"Extreme time pressure"

Assassination plans: DSN was under “extreme pressure”

After the terror cell was uncovered, the raid was carried out in Ternitz in Lower Austria.

(Bild: APA/ALEX HALADA)

It is becoming increasingly clear how close Vienna came to a terrorist catastrophe. A few days before the planned Taylor Swift concert series, the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence was under "extreme time pressure", as is emphasized, after warnings were received from friendly foreign intelligence services.

In a joint statement by the three Austrian intelligence services (see info box below), their heads stated on Saturday that the important information had been passed on "without delay, professionally and without friction". A "comprehensive and closely coordinated processing of all three services" had been triggered. "All in all, this successful national and international cooperation under the leadership of the DSN ultimately led to the arrest of several suspects and the prevention of a terrorist attack that was already in the preparatory stage," it continued.

From lone perpetrator to terrorist cell
It is certain that the DSN was warned by foreign partner services just a few days before the arrests of the 19-year-old and a 17-year-old suspected accomplice, who would have worked for a facility company at the Happel Stadium in stage and scaffolding construction. Within a few hours, several tips were received about a planned attack on the major event.

This information, which DSN received almost simultaneously, all referred to a single perpetrator. In addition, the information was reportedly still vague and initially required time-consuming clarification within the authorities.

Our intelligence services

• The Austrian Armed Forces have two intelligence services: the Counter-IntelligenceOffice and the Army Intelligence Office.
• Counterintelligence Office: Basically acts domestically and is responsible for everything concerning military legal assets of the Austrian Armed Forces.
• Army Intelligence Office: Collects information on events and actors abroad.
• DSN: The police state security authority is primarily responsible for combating extremism and terrorism.

The 19-year-old had not previously appeared as an Islamist, he was not a so-called threat that the DSN would have had on its radar, and nothing was initially known about his environment and his rapid radicalization. Taylor Swift was again scheduled to perform at the Happel Stadium from August 8 to 10 - 67,000 visitors were expected inside and thousands of fans outside the stadium on each evening.

On the right in the picture is the main suspect Beran A. He gave himself the fighting name "Mo" in allusion to the Prophet Mohammed.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Eva Manhart, zVg)

(Bild: APA/AP)

(Bild: Tuma Alexander/Starpix / Alexander Tuma)

The fact that the constitutional protection officers were able to collect and secure sufficient evidence in good time before the concert dates, on the basis of which the 19-year-old and his 17-year-old alleged accomplice are now in custody on charges of terrorist association and another acquaintance of the 19-year-old has been arrested, speaks for an efficient investigation. After all, it became clear within a few days that the 19-year-old was not a lone perpetrator, that he probably did not carry out the preparations for the intended crime alone and that there were obviously accomplices.

Why investigations are more time-consuming in Austria
Investigations in the fight against terrorism are considered to be time-consuming and resource-intensive and often require cross-national coordination - in Austria this is even more time-consuming than in other EU countries because there are legal hurdles. The monitoring of messenger services is still not permitted in this country.

The three intelligence services, which act jointly as a cooperation center for intelligence services, are therefore also calling for reform: "An adjustment of legal powers under strict legal control is unavoidable in order to counter current and future threats to Austria and its citizens."

Taylor Swift did not even travel to Vienna as a result of the concert cancelations in Warsaw.

(Bild: glomex)

DSN Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner was tight-lipped about the clues that led to the 19-year-old and subsequently to two further arrests: "An important aspect of our professional approach is that we do not disclose any details of communication with our national and international partners - neither metadata nor content."

Commenting on the findings of the investigation, Haijawi-Pirchner said: "The DSN was able to fulfill its legal mandate in full and regain the trust of the international community. It enjoys the trust of global partners and is in regular contact with international security authorities and intelligence services."

The DSN was able to fully fulfill its legal mandate and regain the trust of the international community.

DSN-Direktor Omar Haijawi-Pirchner

Bild: Imre Antal

Islamists with roots in North Macedonia
It is striking that, as in the terrorist attack in Vienna in November 2020, the main suspect in the current case is also an Austrian with North Macedonian roots. Men with North Macedonian roots have also been suspected of terrorism in other cases: in 2015, an Austrian citizen with roots in North Macedonia was suspected of belonging to a radical Islamist terrorist organization and recruiting jihadists. A North Macedonian was also arrested in an anti-terror raid the following year.

The Vienna attacker Kujtim F., who was shot dead by the police, also had North Macedonian roots.

(Bild: Screenshot)

However, the "Derad" association does not see a conspicuous increase in cases of radicalization in the community, a spokesperson explained in an APA interview on Saturday. There are no signs that Albanian-North Macedonian Muslims in particular are the focus of IS campaigns, emphasized the "Derad" spokesperson. Incidentally, North Macedonia is currently providing intensive assistance in the investigations surrounding Beran A. At the request of the Austrian authorities, the Balkan country's Ministry of the Interior has initiated investigations into the main suspect in the foiled terrorist attack in Vienna.