1 like 7 dislike
by Titan (23.8k points)
edited by
95% of the world's terrorists attacks are organized by the CIA, said President Putin. He's not wrong.

12 Answers

1 like 0 dislike
by Novice (510 points)
selected by



This claim isn't backed by any statistic, and is just an arbitrary claim made for propaganda purposes. According to https://www.usa.gov/agencies/central-intelligence-agency, the CIA's purpose is "collects, evaluates, and disseminates vital information on economic, military, political, scientific, and other developments abroad to safeguard national security". Any claim like Putin's has no factual evidence, and is merely a conspiracy.
 

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Newbie (470 points)
0 0
While I agree that the claim is likely propaganda, using the CIA’s own website as a primary source to refute this seems a bit circular in its reasoning. A government agency's self-description naturally won't include clandestine or controversial activities.

To make this fact-check more robust, it would be helpful to look for third-party statistics or independent research from international organizations (like the Global Terrorism Database) that categorize the perpetrators of attacks. Relying on non-U.S. academic sources or international investigative journalism would provide a more objective perspective and better counter the 'conspiracy theory' narrative.
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (250 points)
This is extremly innacurate, with no factual evidence. Many beleive this is a way of Russian propaganda and has no factual evidence. According to the site "Country Reports on Terrorism "the United States established a strong and sophistacated counter terriorism enterprise to reduce the threat of large scale terrorist attacks on the homeland" This represents that the United states CIA works hard to prevent terrorism and keep the country safe.
Exaggerated/ Misleading
by Novice (830 points)
0 0
I see a lot of bias in this answer, as well as a lack of cited reputable sources and language that defers to the masses without quotations or statistics from reputable outlets. I would encourage you to come back to this answer with links to cited sources and information upon the contributors to the specific articles and statistics you link in order to construct a more compelling and unbiased argument.
by Novice (540 points)
0 0
I feel like in this answer, you leave out links to certain sources that could boost the trust in your claim of it being exaggerated/misleading. To deepen your answer, you could look more into the source that was saying this and disprove it if it's an unreliable source or fake.
by Newbie (260 points)
0 0
The lack of a link or hard evidence here makes the comment less reputable even while the claim is false. Seeing more evidence here would be a lot better as right now it looks more like a Bias Opinion then one with facts
by Novice (510 points)
0 0
I agree with you that this claim is inaccurate with no evidence, but your answer needs to have a source that backs you.
by Novice (510 points)
0 0
I see that there isnt any evidence and that the claim is inaccurate. Needs a source.
1 like 0 dislike
by Newbie (200 points)

The claim comes from Vladamir Putin, who has a political reason to blame the U.S., which makes the statement questionable. I checked trusted sources like the Global Terrosim Database (University of Maryland) and reporting from Reuters and Politifact, which use real data and do not support the idea that the CIA organizes most terrorist attacks. When tracing the claim back, there is no original study or evidence that proves the “95%” number. Based on reliable data showing terrorist attacks are carried out by extremist groups, not the CIA, the claim is false.

Exaggerated/ Misleading
by (180 points)
0 0
This is a strong and well-reasoned response. You appropriately consider the source of the claim and recognize how political incentives can affect credibility, which is an important part of academic fact-checking. You also rely on high-quality, data-driven sources like the Global Terrorism Database, Reuters, and PolitiFact, and clearly explain why the lack of an original study or verifiable evidence undermines the “95%” figure. Overall, your reasoning is clear, your sources are credible, and your conclusion is well supported by the available evidence
by Novice (510 points)
0 0
This is a good and strong response. Your reasoning is clear, and all of your sources are credible with good evidence.
0 like 0 dislike
by Novice (600 points)

This post on the platform Bluesky claims that Putin stated, "95% of the world's terrorist attacks are orchestrated by the CIA." Yet after some searching, there seems to be no legitimate source that has ever recorded Putin making this statement. It's most likely a made-up claim for propaganda purposes. Additionally, according to the CIA, it "is a U.S. government agency that provides objective intelligence on foreign countries and global issues to the president, the National Security Council, and other policymakers to help them make national security decisions." So they do not organize terrorist attacks around the world. 

https://www.cia.gov/about/

False
0 like 0 dislike
by Novice (910 points)

Think of this as your investigation log. Answer each question to explain what you discovered and how you got there.

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings. 

  • The claim made is incredibly inaccurate without any research needed. This is not to say, however, that the U.S. isn't responsible for some terrorist attacks in other countries. For example, Guatemala and the United Fruit Company overthrew the democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz. And the Iran-Contra scandal that saw the U.S. making arms deals with Iran, a terrorist nation, and funneling the funds to the Nicaraguan Contras, another terrorist organization. 

2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?

  • These are two very well-known examples of U.S. involvement in other countries. It is hard to say that what is described in these sources didn't happen, unless you are the government of the U.S. 
  • Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, but this article has not been edited in months. 

