{"id":1222,"date":"2008-09-12T17:45:51","date_gmt":"2008-09-12T17:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/2008\/09\/12\/news-updates-uf\/"},"modified":"2008-09-12T17:45:51","modified_gmt":"2008-09-12T17:45:51","slug":"news-updates-uf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/news-updates-uf\/","title":{"rendered":"NEWS UPDATES: UFO Researcher Gary McKinnon in Jeopardy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"logo\">\n&nbsp; <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"34\" width=\"163\" alt=\"BBC NEWS\" src=\"http:\/\/newsvote.bbc.co.uk\/nol\/shared\/img\/printer_friendly\/news_logo.gif\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"headline\">\n&nbsp; Hacker appeals to home secretary\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong><br \/>\nLawyers for a Briton accused of hacking into secret military and Nasa<br \/>\ncomputers are asking the home secretary to ensure he is not jailed in<br \/>\nthe US. <\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon,<br \/>\n42, who last month lost his appeal against extradition, could face life<br \/>\nin jail if convicted of accessing 97 computers. <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;His lawyer Karen Todner said his human rights would be breached if he did not return to the UK after a trial.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Home Office said his case was &quot;receiving consideration&quot;.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p>\n<div class=\"bo\">\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nA spokesman said: &quot;Further representations have been received today<br \/>\nfrom solicitors against Mr McKinnon&#8217;s surrender to the USA which are<br \/>\nreceiving consideration.&quot; <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&#8216;Biggest ever attack&#8217;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nUnemployed Mr McKinnon, from Wood Green, north London, was said to be<br \/>\n&quot;distraught&quot; after losing his extradition appeal to the European Court<br \/>\nof Human Rights. <\/p>\n<p> He has admitted breaking into the computers, but says<br \/>\nhe sought information on UFOs and only got in because of lax security. <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The US government, however, insists he committed a malicious crime &#8211; the biggest military computer hack ever.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nThey say he stole passwords, deleted files and left 300 computers at a<br \/>\nUS navy weapons station unusable immediately after the September 11<br \/>\nterrorist attacks. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p>\n<div class=\"ibox\">\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<td width=\"5\">\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/td>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<td class=\"fact\">\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Clearly it is time to re-think summary extradition when US prosecutors threaten to &#8216;fry&#8217; a non-violent computer hacker<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;James Welch, Liberty<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/td>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/tr>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p>\n<div class=\"bo\">\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ms Todner said she had written to the Home Office asking for an intervention on her client&#8217;s behalf.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nShe said: &quot;We have requested that the home secretary obtain an<br \/>\nassurance from the United States government that Mr McKinnon be<br \/>\nreturned to the UK immediately on receiving a sentence in the US,<br \/>\nshould he be extradited. <\/p>\n<p> &quot;It is standard practice for both the Dutch and Israeli<br \/>\ngovernments to seek this assurance on behalf of their nationals who<br \/>\nface extradition to the United States. <\/p>\n<p> &quot;In light of Mr McKinnon&#8217;s being diagnosed with<br \/>\nAsperger&#8217;s Syndrome, it would seem to be highly appropriate that the<br \/>\nhome secretary obtains this assurance.&quot; <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&#8216;Non-violent&#8217;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mr McKinnon was arrested in 2002 but never charged in the UK.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nHe first lost his case against extradition at the High Court in 2006<br \/>\nbefore taking it to the highest court in the UK, the House of Lords. <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;His lawyers want his case to be tried in Britain, arguing that the alleged offences were committed on British soil.