The intelligence agency CIA tipped off Austrian authorities about plans for an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The suspects were arrested and three concerts were cancelled.
They planned to kill a large number – tens of thousands of people at this concert, including certainly many Americans – and were quite far along in this, says David Cohen.
The Austrians were able to make these arrests because the agency and our intelligence partners provided them with information about what this IS-affiliated group planned to do.
According to Austrian authorities, the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was inspired by the jihadist movement IS. He is said to have planned an attack with knives and homemade explosives outside the arena, where around 30,000 fans would gather. An additional 65,000 fans would likely be inside the arena at the time.
The police found chemical substances and technical devices in the suspect's home.
The 19-year-old's lawyer has claimed that the Austrian authorities are exaggerating the charges to gain greater opportunities for surveillance.
The 19-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested on August 6, the day before the announcement that the concerts would be cancelled. A third suspect, 18 years old, was arrested on August 8.
