“Tens of thousands” of fans were targeted in a foiled terrorist attack at Taylor Swift’s recent concerts in Vienna, a CIA official told reporters on Wednesday (August 28).
CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen shared new details of the foiled terror plot that canceled all three of the 34-year-old pop star’s planned Eras Tour concerts in Austria earlier this month during the annual intelligence summit near Washington, DC, reports The New York Times and NBC News.
Police guard Stephansplatz as Taylor Swift fans gather to sing together on August 8, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images
“They planned to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I’m sure many Americans,” Cohen said.
“The Austrians were able to make these arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community gave them information about what this ISIS-affiliated group was planning to do,” he continued.
Why were Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows cancelled? What we know so far about the alleged terrorist plot
Concert promoter Barracuda Music announced the cancellation on August 7, writing that they “had no choice but to cancel” the August 8, 9 and 10 shows to make the safety of all patrons a priority.
During Wednesday’s summit, Cohen did not reveal how the CIA learned of the alleged plot, although the agency has been on alert for other countries in connection with terrorist plots, time reported.
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Three people were arrested, including a 19-year-old Austrian who is considered the main suspect. The other arrested suspects are a 17-year-old Austrian and an 18-year-old Iraqi. The names of the suspects have not been released. Authorities said the plot was inspired by the Islamic State group, the Associated Press writes.
At a press conference on August 8, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of Austria’s Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, said a 19-year-old suspect from Austria admitted he intended to “carry out an attack” at the Swift concert “using explosives and knives.” , according to NBC News, CNN and Le Monde.
“His goal was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert today or tomorrow,” he added, according to Le Monde.
Around 200,000 people were expected to attend the three concerts together time reports.
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Taylor Swift.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
In a lengthy Instagram post following the end of the European leg of her Eras Tour, the singer shared why she chose to stay silent at first.
“The cancellation of our shows in Vienna was devastating. The reason for the cancellation filled me with a new sense of dread and a huge amount of guilt because so many people planned to come to those shows,” she wrote in a post on August 21. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Taylor Swift and Disney+ surprise fans in Vienna with TV premiere of Eras Tour after terrorist plot cancellation
Swift and her team worked closely with British authorities to ensure her five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium went without incident, she wrote.
“Let me be very clear: I will not speak publicly about something if I think it might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she continued.
“In cases like this, ‘silence’ is really about holding back and waiting to speak up when it’s right. My priority was to finish our European tour safely, and I can say with great relief that we did it.”
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Source: HIS Education