An ISIS terror attack at Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts was thwarted by Austrian authorities, prompting the cancellation of Swift's Eras Tour shows in the country. As per the latest reports, intelligence inputs from the CIA aided in the thwarting of the attack in Austria.
The highly anticipated shows were scheduled for August 8, 9 and 10 at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna with 65,000 confirmed attendees. However, all three shows were cancelled by authorities after the terror plot was uncovered and thwarted.
As per latest reports, the Central Intelligence Agency had provided intel to Austria authorities which aided in the thwarting of the terror plot.
Speaking to reports, David S Cohen, the deputy director of the US intel agency stated that the CIA provided information about four people connected to the Islamic State planning the attack.
“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 with information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do," stated Cohen.
On August 7, a day before the concert, Austrian authorities arrested two people who were planning the attack. One of the arrested was a 19-year-old male who had pledged allegiance to the IS and was focused on Swift as a target.
The CIA Deputy Director made no hesitation to assume that attacking the Eras Tour shows and killing around 65,000 people was the goal of the attack.
However, the CIA head did not give more details about the nature of the intel or how American agents found out about the terror plot.