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\nJames Welch, legal director of human rights group Liberty, said:<br \/>\n&quot;Clearly it is time to re-think summary extradition when US prosecutors<br \/>\nthreaten to &#8216;fry&#8217; a non-violent computer hacker. <\/p>\n<p> &quot;It is a shame that the Court of Human Rights will<br \/>\nallow his extradition even as they consider whether US extradition<br \/>\nmeasures were fair.&quot; <\/p>\n<p>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;A demonstration in support of Mr McKinnon will take place outside the Home Office on Tuesday.<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; \t&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"footer\">\nStory from BBC NEWS:<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/go\/pr\/fr\/-\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/7592884.stm<\/p>\n<p>Published: 2008\/09\/01 20:15:40 GMT<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 BBC MMVIII\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"Article\">\n<p class=\"OrigURL\">Original URL: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/09\/03\/mckinnon_bevan_interview_analysis\/\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/09\/03\/mckinnon_bevan_interview_analysis\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>McKinnon a &#8216;scapegoat for Pentagon insecurity&#8217;<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline\">By <a title=\"Send email to the author\" href=\"http:\/\/forms.theregister.co.uk\/mail_author\/?story_url=\/2008\/09\/03\/mckinnon_bevan_interview_analysis\/\">John Leyden<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"Date\"><small>Published Wednesday 3rd September 2008 08:02 GMT<\/small><\/div>\n<div id=\"Body\">\n<p>As<br \/>\naccused Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon hopes against hope to avoid being<br \/>\nextradited to the US, another reformed military systems meddler<br \/>\nconsiders his own case &#8211; and how different the outcome was.<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon is probably days away from extradition. Only a last minute<br \/>\nplea to the Home Secretary &quot;Wacky&quot; Jacqui Smith &#8211; based on McKinnon&#8217;s<br \/>\nrecent diagnosis with Asperger Syndrome &#8211; now stands between the Scot<br \/>\nand a US trial for hacking into US government and military systems.<br \/>\nFriends and family staged a demonstration outside the Home Office on<br \/>\nTuesday in a bid to draw attention to McKinnon&#8217;s plight.<\/p>\n<div id=\"MidArticleSlot\" class=\"Ad\">\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\ntile++;\ndocument.write('\\x3Cscript src=\"http:\/\/ad.uk.doubleclick.net\/adj\/reg.security.4159\/crime;cta='+cta+';ctb='+ctb+';ctc='+ctc+';sc='+sc+';cid='+cid+';'+RegExCats+GetVCs()+'pid='+RegId+RegDT+';'+RegKW+';test='+test+';pf='+RegPF+';dcove=d;tile='+tile+';sz=336x280;ord=' + rand + '?\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\\x3C\\\/script>');\n<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/ad.uk.doubleclick.net\/adj\/reg.security.4159\/crime;cta=0;ctb=0;ctc=0;sc=2;cid=;vc=print.print;vc=sec.crime;pid=0;;test=;pf=1;dcove=d;tile=2;sz=336x280;ord=88468177800626?\"><\/script><a href=\"http:\/\/ad.uk.doubleclick.net\/click;h=v8\/373a\/0\/0\/%2a\/f;206382233;11-0;0;15542648;4252-336\/280;27650070\/27667949\/1;;%7Esscs=%3fhttp:\/\/www.cashandcarrion.co.uk\/geek_central.html\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Click here to find out more!\" src=\"http:\/\/m.uk.2mdn.net\/viewad\/1641155\/ad-cnc_atarET.jpg\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<noscript> &lt;a<br \/>\nhref=&quot;http:\/\/ad.uk.doubleclick.net\/jump\/reg.security.4159\/crime;dcove=d;sz=336&#215;280;ord=JBXYaUgD9j0AABgLG44AAAA8?&quot;<br \/>\ntarget=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img<br \/>\nsrc=&quot;http:\/\/ad.uk.doubleclick.net\/ad\/reg.security.4159\/crime;dcove=d;sz=336&#215;280;ord=JBXYaUgD9j0AABgLG44AAAA8?&quot;<br \/>\nwidth=&quot;336&quot; height=&quot;280&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; \/&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;<br \/>\n<\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n<p>The handling of McKinnon&#8217;s case is in marked contrast to how US<br \/>\nauthorities handled a similar one ten years ago. Like McKinnon,<br \/>\nreformed computer hacker Mathew Bevan was charged with breaking into US<br \/>\nmilitary computer systems. Bevan was also curious about searching for<br \/>\nevidence that the US military had harvested technology from crashed<br \/>\nUFOs. Bevan&#8217;s alleged crimes were cited as examples of cyberterrorism<br \/>\nat Senate hearings in 1996.<\/p>\n<p>But no attempt was ever made to extradite Bevan to the US. Instead<br \/>\nhe was prosecuted in the UK. The case eventually fell apart after 18<br \/>\nmonths, when prosecutors decided not to proceed.<\/p>\n<p>Bevan put the legal fight behind him and has since gone on to become<br \/>\nan ethical hacker and security consultant. Speaking exclusively to <em>El Reg<\/em>,<br \/>\nBevan said McKinnon is being used in a political game that has more to<br \/>\ndo with securing funds than deterring or preventing attacks.