5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?

  • The U.S. has previously intervened in other nations' politics and caused destabalization but it can't be anywhere near the 90% area. 

6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?

  • It is absurd and easily disproven. 

7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.) 

  • Didn't contact
Exaggerated/ Misleading
0 like 0 dislike
ago by (150 points)
I can not find any real information on the news site this quote comes from "Breakpoint 360". Most of their content seems to be AI news videos with faulty headlines that go on for about 10-15 seconds. There are other articles that confirmed this may have been something Putin said, however there is no real evidence for it and could be seen mostly as propaganda towards the U.S
No available information
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (200 points)

In investigating the claim that President Vladimir Putin said that 95% of the worlds terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA, I found that the claim is not accurate and is not supported by reliable evidence. After searching trusted news organizations and research groups such as Reuters, BBC News, the Associated Press, and the United Nations, I could not find any verified record of Putin making this statement.

For primary sources, I reviewed official Kremlin transcripts, speeches, and interviews connected to Vladimir Putin. While Putin often criticizes the United States and Western intelligence agencies, there is no official speech or document where he states that the CIA is responsible for 95% of global terrorist attacks. The lack of a direct, original source makes this claim unreliable.

For secondary sources, major news outlets like Reuters and BBC News regularly report on global terrorism using data from the United Nations and the Global Terrorism Database. These reports show that terrorist attacks are mainly carried out by extremist groups such as ISIS, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Boko Haram. None of these sources suggest that the CIA organizes most terrorist attacks.

When tracing the claim further, it appears to come from social media posts and state aligned sources that repeat the statement without proof or proper sourcing. These types of sources often push political narratives and do not follow strong fact checking standards.

Bias is likely, as the claim fits common anti U.S. messaging from Russian state media. There is no credible evidence supporting the claim, and strong evidence from trusted organizations directly contradicts it. Based on the available evidence, the claim is false.

False
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (260 points)

This claim is False because there is no official record, transcript, or video evidence of Vladimir Putin ever making this statement; instead, it is a viral piece of misinformation that has been circulating on conspiracy blogs since at least 2015. While Putin has frequently criticized the CIA and U.S. foreign policy—most recently attempting to link the West to the 2024 Crocus City Hall attack without evidence—he has never cited a specific "95%" figure. Professional fact-checking organizations like Snopes and Reuters have investigated similar variations of this quote and found them to be fabrications. Because the claim lacks a primary source and contradicts historical records of intelligence cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, such as when the CIA helped Russia thwart a 2017 bombing in St. Petersburg, it cannot be considered a credible fact.

False
0 like 0 dislike
ago by Newbie (220 points)
The claim that "95% of the world's terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA," said to have been stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, does not have a solid basis in the evidence, and cannot be traced to any legitimate original source. The statement is most widely spread on social media posts that cite Putin as the author of the quote without linking it to an easily verifiable speech, interview, transcript, or official Kremlin publication. No reputable news organizations like Reuters, Associated Press, BBC, or New York Times report Putin as making this claim nor do they cite any primary source in which such a statement is made. When tracing the claim further the earliest versions are from unsourced social media accounts rather than official Russian government channels and therefore the attribution itself is unreliable. Broader coverage and empirical data directly contradict the claim: terrorist attack databases all over the world and independent research sources attribute terrorist attacks consistently to specific non-state actors such as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and the Taliban, based on claims of responsibility, intelligence assessments and on-the-ground investigations - not U.S. intelligence agencies. In addition to this, the political context is important. Putin is a former KGB officer, long-time authoritarian and president of a government that has a documented history of using disinformation and exaggerated anti-western narratives to deflect blame and advance geopolitical goals. There are not one single study or dataset nor one single piece of evidence based on whistleblowers that support the "95%" figure and not one credible institution that has vetted the figure. Taken together, the absence of any verifiable original source, the lack of corroboration by reliable outlets, and the contradiction with established research on terrorism means that this is false and best understood as a case of propaganda and not factual reporting.

Sources:

Global Terrorism Database : https://www.start.umd.edu/data-tools/GTD

US Government Data : https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations
False
0 like 0 dislike
ago by (140 points)
After investigating the claim of Vladimir Putin saying 95% of the terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA, I did not find any credible evidence to support that claim. There were no transcripts, videos, or official records that said Putin made this statement. Some major news outlets like BBC, Reuters, and AP never reported it. I mainly saw this quote on blogs and repost sites like https://inteltoday.org/2017/04/08/russia-putin-95-of-the-worlds-terrorist-attacks-are-orchestrated-by-the-cia/, which did not provide any original speech, dates, or official source.

Social media posts on Instagram and Reddit also showed the claim multiple times without any evidence. because the statements can't be traced to any reliable or official sources. The claim is best seen as misinformation spread through repost platforms and social media, where anyone can say/claim anything they want without any evidence, so it's not a confirmed statement.
False

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