ISIS plot planned to kill 'tens of thousands' at Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, says CIA

Aug. 29, 2024, 8:46 a.m.

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The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has said the ISIS-inspired terrorist plot foiled this month planned to kill “tens of thousands” at Taylor Swift’s concerts in Austrian capital Vienna.

Earlier this month, the organisers announced that Swift’s three concerts at Vienna were cancelled due to terrorist threats. Around the same time, the authorities announced that two people suspects were arrested in connection with the threats. Later, a third person was also arrested.

Advertisement Speaking at the Intelligence and National Security Summit, CIA Deputy Director David S Cohen said that the agency had provided information about four people connected to the ISIS who were planning to attack Swift’s concert. He further said they planned to kill “tens of thousands” of people.

“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, according to The New York Times.

Around 200,000 people were expected to attend Swift’s concerts in Vienna, as per the newspaper.

While Cohen did not say how the CIA learnt about the plot, he said there was no doubt that attacking Swift’s Eras Tour concerts and killing a large number of people at the concerts was the goal of the plot.

‘Suspects had detailed plans for attack’

Following the initial apprehension of two individuals linked to the case, the Austrian government stated that they possessed access to the venue and had highly detailed plans for the attack.

“The suspects actually had very specific and detailed plans to cause a tragedy on the scale of Paris, Manchester or Moscow,” said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, adding that they wanted to leave a “trail of blood”.

Separately, The Times reported that some individuals apprehended in connection with the case were found in possession of bomb-making materials and had access to the concert venue.

According to the newspaper, police have identified the primary suspect as a 19-year-old Austrian citizen of North Macedonian origin. The suspect is alleged to have become radicalized online and pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization ISIS.