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Clearly, lessons have not been learned since I breached similar<br \/>\nsystems and as I have always suggested &#8211; perhaps stopping the<br \/>\nintrusions is not the goal of the administration,&quot; Bevan said. &quot;Tacitly<br \/>\nallowing access to machines by ensuring that default passwords or in<br \/>\nfact access methods without passwords is suggestive of a system that<br \/>\nreally does not care too much about many of the machines connected to<br \/>\nit.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Bevan questions why Windows PCs on US military networks are<br \/>\nconnected to the internet via direct IPs. Thousands of attackers<br \/>\nregularly use the same remote access port accessed during McKinnon&#8217;s<br \/>\nhack, but little or no action has been taken in their cases, Bevan adds.<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon has said that many other hackers had gained access to the<br \/>\nsame systems he was accessing, questioning why US authorities singled<br \/>\nhim out for prosecution. The fact that McKinnon did nothing to disguise<br \/>\nhis tracks and lived in a country with a friendly extradition regime<br \/>\nprobably has a fair bit to do with this.<\/p>\n<p>Bevan supports McKinnon&#8217;s contention that he was far from alone in<br \/>\nrooting around US military systems. &quot;You ask any military hacker about<br \/>\nthe machines they broke in to and they will tell you they were not the<br \/>\nonly people on those systems. Of course, they weren&#8217;t the only people,<br \/>\nas there were great numbers of people whiling away their time hacking<br \/>\ncomputers.&quot;<\/p>\n<h3>Pork barrel ploy<\/h3>\n<p>McKinnon, according to Bevan, was far more than simply unlucky.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Why is it that only a tiny number of those people ever face<br \/>\nprosecution? It is clearly not because the others cannot be found. You<br \/>\ncannot believe that out of so many people, Gary <em>just happened<\/em> to be caught.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon is being used as a scapegoat in a bid to secure extra<br \/>\nfunding to protect US military networks, according to Bevan, who<br \/>\nreckons a commercial organisation would never get away with such<br \/>\ntrickery.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;I think it&#8217;s all about timing and whether or not the hacker will<br \/>\nmake a good scapegoat whilst allowing the administration to request<br \/>\nfurther money. The fear machine can keep churning out propaganda as per<br \/>\nnormal, but don&#8217;t expect those machines to actually get better<br \/>\nsecurity. They are not businesses, have no shareholders and therefore<br \/>\ndo not have to answer to the same stringent rules and tests that the<br \/>\ncomputer systems of corporations would.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Bevan compared hacking attacks to an infestation by pests. Both stem<br \/>\nfrom a failure to follow basic housekeeping rules, he argued.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;My cynical side believes that those &#8216;pesky hackers&#8217; are treated<br \/>\njust like any bug infestation, the odd one or two or even a handful is<br \/>\nnot much of an issue until the place becomes overrun. It is then that<br \/>\nyou can call in the exterminators and make a big fuss about the<br \/>\nproblem, of course it never addresses that the usual problem with an<br \/>\ninfestation is someone has not been keeping their place tidy. You leave<br \/>\nscraps around for rats to find and in a short time you will have many,<br \/>\nmany more rats sniffing around for the goodies.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>With such lax security, the US authorities are lucky that McKinnon only had peaceful intentions in mind, Bevan noted.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Gary is a self-confessed stoner and perpetrated the &#8216;biggest<br \/>\nmilitary hack of all time&#8217; whilst completely wasted. This is clearly a<br \/>\nsign of how lax the security of these systems was. If Gary had been<br \/>\nclear minded and deliberate about what he wanted to achieve and was a<br \/>\nmalicious person rather than the pacifist he is &#8211; where exactly would<br \/>\nwe be now?&quot;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"PageBreak\" \/>\n<h3>Fast-track extradition is a one-way street<\/h3>\n<p>The US Congress has not ratified the fast-track extradition treaty<br \/>\nbetween the UK and the US. UK prosecutors would need to present a<br \/>\ncompelling case before a US court before securing an extradition,<br \/>\nwhereas US authorities, as in the McKinnon case, have far fewer hurdles<br \/>\nto clear.