Plot to attack Taylor Swift concert to kill thousands.

The CIA informed Austrian authorities of the plan, which was believed to be linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The intelligence and arrests led to the cancellation of three shows on the Eras Tour, much to the disappointment of fans who had traveled from around the world to see Swift perform.

Singer Taylor Swift. Photo: AP

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen spoke about the failed plot at the Intelligence and National Security Summit in Maryland this week. "They planned to kill a large number of people - tens of thousands of people at this concert, including Americans - and it was very advanced," Cohen said. Thanks to information provided by the CIA and its partners, Austrian police were able to arrest the suspects.

Austrian officials said the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, had been influenced by IS and planned to attack with knives or homemade explosives outside the stadium, where more than 30,000 fans were expected to gather. When police searched the suspect’s home, they found chemicals and technical equipment.

Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the country needed help from foreign intelligence agencies because Austrian investigators could not legally trace text messages. Taylor Swift expressed gratitude to the authorities.

The organizer of the Barracuda Music concert said it had canceled three shows in Vienna because the arrests related to the plot came too close to the concert. The suspects were arrested on August 6 and 8, the day before the cancellation was announced.

The incident recalled the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. CIA Deputy Director Cohen praised his agency’s timely response, saying counterterrorism successes often go unnoticed.

Cao Phong (according to CNA, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cia-khung-bo-len-ke-hoach-giet-hang-nghin-nguoi-trong-cac-buoi-dien-cua-taylor-swift-post309965.html