Gary McKinnon (NASA Hacker) fails again - 31 July 2009

UFO hacker Gary McKinnon is very likely to get another burst of publicity today.

In the latest step in the long-running legal battle relating to his proposed extradition from the UK to the USA, Lord Justice Stanley Burnton and Mr Justice Wilkie (judges in the UK) delivered a ruling this morning on whether or not extradition proceedings against Gary McKinnon can proceed. He was recently diagnosed with Aspberger's Syndrome (a form of autism).

Yet again, Gary McKinnon has lost.

The BBC is reporting

UK hacker Gary McKinnon has lost his latest High Court bid to avoid extradition to the US to face trial for hacking into US military networks.

The US wants to try the 43-year-old, from north London, for breaking into US military computers in 2001 and 2002.

Gary McKinnon will be a familiar name to many frequent visitors to ATS. For anyone unfamiliar with him, he can be seen in the old video below:



All the best,

Isaac


[edit on 31-7-2009 by IsaacKoi]

That is not good.

I hope every hacker in the planet shows there support for Gary if he is now to be part of an unfair trial in the US.

CX.

I hope he remains in the Uk and stands trial here, as opposed to receiving American 'justice'.

We're on your side Gary.

Very sad story, I've been following this for the last few years. People may view this as a conspiracy against people trying to find out the truth - my view is that first and foremost this is a conspiracy against a mental health problem which is neither properly understood nor properly regarded.

Let's hope he is given justice in the US when as now seems likely he is extradited over there to stand trial. In this country (UK) the assumption is that he will not.

There's more info on how you can express your support for Gary here.

Thoughts with his family and friends at what must be a horrific time.

Free Gary!

LW

Originally posted by CX
That is not good.

Well, in the few minutes since the result was announced there are now already several stories about it on various mainstream media websites. Some of them add to recent support by various newspapers and others here in the UK.

For example, the website of the Guardian newspaper in the UK has this new story which includes:

A few hours before the ruling, McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, who has led a high-profile campaign to save her son from extradition, told BBC Radio 4's Today: "We are fighting for Gary's life. If you are talking about a 60-year sentence, if he did 30 years I would never see him again because I would be dead. I'm obsessed with saving Gary because I'm his mother."

...
The Free Gary campaign has won the support of more than 100 MPs and received vociferous backing from the Daily Mail and celebrities as diverse as Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde, Barry Norman, Jilly Cooper and Julie Christie.

The government's independent reviewer of anti-terrorist legislation, Lord Carlile, intervened to say that prosecuting McKinnon in the US would be "cruel and unconscionable" because of his medical condition.

Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, met McKinnon's mother to express her concern, while the prime minister last week said: "Anybody who looks at this must be sympathetic to someone who suffers from Asperger's syndrome."

reply to post by IsaacKoi


Government's etc, needs people like this to keep them on their toes with security.

Passwords set to default are easy targets, it should be the staff getting in trouble for it. I had heard rumors that some of the passwords where "password" I mean thats just pathetic security.

If he had used other sophisticated hacking I bet he would have a job as opposed to the overblown things that are going on right now.

I dont know much about hacking myself but this seems like overkill from governments.

He has an interesting story to tell and with the action being taken against him it sure makes it look very true.

I have never understood why they dont just disconnect so called secured government servers etc, from the internet.

This man has been stitched up in my opinion.

[edit on 31-7-2009 by XXXN3O]

Another example of how our pathetic spineless government has failed the British people. We can clearly see that they serve international/globalist masters who care nothing for the british people. Please wake up before it is too late and despose of these despots!!!

Britain Prevails!

Oh come on..

The man has not even gone to trial yet and you all have him convicted.

Give it a rest. He'll end up paying some fine if that. The lawyers will have it all tied up. It will be a giant waste of American tax payers dollars for nothing but a dog and pony show and he wont do any real time.

Draconian law

this makes me really sad....the british government makes me sick..my feelings towards my own country are getting more negative every day.

they think its ok to deport someone who will now face trial in another country where the accusers are not expected to present any evidence at all...

reply to post by alienesque


Exactly. This is my point. At least in the Uk we will have a chance, but in America it will be like throwing him to the damn dogs.

Shame on the Uk govt and shame on the US for being so inept.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Oh come on..

The man has not even gone to trial yet and you all have him convicted.

Give it a rest. He'll end up paying some fine if that. The lawyers will have it all tied up. It will be a giant waste of American tax payers dollars for nothing but a dog and pony show and he wont do any real time.

Draconian law

I don't think so they US Government are extremely determined to make an example of him, maybe to deter other potential hackers?

But I am extremely disappointed at the unwillingness of the lack of backbone our government seems to be showing, we used to rule 1/3 of the world, now we're grovelling at America's feet... times have changed eh?

Originally posted by mr-lizard
reply to post by alienesque

 

Exactly. This is my point. At least in the Uk we will have a chance, but in America it will be like throwing him to the damn dogs.