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;If it was an American hacker who had breached our computers &#8211; would<br \/>\nwe be fighting for extradition? I doubt it. In fact, we would most<br \/>\nlikely have to issue a public apology for our lapse in security and the<br \/>\nmedia would be up-in-arms about how weak our defences are.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>He added that the human factor is often ignored in the debate over<br \/>\nMcKinnon&#8217;s fate, which is split between the &#8216;burn him&#8217; camp and the<br \/>\n&#8216;deal with him here or let him go&#8217; lobby.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;People seem to forget that Gary is not just a meme or a &#8216;hacker&#8217; &#8211;<br \/>\nhe is a real person. This guy has been waiting for six and a half years<br \/>\nalready. Now the chances are that if it had been dealt with over here<br \/>\nhe would have long served his time and be free to carry on his life.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Due to political wranglings, all we are going to see is more time<br \/>\nlumped on top of what has already been spent waiting in the wings and<br \/>\nas many expect that time could be way in excess of the sentences for<br \/>\nmurder here.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>According to papers submitted to his failed House of Lords appeal,<br \/>\nMcKinnon was offered a plea bargaining deal featuring a sentence of<br \/>\nbetween three and four years in jail, if he cooperated with the US<br \/>\nauthorities and dropped his opposition to extradition against eight to<br \/>\nten years behind bars in a high-security prison after a US trial.<br \/>\nLawyers acting for McKinnon said that this deal might not be binding,<br \/>\nand expressed concerns that McKinnon might be prosecuted by a US<br \/>\nmilitary rather than civilian court.<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon (AKA Solo) has always admitted that he broke into US<br \/>\ngovernment computer systems but denies causing any damage. Bevan said<br \/>\nMcKinnon has not had enough credit in admitting responsibility for his<br \/>\nmisdeeds.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Under UK law we are supposed to be more lenient on criminals who<br \/>\nadmit their crimes and accept the consequences. In this case, the<br \/>\neffect appears to be the opposite &#8211; plead guilty then wait for the<br \/>\nconsequences. In the meantime have your charges upgraded as new laws<br \/>\nare introduced and applied retrospectively.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of McKinnon argue that the prosecution may yet blow up in<br \/>\ntheir faces by placing the security shortcomings of US government<br \/>\nsystems under the microscope, especially if the case goes to trial.<br \/>\nSysadmins may be faced with awkward questions about why their systems<br \/>\nwere so easy to infiltrate. Even if such questions fail to arise at<br \/>\ntrial, they might spark unwelcome Congressional scrutiny.<\/p>\n<h3>Stars and prison stripes<\/h3>\n<p>Bevan said McKinnon can expect to be treated harshly by a US court, especially if (as expected) he is tried in Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Virginia is not exactly the most friendly state to foreigners and<br \/>\nsomehow I do not think that someone who &#8216;attacked the United States&#8217; is<br \/>\ngoing to be treated that well,&quot; Bevan said, adding there was a &quot;high<br \/>\nchances of abuse, torture, rape and drug abuse&quot; in US prisons.<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon&#8217;s supporters argue the case has wider political<br \/>\nimplications involving the UK&#8217;s willingness to deport suspects to the<br \/>\nUS and Europe without requiring evidence to be presented. Bevan is also<br \/>\ncritical of the fast-track deportation system.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Is this the new way forward for the UK justice system, to allow<br \/>\ncitizens to be removed from the country without any evidence having to<br \/>\nbe presented? To allow them to go to a penal system which allows<br \/>\ntorture and brutality of its inmates is a clear violation of his human<br \/>\nrights.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon has shown clear signs of remorse, according to Bevan, yet<br \/>\nthis has not counted in his favour. Bevan predicts that the case sets a<br \/>\npattern for how the prosecution of other UK hackers accused of<br \/>\ncommitting offences in the US will be treated &#8211; marking a permanent<br \/>\nmove away from local prosecution to extradition as the preferred route.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;It saddens me that the USA can remove our citizens without any<br \/>\nprima facie evidence, yet we cannot do the same when we wish to<br \/>\nprosecute one of their citizens. This always felt like one of the main<br \/>\ntest cases and I am sure that we will see more people being treated in<br \/>\nthis way &#8211; guilty or not makes no difference,&quot; Bevan told <em>El Reg<\/em>.