Crisis hearing: Warner reveals secret IS plot to attack Swift!

Crisis hearing: Warner reveals secret IS plot to attack Swift!

In a crisis hearing, US Senator Mark Warner made critical comments about the chats between members of the Trump Cabinet. According to Warner, cooperation with foreign intelligence services is essential to U.S. security. An alarming example of this is a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, which could have cost hundreds of lives. This was made possible by information from the CIA that indicated a planned attack by IS supporters on the concert in August 2024. Then-CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen praised Austrian authorities for their quick response and subsequent arrests. Warner also warns that the motto “America first” should not turn into “America alone,” since security also depends on international allies. The background to his criticism are statements by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who described Europeans as “parasites”.

The events in Austria clearly show that the country is repeatedly plagued by terrorist threats. As the Small newspaper reported, there were several serious incidents in 2025 alone. On February 15, 2025, a 23-year-old man stabbed passers-by in downtown Villach, leaving a 14-year-old teenager dead and five other people injured, some seriously. The perpetrator, a Syrian citizen with legal residence status, was arrested; Investigators suspect an Islamist motive. On August 7, 2024, two young men were arrested in Ternitz and Vienna who had prepared plans to attack Taylor Swift's concerts and had taken an "oath of loyalty to IS".

Chronicle of threats

In recent years, the Austrian security authorities have been challenged. A chronology of threats shows an alarming development: On September 11, 2023, a 16-year-old Islamist planned an attack at Vienna Central Station and was later convicted of being a member of a terrorist organization. In June 2023, three online radicalized suspects who were planning an attack were arrested outside the Rainbow Parade, but they were released after a few days. Last year, a total of 10 jihadist terrorist attacks were recorded in Austria, France and Germany, with jihadist terrorists responsible for more than half of the deaths.

The 2021 Europol report highlights that the EU recorded a total of 57 terrorist attacks in 2020, with the death toll increasing from 10 in 2019 to 21. Austria remains a hotspot for such threats, highlighting that the dangers of terrorism have not only a local but also an international dimension. Of particular concern is that terrorism has both left-wing extremist and right-wing extremist motives, with 4 right-wing extremist-motivated attacks also recorded in 2020.

The exchange between the USA and European countries on intelligence matters is crucial in order to identify and prevent such threats in a timely manner. Mark Warner calls for closer cooperation and warns of the dangers of an isolated approach to security policy.