The United Nations counterterrorism chief said Europe faces a more acute threat from ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate to whom a 19-year old man pledged allegiance before plotting to terrorize Taylor Swift’s concertgoers in Vienna this week.
Vladimir Vorokov, the UN undersecretary for counterterrorism, said Thursday the ISIS-K threat, “regrettably,” has “become manifest” in Vienna, where three of Swift’s concerts were canceled when Austrian authorities arrested three suspects, and that the ISIS satellite is increasing in strength and influence.
“The group is considered the greatest external terrorist threat to the continent,” Vorokov told the UN Security Council, citing its “intensified” recruitment efforts and array of financial and logistical nodes.
Terrorists from the ISIS-K group, based in Afghanistan and named after the Khorasan region that includes parts of Central and South Asia, killed at least140 people in a Moscow concert venue in March and over 100 in bombings in Iran in January.
It is “the most complex, dynamic and, quite frankly, dangerous threat environment that I’ve experienced in the 40 plus years that I’ve been involved in law enforcement and homeland security,” John Cohen, ABC News contributor and former acting undersecretary for intelligence at the US Department of Homeland Security, said.
Police guards Stephansplatz as Taylor Swift fans gather to sing together on Aug. 08, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images
The foiled attacks in Vienna fit two patterns around extremist ideology affecting the European continent, said Lorenzo Vidino, director of the George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.
Would-be attackers are younger, ranging from as young as 13, 14, and 15 years old — “a teenage dominated scene,” Vidino told ABC News. The those arrested in connection with the Swift concert plot are 17, 18 and 19 years old, authorities have said.
“It’s a much more unstructured scene in which you have people who self-radicalize and sort of come together on online platforms, sometimes also offline. But the online component is getting bigger over the last few years, and they activate themselves independently,” Vidino said.
The second dynamic has been the emergence of ISIS-K as the terrorist organization’s strongest arm, Vidino said.
“[ISIS] mostly operates through branches in different parts of the world, and the one that I would say is the most successful — and arguably the only one that has been consistently operating also in the West and planning terrorist attacks in the West — is ISIS-K,” he said.
Austrian authorities said suspects were radicalized online and that chemical substances and technical devices were found at the 19-year-old’s home.
He was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels,” Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said Thursday.
Increasing numbers of young people are streaming ISIS and al-Qaeda videos, leading to radicalization, Haijawi-Pirchner added.
Swifties sing and dance in Vienna on Friday, Aug.9, 2024. Organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in the stadium in Vienna this week called them off on Wednesday after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the concerts. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)
The Associated Press
ABC News reported Wednesday, when the three Swift concerts were canceled after the arrests, that US intelligence found the pledge to ISIS-K by at least one of the suspects in early July on the messaging app Telegram.
Multiple sources told ABC News that the U.S. passed the original intelligence of a terror threat to Austria. It’s not the first time the U.S. has passed along this kind of information. Ahead of the Moscow attack in March, the State Department had issued public warnings to Americans in Russia to avoid large gatherings.
“When it comes to the [foiled] plots in Europe, I would say the vast majority of them were triggered by intelligence coming from the U.S.,” Vidino said.
Cohen, a former counterterrorism coordinator at DHS, said the Vienna plot “is consistent with what has concerned law enforcement and security officials over the past several years.”
Terrorists have learned to “leverage the power of the internet to spread content that’s specifically intended to inspire and inform terrorist attacks across Europe and the United States,” Cohen said.
An Austrian police officer is decorated with bracelets in the city centre in Vienna on Aug.8, 2024.
Heinz-Peter Bader/AP
ISIS controlled significant territory in Syria and Iraq and governed according to its radical ideology, ruling over as many as 12 million people by the end of 2015. That footprint had reduced significantly by 2019 after American and allied counterinsurgency operations in the region.
“What they figured out is that the United States has become very effective at detecting terrorist travel and intercepting terrorist communications, and therefore very adept at … identifying terrorist leaders,” Cohen said of ISIS. “So they shifted their tactics, and they added to their playbook the spreading of online content in an effort to influence the behavior of disaffected, angry young people across the globe.”
That “highly sophisticated media operation,” Cohen said, has continued to prove a potent force, particularly in empowering the regional arteries that run to a center largely devoid of the conventional capabilities ISIS had in Syria and Iraq a decade ago.
In recent news, a United Nations official has issued a warning about ISIS-K being the greatest external terrorist threat to Europe. This comes after a foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert, which has raised concerns about the growing presence of the terrorist group in the region.
ISIS-K, also known as Islamic State Khorasan Province, is a branch of the Islamic State that operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group has been responsible for numerous attacks in the region, targeting both civilians and security forces. However, their reach is not limited to South Asia, as they have also carried out attacks in Europe and other parts of the world.
The recent foiled attack on a Taylor Swift concert highlights the threat that ISIS-K poses to Europe. The group has shown a willingness to target high-profile events and public gatherings, making them a significant danger to the safety and security of European citizens.
The UN official’s warning serves as a reminder of the need for increased vigilance and security measures to combat the threat of ISIS-K. European countries must work together to share intelligence and coordinate efforts to prevent future attacks.
It is crucial for authorities to remain proactive in monitoring and disrupting the activities of terrorist groups like ISIS-K. This includes identifying and apprehending individuals who may be involved in planning attacks, as well as disrupting their financial networks and supply chains.
In addition to security measures, it is also important for European countries to address the root causes of extremism and radicalization. This includes promoting social inclusion, addressing grievances, and countering extremist ideologies through education and community outreach programs.
Overall, the warning about ISIS-K as the greatest external terrorist threat to Europe should serve as a wake-up call for authorities and citizens alike. By remaining vigilant and working together, we can effectively combat the threat of terrorism and ensure the safety and security of our communities.
