A French publisher has apologized after history books were printed that suggested the CIA orchestrated the 9/11 terror attacks, officials said.
The textbooks, which were written by Jeane-Pierre Rocher, were published for students learning about 20th-century French, European and world history, the BBC reported.
In the latest edition, the author wrote that US intelligence agencies “no doubt” played a role in carrying out the 2001 attacks, according to the report.
“This global event — no doubt orchestrated by the CIA (secret services) to impose American influence on the Middle East? — hit the symbols of American power on its own territory,” the page said.
One of the teachers shared a copy of the textbook’s conspiracy theory on a Facebook group for other educators.
“This inserted clause of his conveys a conspiracy theory you can hear in our classrooms, from some pupils’ mouths; but to find it written by a teacher and in this type of publication is unacceptable,” said Bruno Modica, who runs the Facebook group, Le Monde reported.
Ellipses, which published the textbook, issued an apology on its site for the debunked claim being printed.
“This phrase which echoes conspiracy theories devoid of any factual basis should never have been used in this work,” the statement said, according to the BBC. “It doesn’t reflect the editorial position either of Ellipses publications or the author.”