One in 5 Canadians sees 9/11 as US plot - poll

OTTAWA, Sep 11 (Reuters) One in five Canadians believes the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, had nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden and were actually a plot by influential Americans, according to a poll released today.

The Ipsos-Reid poll found that 22 per cent of Canadians, and 26 per cent of young Canadians, agree with the conspiracy theory. The number was the highest, at 32 per cent, in Quebec, which has shown the least support for the US war on terror.

The poll asked if the events of September 11, ''including the thousands of American citizens who lost their lives on that day, were actually orchestrated by a group of highly influential Americans and others as part of a wider global conspiracy to profit from and gain power and who are actually protecting Osama Bin Laden from being captured.'' ''Conspiracy theories are popular, as we all know,'' said Ipsos pollster Paul Orovan.

Sixty-six per cent said the actions were carried out by Bin Laden's disciples as an attack on the United States and as part of a global war of terror against Western and affluent democracies.

Twelve per cent said neither or refused to answer.

The random telephone survey of 1,000 adult Canadians was conducted for CanWest News Service and Global News from August 29-31. Such a sample is considered accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

REUTERS LL RAI2106