Shame on the Uk govt and shame on the US for being so inept.

ive just written to the home office stating how disgusted i am with my own government..i suggest everyone does the same.

reply to post by diamount



If you guys are really that serious then put your money were your mouths are and do something smart like create a Gary McKinnon legal fund and get him a great lawyer. I mean if you're willing to risk life and limb to try to prevent the inevitable wouldn't it be simpler to just open your purses and give up a few pounds.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Oh come on..

The man has not even gone to trial yet and you all have him convicted.

Give it a rest. He'll end up paying some fine if that. The lawyers will have it all tied up. It will be a giant waste of American tax payers dollars for nothing but a dog and pony show and he wont do any real time.

Draconian law

I agree.

As I've stated previously, I don't think he will do any serious "time", if he does any at all.

Regardless of whether or not he should have stuck his nose in where he did, I hope for his sake they can wrap all this up soon so he knows where his life will be heading.

Unfortunately, there is every chance this will drag on for quite a long time.

reply to post by Sam60


Thank God a man of reason. The US doesn't want the bad PR we've had enough of that over the past decade or so. They want a trial. PERIOD. With a conviction. The sentence however would most likely be a couple of years if that. I think the best thing the defense can do is put him on the stand once they see what a joke he is the whole thing will fall apart.


[edit on 31-7-2009 by SLAYER69]

Quite a few more stories are now online about this latest decision.

For example, ZDnet has this story. It includes the following:

The case has had ramifications beyond the hacks themselves, as it has drawn attention to the extradition treaty that exists between the UK and the US. The US can demand a suspect be extradited from the UK without probable cause, but no such arrangement exists in the other direction.

McKinnon has also been diagnosed by the autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen with Asperger's Syndrome, a disorder on the autistism spectrum. If he is convicted in the US, McKinnon faces up to 70 years in a maximum security federal prison, and his legal team has argued that, given his condition, this situation would put him at risk of psychosis or even suicide.

Politicians and celebrities have rallied behind McKinnon, arguing that he should serve any potential sentence here in the UK, rather than in the US.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by diamount

 

If you guys are really that serious then put your money were your mouths are and do something smart like create a Gary McKinnon legal fund and get him a great lawyer. I mean if you're willing to risk life and limb to try to prevent the inevitable wouldn't it be simpler to just open your purses and give up a few pounds.

Do you really think a "great lawyer" is going to make one ounce of difference at all? The second he steps on american soil he will be found guilty and the key thrown away.... it's not about him hacking into govt servers.... its about about him looking and finding ET stuff.

Originally posted by Total Package

Do you really think a "great lawyer" is going to make one ounce of difference at all? The second he steps on american soil he will be found guilty and the key thrown away.... it's not about him hacking into govt servers.... its about about him looking and finding ET stuff.

There are no guarantees but...

Honestly some of the stuff he is coming up with will either be laughed at by the mainstream media as a joke once the trial starts or the public will get very upset with spending so much time/effort/money on a UFO "Nut Job"

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by Total Package

Do you really think a "great lawyer" is going to make one ounce of difference at all? The second he steps on american soil he will be found guilty and the key thrown away.... it's not about him hacking into govt servers.... its about about him looking and finding ET stuff.

There are no guarantees but...

Honestly some of the stuff he is coming up with will either be laughed at by the mainstream media as a joke once the trial starts or the public will get very upset with spending so much time/effort/money on a UFO "Nut Job"

Of course... they will talk him us as some nut job and before you know it the vast majority will think he is the Charles Mansen of the geek world.... but no way in a million years with the US govt allow him to walk free and basically grant every single hacker out there carte blanche to waltz into the NASA/Military networks and start snooping around for UFO stuff.... with only the threat of community service hanging over them.

They will put him away for 50 years not because they are pissed off that he embarrassed them... but that they are petrified of the truth getting out. McKinnon did that hacking in the days of dialup modem internet.... downloading 200mb+ image files on a 56k modem.... virtually impossible..... but imagine the stuff we could get hold of now with the speed on the net.

[edit on 31-7-2009 by Total Package]

Originally posted by diamount
But I am extremely disappointed at the unwillingness of the lack of backbone our government seems to be showing, we used to rule 1/3 of the world, now we're grovelling at America's feet... times have changed eh?

It wasn't the times that changed, it was you -- where once the British people earned and sacrificed to maintain a world status, they have degenerated into useless spineless brainless whiners, as shown by the posts here. Just be sure to keep repeating 'danke' and 'spasibo' to the Yanks every day for your own NOT having to be speaking German or Russian today.

You know, I suspect that if McK were NOT being prosecuted, these same whiners would likely be complaining that ignoring him showed that the Yanks 'had no respect' for British culture and technological prowess. The only 'constant' is snarky, smarmy Brit whining, a substitute for thinking honestly about WHY their country's world position has slipped so lamentably and what steps are needed to help restore it.



[edit on 31-7-2009 by JimOberg]