<br \/>\n&quot;If you do not have to argue your case or can justify closed hearings<br \/>\nbased on &#8216;national security&#8217;, we are clearly moving deeper into a<br \/>\nsystem of control and away from any kind of democracy.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;People talk about &#8216;Don&#8217;t do the crime if you can&#8217;t do the time&#8217;,<br \/>\nbut what if the crime did not have the consequences at the time that it<br \/>\nhas now? When he was doing what he was doing, the extradition laws were<br \/>\nnot made and hacking was not a terrorist offence.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon was recently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Bevan is<br \/>\nsceptical whether this, and more especially his heavy use of marijuana<br \/>\nwhile hacking, will be counted as mitigating by the US court system.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;People clearly forget to consider that Gary has Aspergers, was<br \/>\nusing huge quantities of skunk. Is this a person that was thinking<br \/>\nclearly?&quot;<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Do you think that he had any real comprehension of what he was<br \/>\ndoing? The internet is &#8216;not real&#8217; to many people, it&#8217;s just stuff that<br \/>\nhappens somewhere else. It is here that people can do things they would<br \/>\nnever normally do in the real world and do not see the correlation<br \/>\nbetween online activities and real world consequences. Someone who is<br \/>\nwasted on weed can suffer many mental effects of doing so. Here, this<br \/>\nwould be taken into consideration, but in the States, he could be<br \/>\nlooking at ten years on top of his sentence for committing a crime<br \/>\nunder the influence of drugs.&quot; \u00ae<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"RelatedStories\">\n<h3>Related stories<\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"Last gasp plea\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/09\/01\/mckinnon_home_office_demo\/\">McKinnon supporters plan Home Office demo<\/a> <small>(1 September 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/09\/01\/mckinnon_home_office_demo\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"European court clears injunction, washes hands of hacker case\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/28\/mckinnon_european_appeal_rejected\/\">McKinnon loses extradition fight<\/a> <small>(28 August 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/28\/mckinnon_european_appeal_rejected\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"European Court of Human Rights hangs fire\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/12\/mckinnon_european_injunction\/\">Pentagon hacker McKinnon earns extradition delay<\/a> <small>(12 August 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/12\/mckinnon_european_injunction\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Axis of eccentricity\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/09\/mckinnon_ufo_cyberterror_analysis\/\">McKinnon UFO hack &#8216;looked like cyberterrorist attack&#8217;<\/a> <small>(9 August 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/08\/09\/mckinnon_ufo_cyberterror_analysis\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Ordinary threats not enough\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/07\/30\/mckinnon_lords_ruling_analysis\/\">Only &#8216;unlawful threats&#8217; would invalidate McKinnon extradition<\/a> <small>(30 July 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/07\/30\/mckinnon_lords_ruling_analysis\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Pentagon hacker takes fight to Europe\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/07\/30\/mckinnon_lords_appeal\/\">McKinnon loses Lords appeal<\/a> <small>(30 July 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/07\/30\/mckinnon_lords_appeal\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"McKinnon begins nail-biting Lords wait amid claims of US threats\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/06\/16\/mckinnon_law_lords\/\">Pentagon hacker vows to take extradition fight to Europe<\/a> <small>(16 June 2008)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2008\/06\/16\/mckinnon_law_lords\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Law Lords agrees to hear his appeal\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/10\/23\/mckinnon_appeal_granted\/\">Pentagon hacker wins right to UK appeal<\/a> <small>(23 October 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/10\/23\/mckinnon_appeal_granted\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Fictitious nation to thumb nose at Cheney administration\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/08\/02\/sealand_online_casino\/\">Sealand seeks to cash in on