US confirms role in identifying alleged terrorist plot for Taylor Swift shows
U.S. officials have confirmed their role in identifying a suspected terrorist plot planned for a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna this weekend.
During a Friday briefing, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said the U.S. provided information to Austrian authorities, who have made several arrests in relation to the alleged foiled attack.
"We work closely with partners all over the world to monitor and disrupt threats," Kirby said. "And so as part of that work, the United States did share information with Austrian partners to enable the disruption of a threat to Taylor Swift's concerts there in Vienna."
Three people have been arrested in relation to the suspected terrorist plot. The suspects are an 18-year-old Iraqi national, a 19-year-old Austrian living in a town near the Hungarian border, and a 17-year-old boy who had been hired by a company that was to provide services to the Ernst Happel Stadium.
A 15-year-old was questioned by police about his possible role in the scheme. According to the Vienna-based Kurier newspaper, the 15-year-old was allowed to go home after being questioned as a witness and was not considered a suspect.
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What we know about the alleged terrorist plot planned for Taylor Swift's shows
On Wednesday, after Vienna Federal Ministry of the Interior officials confirmed arrests were made in relation to "planned attacks at major events," Swift's three planned shows at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday were canceled "for everyone's safety," according to the Austrian shows' promoter.
Swift has yet to speak out on the alleged terrorist plot.
Austrian security officials said the 19-year-old suspect had been consuming Islamist propaganda and planned an attack on fans involving "bladed weapons as well as the construction of a bomb," according to a press release provided by the Vienna Federal Ministry of the Interior on Thursday.
During a search of his home, officials found "chemical substances, liquids, explosive and technical devices that could be used to manufacture explosives," said Franz Ruf, director general for public security. Bomb-making instructions and machetes were also found.
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"He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made," according to national intelligence head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.
The suspect, who had recently quit his job and said he had "big plans," swore allegiance to ISIS and fully confessed to the charges against him, officials said. Austrian authorities are not searching for any more suspects.
London's Metropolitan Police has confirmed Swift's five concerts at Wembley Stadium next week should not be impacted.
Contributing: Michael Collins and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY; Rachel More and Miranda Murray, Reuters