The CIA's timely discovery of the plot led to the arrest of the suspects and the subsequent cancellation of three sold-out shows from Swift's Eras Tour, leaving fans worldwide in shock and disappointment.
According to Boston.com, the CIA had alerted Austrian authorities about the plot, which was allegedly linked to the Islamic State group. The intelligence provided by the CIA and the subsequent arrests led to the cancellation of the concerts, a decision that deeply affected fans who had journeyed from various parts of the world to see Swift perform live.
Cohen, while addressing the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit in Maryland, shed light on the severity of the plot. "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 stated. He further added, "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.”
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The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was reportedly inspired by the Islamic State group. His plan was to attack the crowd outside the stadium, where approximately 30,000 fans were expected to gather, using knives or homemade explosives. An additional 65,000 fans were likely to be inside the venue. During a raid of the suspect's home, investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices.
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Austrian Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, had previously stated that assistance from other intelligence agencies was crucial as Austrian investigators are legally prohibited from monitoring text messages. However, the suspect's lawyer has dismissed the allegations as "overacting at its best," suggesting that Austrian authorities were exaggerating the situation to gain new surveillance powers.
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Swift expressed her devastation over the cancellations in a statement on Instagram. "Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating," she wrote. "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.” She thanked the authorities for their intervention, stating, "thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives."
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The concert organizer, Barracuda Music, cancelled the three-night Vienna run that was scheduled to begin on August 8 due to the arrests made in connection with the plot. The main suspect and a 17-year-old were taken into custody on August 6, a day before the cancellations were announced. A third suspect, aged 18, was arrested on August 8. Austrian privacy rules prevent the release of their names.
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The foiled Vienna plot has drawn comparisons to the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people. This was the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.
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Cohen praised the CIA's role in preventing the planned violence, stating that such counterterrorism "successes" in foiling plots often go unnoticed. "I can tell you within my agency, and I’m sure in others, there were people who thought that was a really good day for Langley," he said, referring to the CIA headquarters.
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Swift's record-breaking tour is currently on hiatus until the fall. The recent events have underscored the importance of vigilance and cooperation among intelligence agencies in ensuring the safety of citizens, even in seemingly innocuous settings like music concerts.