online casino bonanza<\/a> <small>(2 August 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/08\/02\/sealand_online_casino\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Pentagon hacker in legal victory\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/07\/31\/lords_mckinnon_appeal\/\">McKinnon earns Lords appeal<\/a> <small>(31 July 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/07\/31\/lords_mckinnon_appeal\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Sanctuary at sea plan sunk\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/05\/03\/sealand_mckinnon_asylum_nixed\/\">Sealand dismisses McKinnon asylum offer as &#8216;rumour&#8217;<\/a> <small>(3 May 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/05\/03\/sealand_mckinnon_asylum_nixed\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"Gary McKinnon pops down to Infosec\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/04\/26\/mckinnon_infosec\/\">Pentagon &#8216;hacker&#8217; questions US cost claims<\/a> <small>(26 April 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/04\/26\/mckinnon_infosec\/<\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<a title=\"US military security still poor after 'biggest' hack\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/04\/13\/mckinnon_extradition_appeal_analysis\/\">Accused Pentagon hacker prosecution could backfire<\/a> <small>(13 April 2007)<\/small><br \/>\n<span class=\"URL\">http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/2007\/04\/13\/mckinnon_extradition_appeal_analysis\/<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a title=\"Permanent Link: Best Of British, Gary McKinnon\" rel=\"bookmark\" href=\"http:\/\/www.anorak.co.uk\/twitterings\/189811.html\">Best Of British, Gary McKinnon<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>BRITISH citizen Gary McKinnon, made a mistake, writes John Blake.<\/p>\n<p>He hacked into 97 American military computers, and, now the American<br \/>\ngovernment seem to want him to pay a big price.They want McKinnon\u2019s<br \/>\narse. Such is the determination of the American government to nail<br \/>\nMcKinnon, that its a fair bet that he will face a long sentence in an<br \/>\nAmerican prison after being extradited.<\/p>\n<p>What interests me about this case is how the British<br \/>\ngovernment(clowns in pin-striped suits?)are happy to bend to American<br \/>\npressure and hand Mckinnon over like an unwanted bag of dirty washing.<\/p>\n<p>So how many English people consider Mckinnon a \u201cterrorist\u201d and a<br \/>\ndanger to the UK or anyone? I\u2019ve a hunch that comparatively few feel<br \/>\nthat he is a truly bad guy on the block, and, that any sentencing<br \/>\nregarding his behaviour should be in the UK and under British law.<\/p>\n<p>How ironic indeed, that New Labour are happy to dump him across the<br \/>\nAtlantic, when there have been numerous reports in the media about<br \/>\nBritish government departments losing highly confidential information,<br \/>\nthousands of laptops, and, very important secret CD\u2019s that contained<br \/>\ninformation about millions of British citizens.They certainly deserve a<br \/>\nGOLD MEDAL for making so many cock-ups!<\/p>\n<p>So is is just as easy for the British government to get a wanky yank<br \/>\nextradited to the UK? Well, apparently not.New Labour\u2019s rear-end seems<br \/>\nopen wide and 24 hours a day to please the American administration,and<br \/>\nthe British Home Office and government officials seem so pathetic and<br \/>\ncallous about protecting a UK citizen.<\/p>\n<p>McKinnon claims he is being made a scapegoat because hacking into sensitive military<br \/>\ncomputers was \u201cridiculously easy\u201d. I feel that Mckinnon DID do wrong by<br \/>\npoking his nerdy face into America\u2019s business but consider that he<br \/>\nshould be prosecuted in Britain and under British laws, where the<br \/>\n\u201ccrime\u201d took place.<\/p>\n<p>There have been loads of cases over over the years where whizz kids<br \/>\nwith computers have hacked into secret computer files, and exposed joke<br \/>\nsecurity.<\/p>\n<p>We certainly now live in times when terrorism and the fight against<br \/>\nit is constantly spoken about,but Mckinnon deserved more protection<br \/>\nfrom his own government.If they will behave that way towards him, then<br \/>\nthe same will apply to anyone.<\/p>\n<p>How interesting to look back and remember that before the attacks on<br \/>\n9\/11 that the head of the CIA apparently said that,\u201d he didn\u2019t want to<br \/>\nhear anymore talk about the threat of terrorism.\u201d The billions spent on<br \/>\nsecurity proving utterly useless when the attacks on the World Trade<br \/>\nCentre happened on that tragic and historic day.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck Mr. Mckinnon. Your going to need LOTS of it in the very near future.