted in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, where he clarified that his opposition was directed specifically at Bush's power-driven politics and expressed sympathy for those affected by them.

Criticism was leveled at the book regarding its journalistic standards and investigative rigor. The author admitted that a significant portion of the content was sourced from the Internet and challenged the American government to disprove his assertions, effectively shifting the burden of proof onto them. This stance provoked frustration among journalists who rely on traditional verification methods; for instance, Oliver Schröm, who attributed the 9/11 tragedy to intelligence lapses rather than CIA involvement, condemned the presentation of fiction as fact.

The CIA and September 11 was highlighted in a 2003 Der Spiegel cover feature, accompanied by documentaries and related publications. The piece, titled "Panoply of the Absurd," criticized von Bülow for depending on archived but erroneous internet sources generated during the chaotic aftermath of the attacks.

A notable case is the "zombie hijackers" allegation—that six alleged hijackers were found to be alive post-9/11. Der Spiegel clarified this stemmed from mistaken identity: early reports mistakenly identified individuals sharing names with hijackers who had no connection to the attacks. For example, Said al-Ghamdi publicly refuted CNN’s misidentification of him as a Saudi with US flight training. This confusion was rectified following the FBI's release of official hijacker photographs.

The Spiegel article accused von Bülow of embracing any fragment or urban legend that aligned with his suspicions, branding him a "dreamer." Conversely, Stefan Theil pointed out that Der Spiegel itself has published speculative theories and suggested that the severe criticism might conceal ulterior motives. He observed that Germans who entertained theories implicating George W. Bush in orchestrating 9/11 refrained from public protest, implying these works were regarded as "political entertainment." Amid mounting American difficulties in Iraq and Europe's potential involvement, both politicians and journalists felt compelled to move beyond the escapism offered by such conspiracy narratives.

Allegations of antisemitism

Der Spiegel examined assertions made in the book, including the claim that only one Israeli citizen died during the WTC attack—a statement contradicted by the Israeli Consulate, which confirmed seven Israeli fatalities. The book also hinted at possible links between Israeli Mossad and those responsible for 9/11. When questioned about the claim that 4,000 Jewish employees were absent from work at the WTC on 9/11, von Bülow provided ambiguous responses described by the magazine as "convoluted," ultimately dismissing these allegations as mostly "whispers in the dark" fueled by internet conspiracy theories.

These narratives—particularly concerning Jewish absenteeism at the WTC and Mossad’s involvement—prompted accusations that the book fosters "new anti-Semitism." The American Jewish Committee criticized it for reinforcing stereotypes portraying Jews as conspiratorial criminals. Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League noted that von Bülow’s work has been cited by antisemitic groups linking Mossad to 9/11.

In a televised discussion on ARD, Andreas von Bülow denied any antisemitic intent and rejected claims suggesting Jews received advance warning about the attacks, labeling such ideas as nonsense. Nevertheless, he maintained his belief that there are signs pointing toward some form of connection between Mossad and the events of 9/11.

Editions

• Die CIA und der 11. September. Internationaler Terror und die Rolle der Geheimdienste. Published by Piper Verlag GmbH, München in 2003 and 2004,

See also

• Bin Laden Issue Station – CIA's surveillance division active from 1996 to 2005
• Hijackers in the September 11 attacks
• 9/11 Truth movement
• 9/11 conspiracy theories