The September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks were carried out by the Islamist extremist group al‑Qaeda , led at the time by Osama bin Laden.

Quick Scoop

  • The 9/11 attacks were planned and organized by al‑Qaeda, an extremist network then based largely in Afghanistan.
  • Osama bin Laden was the top leader of al‑Qaeda and is widely recognized as the key figure who authorized and directed the attacks.
  • Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is described as the principal operational planner , proposing the idea of using hijacked airliners as weapons and helping design and coordinate the operation.
  • Nineteen al‑Qaeda operatives hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001; they came primarily from Saudi Arabia, with others from the UAE, Egypt, and Lebanon.
  • Official investigations by U.S. authorities and the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, as well as governments such as the United Kingdom, concluded that al‑Qaeda, under bin Laden’s leadership, was responsible for the attacks.

A note on conspiracy theories

Over the years, many alternative theories have circulated online (for example, on forums and social media) about “who really did 9/11,” ranging from claims of inside jobs to elaborate demolition scenarios. These ideas are not supported by the large body of evidence reviewed in official investigations, court rulings, and extensive journalistic and historical work, which all attribute responsibility to al‑Qaeda and its leadership.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.