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Did Kabul evacuation flight to US refer to 9/11? C-17 tail number sparks conspiracy theories

'Something special is coming' say Internet users as theories begin to flow about the significance of the USAF C-17 tail number

From the reinstatement of Trump to Bigfoot, conspiracy theories have been a long American tradition. The fall of Kabul into Taliban's hands​ has now sparked a new one, after eagle-eyed social media users spotted the tail number of the US Air Force C-17 that airlifted people out of Kabul on August 15. It's a strange coincidence, given that the date was the reason American troops went into Afghanistan in the first place. 

The theory comes from the shocking images of Kabul airport being overrun by desperate Afghans, in scenes compared to Brad Pitt's 'World War Z'. It's not the only iconic image to emerge in recent days. We've also seen the horrific footage of a man trapped in the C-17's landing gear as he desperately attempted to flee Afghanistan. The evacuations in Kabul have been compared to that of Saigon, made more apparent after watching two helicopter images from both events. 

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But of all the iconic images, that of the C-17 Globemaster on the tarmac of Kabul airport will perhaps be the most iconic. It didn't take long for social media users to find more meaning in that image, with some wondering if it had any link to do with 9/11. Irony aside, the theory has sparked a lot of rumors, which are interesting to note even if they are just rumors. 

Did the tail number refer to 9/11?

If you remember correctly, it was the 9/11 attack in New York that led former President George Bush to launch the military offensive in Afghanistan. Now, two decades later, as Americans leave the nation, the number has come back to "haunt" them. Clever social media users noted that the C-17 Globemaster's tail number was 1109, the way 9/11 would have been referred to in other nations (that put the day first, then the month). 

Of course, this is likely to be nothing more than an odd coincidence. The USAF plane was one of the many sent to Kabul to evacuate stranded Americans, it just happened to be the first to leave and the subject of the iconic videos and photos. However, there appears to be little chance of people seeing it that way. As The Sun reported, "That's led to some online labeling the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as "fake" because of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America that were coordinated from Afghanistan."

What most people seem to be interested in is the fact that the plane has quite a few similarities with 9/11. For one, there is the number. For another, people were spotted falling from the plane as it took off, echoing the haunting images of people falling from the twin towers during 9/11. As the below tweets show, these similarities are too familiar, prompting a slew of conspiracy theories, most of which claim that like 9/11, the evacuation too is fake. 

'Are we watching a movie?'

"The number from the Pentagon-Produced Propaganda Fake Plane Scene - 1109 - leads to this. Also, 1109 mirrored is 9/11...wake up. And, all numbers on the plane add up to 33...Masonic. Snap back to reality," one user tweeted. Another said, "Are we watching a movie? Is this a #falseflag ? Why are the people running and smiling, why does the plane look different in different shots? 1109-911? Call me crazy..."

One person tweeted, "Weird The US c-17 military plane was number 1109 (Sept 11th) and they made sure to record the falling men to also tie it together. #NoCoincidences #Afghanistan." Another commented, "Do people really NOT see the number on that plane?? 1109 ! THAT is how sept 11th is written all over the world. Wake up. 20 year anniversary coming up and THIS is what we get? And STILL people can't catch on. wow."

Another person went even further, tweeting, "I believe the number 1109 on the plane has another meaning also. Feeling like something good will happen on 9/11....revelation for sure...we will no longer live the lie that is that day, but isn't it also Jesus' true birthday? Just feel like something really special is lined up." One user said, "All things considered. What are the chances this plane in this footage had the numbers 1109 on the side. Of all the planes the American air force has. This was the one that the world was shown from Afghanistan. They mock us constantly."

It's unclear where the theories first started from, but they are unlikely to die down anytime soon. It's very likely that the tail number is just a haunting coincidence, there's no "false flag" operation at play here. 9/11 did really happen and so did the evacuation.