The U.S. passed a secret warning to Russia earlier this month of a plot to target large crowds ahead of an attack that killed at least 40 people and injured over 100 at a concert hall outside of Moscow, according to U.S. officials.
Explosions rocked the site and gunmen opened fire on concertgoers Friday evening, Russian authorities said, less than a week after Vladimir Putin was elected for a sixth term as the country’s president.
U.S. officialssaid they believed Islamic State was responsible for the attack. The group claimed responsibility in a statement issued by the Islamic State-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram, without providing evidence.
On March 7, the U.S. embassy in Moscow issued a cryptic warning to American citizens to avoid concert venues in Moscow. “The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the warning said. The State Department at the time declined to provide any additional information.
This week, Russian state news agency TASS said that Putin described U.S. warnings about a possible territory attack as “provocative” statements which “resembles outright blackmail and an intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”
The warning to Moscow was conveyed in line with a longstanding “duty to warn” policy that has been implemented across U.S. administrations to warn foreign governments against potential deadly threats. The intelligence was considered “actionable,” potentially providing Russian authorities with enough time to mitigate an attack, officials said.
One of the U.S. officials said the warning resulted from a flow of compelling intelligence in recent months. “We have basically a steady stream of intelligence dating back to November about ISIS wanting to strike within Russia,” the official said, referring to Islamic State.
Under the duty-to-warn policy, if U.S. spy agencies collect “credible and specific” information of an impending attack or kidnapping, they must warn the intended victims, whether they are U.S. citizens or not. The U.S. routinely shares warnings of potential terrorist activity with allies and partners. In some cases, it also warns potential adversaries.
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