Those are the results from a WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 16,000 people in 17 countries. They were asked the question, “Who do you think was behind the 9/11 attacks?”
46% said Al Qaida, Osama bin Laden, or Islamic extremists – the factually correct answer.
15% said the U.S. government and 7% said Israel – the alleged culprits in most conspiracy theories.
Africans got the highest marks for accuracy (Kenya 77%, Nigeria 71%), easily beating Europeans, who ranged from 42% correct in Ukraine to 64% correct in Germany.
In the Middle East, those in the Palestinian territories were correct most often (42%), with Jordan ranking last at 11%.
In Asia, Taiwan was tops with 53% accuracy; Indonesia lowest at 23%.
Only one-third of Mexicans, the only Latin America country polled, answered the question correctly. Americans were not polled.
Poll director Steven Kull says the high error rate can not “simply be attributed to a lack of exposure to information.” Instead, the researchers found that beliefs tended to correlate strongly with general attitudes about the United States.
Facts are stubborn things, they say. But attitudes can apparently be even more stubborn.
Todd Leventhal is the Department’s expert on conspiracy theories and misinformation—stories that are untrue, but widely believed. He enjoys reading obituaries, which tell the personal stories of people who have shaped the fabric of American life.
Todd became interested in international affairs after a four-month trip to the Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India in 1972. He worked for Voice of America for seven years and bikes to work year-round.
Comments (3)
The Theorist
28 September 2008 at 16:21 EDT
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Haha, that was a good one.
Nice Try, folks.
Listen what ! Here where I live, the kids who are 6-8 Years old, know it’s an occult Hollywood Show. ALL of them.
( Now, what do think do their Parents know about it ? )
There is not one Single Kid here in the Area, who can be fooled by your thousands of silly mistakes and the Unprofessionally of your Patsy Game.
Get over it, Folks you have lost the Information Warfare.
Now, let me help you out, and explain you why, so you have another Chance:
Put shortly, it’s not like during Goebbel’s Reign, that you can simply repeat and repeat the Lies, because the same Technology, that you created to disseminate the Lies, has now served as a Tool to spread the Truth like a Virus, so fast so effective and so efficiently,
that no matter how hard you try, you will allays have 2 Billion Truth-seekers against you.
Now you can not eliminate the Truth, it has spread, Millions and Millions of times and it will be recoverable at any time.
Your COINTELPRO strategies have failed, and your false Teachers have now been exposed.
Now what? Kill everyone ?
That’s not going to help you, get over it !
chickenlegs
29 September 2008 at 08:38 EDT
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I find it interesting that there is such a high
percentage of people believing mis-information,
but not surprised. People in China and else-
where in Asia, have been complaining about
mis-information from the West over the 30
years I have been coming here from
Australia.
Matthew Johnson Rose
8 June 2009 at 22:09 EDT
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FINIALLY the REAL truth IS trickling out from all countries. It is my best guess that ANYONE involved should SEEk a deal for immunity. Those not smart enough to do that now will find out in the comming year that IT IS TOO LATE ! ! ! Deadline to come clean on YOUR OWN, is approaching FAST ! ! !
Sincerely,
Matthew Johnson Rose