The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has revealed a chilling plot that was foiled this month: an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack targeting Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna, Austria. The plot, which could have resulted in the deaths of “tens of thousands” of people, was thwarted thanks to the agency’s intelligence gathering and collaboration with Austrian authorities.
Earlier this month, organizers announced the cancellation of Swift’s three concerts in Vienna due to terrorist threats. Subsequently, Austrian authorities arrested two individuals suspected of being involved. A third suspect was apprehended shortly after.
During the Intelligence and National Security Summit, CIA Deputy Director David S Cohen disclosed that the agency had provided information on four individuals connected to ISIS who were planning the attack. These individuals, according to Cohen, aimed to kill a massive number of people at the concerts, potentially including many Americans.
“They were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I am sure many Americans. The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do,” said Cohen, as reported by The New York Times.
The concerts, which were expected to draw a crowd of approximately 200,000 people, were effectively targeted for a mass casualty event. While Cohen did not disclose the methods used by the CIA to uncover the plot, he emphasized the undeniable intent of the attackers – to cause widespread death and destruction at Swift’s Eras Tour concerts.
Following the initial arrests, the Austrian government revealed that the suspects had meticulously planned the attack. They possessed detailed plans and had access to the concert venue, indicating their intent to inflict a tragedy comparable to the attacks in Paris, Manchester, or Moscow. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated, “The suspects actually had very specific and detailed plans to cause a tragedy on the scale of Paris, Manchester or Moscow,” adding that they intended to leave a “trail of blood”.
Further investigation by The Times revealed that some of the arrested suspects were found with bomb-making materials, reinforcing the severity of the threat. The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen of North Macedonian descent, had reportedly radicalized himself online and pledged allegiance to ISIS.
This incident underscores the constant threat posed by extremist groups and the vital role of intelligence agencies in preventing potential tragedies. The swift action taken by the CIA and Austrian authorities, based on shared intelligence, prevented a potential mass casualty event that could have had devastating consequences.
