Foiled terror plot at Taylor Swift concert was intended to kill 'tens of thousands,' says CIA official

Following the arrest of two suspects, the singer's three Vienna concerts were called off on Aug. 7 to protect attendees.

At the cost of three canceled Taylor Swift concerts, the CIA was able to protect "tens of thousands" of lives, an official for the intelligence agency has claimed.

During the annual Intelligence Summit just outside of Washington, D.C., CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen shared new details about the thwarted terror attack that led to the cancellation of three Eras Tour concerts in Vienna.

“They were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I am sure many Americans,” Cohen told reporters, according to The New York Times. "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.”

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Earlier this month, Swift was slated to perform three nights at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium beginning Aug. 8, but the shows were called off after two suspected terrorists were arrested in Austria and accused of plotting an attack on the concerts. Promoter Barracuda Music announced the cancellation on Aug. 7, writing that they had “no choice but to cancel” the Aug. 8, 9, and 10 performances in an effort to prioritize the safety of all attendees.

Cohen, who shared no additional information about how the agency learned of the planned attack, expressed his certainty that attacking the Eras Tour concert and harming concertgoers was the goal of the plot. He went on to praise the CIA’s work, noting that counterterrorism “successes” often go uncelebrated.

"I can tell you within my agency, and I'm sure in others, there were people who thought that was a really good day for Langley," he said, referencing the CIA headquarters in Virginia. "And not just the Swifties in my workforce."

The CIA did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly’s request for further comment.

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In the immediate aftermath of the canceled concerts, Swift offered no comment on the foiled terrorist plot — though her Taylor Nation social accounts did reshare the promoter statement, announcing the cancellations.

Weeks later, after wrapping up the European leg of her world tour, Swift finally addressed the incident, writing that the reason behind the cancellations “filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives."

In the same post, Swift praised fans for banding together and responded to those who criticized her for not immediately speaking about the terror plot.

"Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows," she wrote. “In cases like this one, 'silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.