Question

95% of the world's terrorists attacks are organized by the CIA, said President Putin. He's not wrong.

Answer 1

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.

There is no statistic that backs up that claim. Other sources such as the Golbal Terrorism Database states that the Taliban is the organization with the most frequent terrorist's attacks. 
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.

I used the Global Terrorism Data Portals view the data to see who is responsible for terrorists attacks. The data shows that Iran backed groups saw an increase in terrorists attacks from 2023 to 2024 
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.

No secondary source was used.
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?

The source I used was a US based source and therefore could have interpreted what terrorism is in a way to limit their involvement. 
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?

GTD explicitly defines terrorism as violence by non-state actors for political, religious, or ideological purposes. 
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?

Evidence that weakens this claim includes GTD’s clearly documented methodology, its widespread use by scholars around the world, and the fact that its findings generally line up with other independent conflict datasets, all of which suggest the data is reliable even with its known limitations.
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.)

I emailed them but have not heard back from the developers of the webpage

Answer 2

The claim that “95% of the world’s terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA” is false. There is no credible evidence or reputable data source showing that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency orchestrates the vast majority of global terrorist violence. Independent research on terrorism such as, the Global Terrorism Database maintained by the University of Maryland and the Global Terrorism Index, systematically records incidents carried out by a wide range of non-state extremist groups around the world, with Islamist, separatist, and other ideologically motivated organizations responsible for most attacks, not a government intelligence agency.

Claims like this have circulated on social media and in some state-aligned narratives, but they align with conspiracy theories and disinformation, not established fact. Reliable fact-checking and terrorism research communities define terrorism as violence committed by non-state actors for political or ideological aims, and do not attribute such incidents to the CIA. There’s no statistical basis for the “95%” figure, it appears to be a fabricated or exaggerated claim without support from credible sources.

Pillars of Russia’s Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem

Terrorism - Our World in Data

Answer 3

There are no credible articles to back up this claim. There is no primary source to back the quote made by Putin in saying that "95% of the world's terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA." Although there are tweets and Reddit posts claiming to quote the same, these sources are unreliable. 

In digging deeper trying to find an article that exists surrounding this quote made by Putin, I did come across this article from IntelToday in support of your claim

https://inteltoday.org/2017/04/08/russia-putin-95-of-the-worlds-terrorist-attacks-are-orchestrated-by-the-cia/?

The article claims Putin made this statement at an unnamed workshop and attributes supposed comments to him. This source is unreliable, however, as it is not a mainstream media outlet. It appears to push sensational geopolitical narratives rather than established journalism. This has potential bias toward conspiracy framing. 

 

Answer 4

This claim is false. There is no statistics or evidence that support this claim. President Putin has never said this either. This claim is propaganda.

Answer 5

I investigated the claim that “95% of the world’s terrorist attacks are organized by the CIA,” which was said by Vladimir Putin, and found that it is false. There is no credible evidence from trusted international organizations, terrorism databases, or independent researchers that supports this statement. Major sources that track terrorist activity show that attacks are carried out by a wide range of extremist groups, lone individuals, and regional organizations, each with their own motives and ideologies. None of these sources suggest that a single government agency is responsible for most global terrorism. The claim also uses an extremely specific and dramatic statistic without providing any data or proof, which is a red flag. In addition, the statement was made in a political context during ongoing tensions between Russia and the United States, suggesting it may be intended to influence public opinion rather than report verified facts. Because the claim contradicts widely accepted evidence and lacks any supporting sources, it is not reliable.

Answer 6

There is no statistic or reliable evidence to back this. While I was unable to find anything related directly to this statement I found an old article by BBC in 2017 that talks about an attempted attack in Russia and how Putin asked for his thanks to be given to the CIA. "Mr Putin had asked the US president to pass on his thanks to the CIA director and the operatives involved, both countries said." 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42386258

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

There is no reliable record or transcript that shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin ever made this statement. This assertion has been around for a while as an Internet hoax, and is often found on conspiracy theorist sites. Putin has long been vocal about Western intelligence agencies – including the CIA – but the particular “95%” figure is made up. Such quotes “were at one time also attributed to other world figures, including Nelson Mandela and John F. Kennedy, and appear to be so-called ‘clickbait’ quotations.”

Answer 9

This claim lacks credible verification and appears to originate from unreliable sources. There is no independently confirmed record of President Putin making this statement in any official capacity. No mainstream media outlets, official Kremlin statements, or credible news organizations have verified this quote. 

In December 2017, Putin actually thanked President Trump and the CIA for intelligence that helped Russia thwart terrorist attacks in St. Petersburg. Both the Kremlin and White House publicly confirmed this cooperation (https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-cia-helped-thwart-petersburg-attack/28923277.html).

Answer 10

1. Overall summary:

This claim is false. There is no credible evidence that Vladimir Putin ever said this, and there is no factual basis for the statistic. The statement appears to originate from online conspiracy content, not verified sources.

2. Primary sources:

No official Kremlin transcripts, speeches, interviews, or verified recordings show Putin making this claim. Searches of official Russian government communications and major international news coverage produced no record of the quote.

3. Secondary sources:

The claim circulates mainly on social media, forums, and meme-style posts. Reputable outlets (e.g., AP, Reuters, BBC) have not reported Putin making such a statement, nor have they supported the statistic.

4. Potential biases:

Social media and conspiracy forums often promote anti-U.S. narratives and lack editorial standards. Any alleged attribution to Putin may be exaggerated or fabricated to add authority.

5. Evidence supporting the claim:

None. No data, intelligence reports, or academic research supports the idea that the CIA organizes anywhere near the majority of global terrorist attacks.

6. Evidence undermining the claim:

Established terrorism databases and academic studies attribute attacks to a wide range of non-state extremist groups (e.g., ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram), not to a single intelligence agency. No credible source supports the “95%” figure.

7. Contacting the claim source:

The original claim appears anonymously online, with no identifiable author or official body to contact. No response or confirmation from the Kremlin or related officials exists.

Conclusion:

The claim is unsupported and misleading. There is no verified quote from Putin and no evidence that the CIA organizes 95% of the world’s terrorist attacks.