The suspects alleged to have planned a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital of Vienna earlier this month wanted to “kill a huge number,” CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said.
The CIA official also confirmed that US intelligence provided Austrian authorities with information to thwart the attack, which allegedly had links to the “Islamic State” terror group.
“They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this,” Cohen said at an intelligence and national security summit held in Washington.
Three individuals were subsequently arrested over the alleged scheme.
“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,” Cohen said.
What do we know about the alleged plot?
US superstar Taylor Swift was due to play three concerts in Vienna in August as part of her record-breaking Eras Tour, but they were canceled at short notice after authorities arrested two young men suspected of plotting a terrorist attack.
According to investigators, a 19-year-old man who allegedly pledged allegiance to the “Islamic State” planned to use explosives and knives to attack fans of the US star waiting outside the stadium.
More than 60,000 people would have been inside the stadium during the sold-out concerts had the events not been canceled, and tens of thousands more without tickets would have been expected to gather nearby to celebrate.
A third suspect was later arrested in Vienna in connection with the plot. The suspects, who have been remanded in custody, are being investigated on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organization and a criminal organization.
What did Taylor Swift say about the canceled shows?
Swift broke her silence about the cancellations last week following the conclusion of her London shows, which were scheduled to be the next stop after Vienna.
“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
Swift thanked authorities, saying that that “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.” Her Eras Tour is now on hiatus until the fall.
dh/nm (AP, dpa)