WAS YOUSEF PALANI INVOLVED IN GROUP TERRORISM? IS THERE A COVER UP? & HOW MANY TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN IRELAND?
By Suzie D.
A few things are striking about the case of #YousefPalani, aside from the deeply disturbing nature of the crimes. Firstly, the trial date was pushed back. Was the state desperate to get a guilty plea (in exchange for some undisclosed benefit)?
The (very late) guilty plea means the families are spared a trial (but also denied investigative details). However, it also serves to avoid detailed disclosures about the unspeakable torture of the victims; and IF Palani was involved in terrorist groups, a trial would ensure the public would be made aware (obliterating remaining support for unvetted immigration).
Palani has, time and again, been referred to as a "lone wolf". They're pushing that narrative exceptionally hard, despite it being obvious he was at least inspired to use an Islamic extremist modus operandi. He was undeniably a radical. Then we hear €250,000 euro was found in his home...said to be "unlinked to criminality." What 23-year-old has legitimately accrued that kind of cash?
Many details (and lack thereof) don't sit right, and if locals’ claims are true that he disappeared abroad for a few months prior, then serious questions need to be asked.
Where did he go and what did he do? Who did he have contact with before, during, and after? Where did the money come from? What was he planning to do with it? What do his communications show?
Between 2017 and 2021, there were 30 jihadist related arrests in Ireland, compared with 1 in the previous 5 years (and many more are under surveillance) Most arrests were for financing terrorist groups. Some were individuals who made donations, some raised money from others. This is cause to question the €250,000 in Palani’s possession. Was he involved in Jihadist activities? Raising money to finance terrorist groups? Had he received money for that purpose?
Many arrests in Ireland for terrorism financing do not result in convictions. It's difficult to prove monies donated were terrorism related. In other words, it's often unprovable that the money was... "linked to criminality".
In 2018 one man was "successfully" convicted in Ireland of being involved in an international fundraising operation. Agent of the Islamic State Hassan Bal, 26, with an address in Waterford, organised the collecting of cash through his "network of couriers", and he smuggled to it to Syria. He faced 20 years but instead was sentenced to 30 months. At the latest he was released in 2021. Where is he now? There are no reports of deportation and no reports of arrests or convictions of his courier accomplices.
If offenders are sent to prison, the Irish Prison Service has no deradicalisation / counter-extremism programme. In any case, such terrorists should be deported. It is almost impossible to deradicalise terrorists.
Ireland now has a specialist terrorist unit since 2014, the Garda Counter-Terrorism International (CTI) unit monitors Islamic terrorism threats. In recent months the only "extremism" Drew Harris seems bothered about is the Irish mythical "far right".
This article is not intended to tar all Muslims. But we must have conversations about Islamic related terrorism. After all, it has the potential to affect everyone (including Muslims). We must become proficient at reading between the lines (when deciphering carefully controlled news), and while we may not always speculate correctly, it is necessary to ask questions in a time of great deceit (case in point: the HSE sabotaged the investigation into the Nigerian nursing home rapist). The state knows this, hence the hate speech laws.
Officially extremism is on the rise in Ireland, and as it rises, the level of transparency around it will decrease.
We will never know if Palani was involved with group terrorism. But it's vital we have the conversations we are not meant to have. Now, more than ever.