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.anorak.co.uk\/forums\/topic.php?id=1762\">John Blake<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"small color-666\">\nAugust 29, 2008<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"heading\">British hacker Gary McKinnon in final appeal to Home Secretary over extradition<\/h1>\n<p><script src=\"http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/js\/m24-image-browser.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script src=\"http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/js\/tol.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\n\/* Global variables that are used for \"image browsing\". Used on article pages to rotate the images of a story. *\/\nvar sImageBrowserImagePath = '';\nvar aArticleImages = new Array();\nvar aImageDescriptions = new Array();\nvar aImageEnlargeLink = new Array();\nvar aImageEnlargePopupWidth = '500';\nvar aImageEnlargePopupHeight = '500';\nvar aImagePhotographer = new Array();\nvar nSelectedArticleImage = 0;\nvar aImageAltText= new Array();\nvar i=0;\n\/\/--><\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\naArticleImages[i] = '\/multimedia\/archive\/00390\/gary1_390003a.jpg';\n\/\/--><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\naImageDescriptions[i] = 'Gary McKinnon is due to be extradited to the United States within two weeks and faces up to 80 years in prison';\n\/\/--><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\naImagePhotographer[i] = 'Dave Bebber\/The Times';\n\/\/--><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\naImageAltText[i] = 'Computer hacker Gary McKinnon ';\n\/\/--><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\naImageEnlargeLink[i] = '\/multimedia\/archive\/00390\/gary1_390003a.jpg';\ni=i+1;\n\/\/--><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"dynamic-image-holder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"185\" width=\"385\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Computer hacker Gary McKinnon \" src=\"http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/multimedia\/archive\/00390\/gary1_390003a.jpg\" title=\"Computer hacker Gary McKinnon \" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-landscape-image-text-container\">\n<div class=\"padding-left-right-10 padding-bottom-7\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-5\" id=\"dynamic-image-photographer\">\n<p class=\"x-small color-999\">(Dave Bebber\/The Times)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-landscape-image-text-container\">\n<div class=\"padding-left-right-10 padding-bottom-7\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-5\" id=\"dynamic-image-description\">\n<p class=\"small color-666\">Gary McKinnon is due to be extradited to the United States within two weeks and faces up to 80 years in prison<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pagination-container\" id=\"pagination-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\nfCreateImageBrowser(nSelectedArticleImage,'landscape',\"\/tol\/\");\n\/\/--><\/script><\/div>\n<div id=\"main-article\">\n<div class=\"article-author\">\n<span class=\"byline\"><br \/>\nDavid Brown<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"region-column1-layout2\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\ndiv#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited {\ncolor:#06c;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"related-article-links\">\n<p>\nA UFO enthusiast who hacked into top-secret US military computers appealed to<br \/>\nthe Home Secretary yesterday to stop his extradition after losing a legal<br \/>\nappeal.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nGary McKinnon is due to be extradited to the United States within two weeks<br \/>\nand could face a sentence of up to 80 years in a maximum-security prison if<br \/>\nfound guilty. He admits to having accessed 97 US Navy, Army, Nasa and<br \/>\nPentagon computers in what has been described as \u201cthe biggest computer hack<br \/>\nof all time\u201d.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMr McKinnon, 42, an unemployed systems analyst, has said that he was looking<br \/>\nfor computer files containing details about UFOs and aliens. The US<br \/>\nGovernment says that he stole passwords, deleted files and left threatening<br \/>\nmessages.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMr McKinnon, of Palmers Green, North London, admitted carrying out the hacks<br \/>\nusing a computer in the bedroom of a house owned by his girlfriend\u2019s aunt.<br \/>\nHe says that he was motivated by curiosity and gained entry only because of<br \/>\nlax security.