In a recent development, the CIA has confirmed that it provided Austrian authorities with intelligence that led to the foiling of a terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift's sold-out shows in Vienna. Four suspected terrorists connected to the Islamic State were detained in Vienna, with the CIA's deputy director, David S. Cohen, stating that the group was planning to kill tens of thousands of people, including many Americans, at the concert.
As a result of the terrorist threat, concert organizer Barracuda Music made the decision to cancel all three of Swift's Eras Tour dates at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The arrests of the suspects, including a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with al-Qaida material in his home and a 19-year-old who planned to use explosives and knives to attack fans outside the venue, occurred just days before the scheduled shows.
A third suspect, an 18-year-old Iraqi citizen, was arrested on the day of the first scheduled show. The CIA had provided Austrian authorities with information on four individuals, leading to the detention of the suspects. A fourth suspect, a 15-year-old, was also arrested but later released after interrogation.
Swift later addressed the incident on Instagram, expressing her devastation at the cancellation of the Vienna shows but also gratitude for the authorities for preventing a potential tragedy. The singer emphasized the importance of the love and unity displayed by her fans in the wake of the foiled plot.
While Cohen did not disclose how the CIA obtained information about the thwarted plot, it is estimated that around 200,000 fans were expected to attend Swift's Vienna shows. The singer has since completed the European leg of her Eras Tour.