CIA Says It Busted Teen Terror Cell Targeting Taylor Swift in Vienna

Title: CIA Foils Teen Terror Cell Targeting Taylor Swift's Vienna Concert

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tipped off Austrian authorities with information that led to the arrest of suspects who planned a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna earlier this month. The CIA's Deputy Director, David Cohen, called it "a really good day for Langley and not just the Swifties in my workforce." This marked the first time a U.S. official confirmed the country's involvement in breaking up the terrorist plot.

The suspects were reportedly part of an ISIS-inspired group, with a 19-year-old Austrian of North Macedonian background identified as the prime suspect. An 18-year-old and a 17-year-old have also been arrested, while a 15-year-old was interrogated by police. The main suspect allegedly planned to target fans outside the stadium with knives or explosives to kill as many people as possible.

Swift had scheduled three concerts at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium for August 8, 9, and 10 as part of her sold-out Eras Tour. All 170,000 tickets for the three shows sold in a matter of hours, making it the city's largest-ever ticket sale. However, all three shows were canceled following the arrests.

In an Instagram post, Swift expressed gratitude to the authorities for preventing a tragedy and allowing fans to grieve concerts instead of lives. While the CIA's role was revealed, at least one other agency that assisted in thwarting the attack remains unknown. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the Austrian Armed Forces' Intelligence Office received tips from two friendly foreign intelligence agencies, which they passed on to the Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service.