World
Taylor Swift Concert Targeted in Plot to Kill ‘Tens of Thousands’ – CIA Reveals
The CIA uncovers a terrorist plot aimed at killing ‘tens of thousands’ of fans during a Taylor Swift concert. The agency’s swift intervention prevented a potential catastrophe.
According to CIA Deputy Director David Cohen, terrorists planned to use homemade explosives and knives at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna with the intention of causing the maximum number of casualties. The US spy agency had informed Austrian authorities about this potential attack beforehand.
Cohen reported that the assailants, allegedly linked to Islamic State (IS), were planning a mass killing of tens of thousands, which likely included numerous Americans. Their progress in carrying out this plot was reportedly significant.
He observed that the arrest of the suspects by Austrian security forces was made possible as a result of information provided to them about what this ISIS-affiliated group planned to do, which came from both the CIA and our allies in the intelligence community.
At an intelligence summit outside of Washington D.C., he mentioned, “I can vouch for my agency and presume others too, that there were individuals who believed it was a successful day for Langley. It wasn’t only the Swifties within our team.”
According to reports, the plotters had allegedly intended to target one of three Vienna-based concerts by Swift that were scheduled to commence on August 8 as a component of her Eras Tour in Europe. Nevertheless, Barracuda Music organizers called off these performances after being alerted about the thwarted scheme by law enforcement agencies.
Austrian officials arrested the primary suspect, who was believed to be involved in the supposed scheme along with a 17-year-old accomplice on August 6. Furthermore, an additional suspect who is only 18 years old was also taken into custody on August 8.
After self-radicalizing online, the alleged mastermind of the attack – a 19-year-old individual whose identity remains undisclosed – reportedly swore allegiance to IS according to authorities.
Reportedly, the planned assault was scheduled to happen in close proximity of a stadium where up to 65,000 people were anticipated to attend. The police stated that the suspects had intentions of using knives and an improvised explosive contraption during their offensive after discovering chemical substances and specialized technical equipment at the residence of a nineteen-year-old individual involved in this scenario.
According to Austrian officials, the primary suspect purportedly admitted to intending “to exterminate a multitude of individuals outside the concert.”