CIA has revealed the impact the Eras Tour terror plot could’ve had if not stopped timely, claiming ‘tens of thousands’ lives were at risk, especially Americans.
CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen shared new details during the annual Intelligence Summit just outside Washington, D.C., The New York Times reported.
“They were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I am sure many Americans,” Cohen said, without disclosing how the CIA learned of the alleged plot.
“The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do,” he continued.
Concert promoter Barracuda Music announced the cancellation on August 7 on the safe side, writing that they had ‘no choice but to cancel’ the August 8, 9, and 10 performances.
Three boys were arrested with links to the terror plot, including two Austrians aged 17 and 19, and an 18-year-old of Iraqi descent.
Around 200,000 people were expected to attend the three shows combined, The Times reported.
In a news conference on August 8, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said the 19-year-old Austrian suspect admitted to intending ‘to carry out an attack’ at Swift’s concert ‘using explosives and knives,’ as per CNN.