\n<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\nfunction pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) {\nvar newWin = window.open(pubUrl+'template\/2.0-0\/element\/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id='+articleId+'&&offset=0&&sectionName=BusinessLaw','mywindow','menubar=0,resizable=0,width=615,height=655');\n}\n\/\/--><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"float-left related-attachements-container\">\n<div class=\"related-attachements-top padding-top-10\">\n<h3 class=\"section-heading\">Related Links<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"related-attachements-side padding-top-7 padding-bottom-10 padding-right-7\">\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-5 padding-top-3\">\n<ul class=\"chevron-list chevron-blue\">\n<li><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/uk\/crime\/article4428270.ece\"><br \/>\n&#8216;Biggest ever hacker&#8217; loses US extradition appeal<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<form method=\"post\" name=\"relatedLinksform\"><\/form>\n<ul class=\"chevron-list chevron-blue\">\n<li><a class=\"link-666\" href=\"http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/news\/uk\/article1607497.ece\"><br \/>\nBriton faces US court for hacking charges<br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<form method=\"post\" name=\"relatedLinksform\"><\/form>\n<form method=\"post\" name=\"relatedLinksform\"><\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nHe had asked the European Court of Human Rights to stay his extradition<br \/>\npending an appeal, but the application was refused yesterday. He lost<br \/>\nappeals to the High Court last year and to the House of Lords last month.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nUS prosecutors allege that he caused nearly $1 million (\u00a3550,000) in damage.<br \/>\nThe US military says that he rendered 300 computers at a US Navy weapons<br \/>\nstation unusable immediately after the September 11 attacks.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMr McKinnon had become obsessed with a theory that the US was using alien<br \/>\ntechnologies to create weapons and \u201cfree energy\u201d. He gave up his job and<br \/>\nspent hours every night hacking in search of evidence.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nHe hacked into 53 US Army computers and 26 US Navy computers, including those<br \/>\nat US Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, which is responsible for<br \/>\nreplenishing munitions and supplies for the Atlantic Fleet. Calling himself<br \/>\nSolo, he left a threatening message: \u201cUS foreign policy is akin to<br \/>\ngovernment-sponsored terrorism these days? It was not a mistake that there<br \/>\nwas a huge security stand-down on September 11 last year . . . I am SOLO. I<br \/>\nwill continue to disrupt at the highest levels.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>\nHe was caught in November 2002 as he tried to download a grainy<br \/>\nblack-and-white photograph that he believed was of an alien craft held on a<br \/>\nNasa computer in the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. He was easily<br \/>\ntraced by the authorities because he used his girlfriend\u2019s e-mail account.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMark Summers, an official representing the US Government, said that Mr<br \/>\nMcKinnon\u2019s hacking was \u201cintentional and calculated to influence and affect<br \/>\nthe US Government by intimidation and coercion\u201d.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf extradited, Mr McKinnon faces trial on eight charges of computer fraud.<br \/>\nEach charge could carry a sentence of ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine.<br \/>\nIt is likely that he would receive a much lighter sentence and that, under a<br \/>\nplea bargain offer, he would spend six to 12 months in a US jail before<br \/>\nbeing returned to Britain to serve the rest of his sentence.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMr McKinnon has previously said: \u201cWhat I did was illegal and wrong, and I<br \/>\naccept I should be punished. But I am not a member of al-Qaeda. I believe my<br \/>\ncase is being treated so seriously because they\u2019re scared of what I\u2019ve seen.<br \/>\nI\u2019m living in a surreal, nutter\u2019s film.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>\nHe has suggested that the US authorities should take advantage of his<br \/>\nexpertise rather than prosecute him. \u201cThe reason I left not just one note,<br \/>\nbut multiple notes on multiple desk-tops, was to say \u2018Look, this is<br \/>\nridiculous\u2019.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>\nKaren Todner, from Kaim Todner solicitors, said that Mr McKinnon was<br \/>\n\u201cdistraught\u201d about the decision by the European Court of Human Rights and<br \/>\nappealed to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to intervene. \u201cHe is terrified<br \/>\nby the prospect of going to America,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMs Todner added that the alleged offences had been committed on British soil<br \/>\nand so he should be tried here. She also said that Mr McKinnon had recently<br \/>\nbeen found to have Asperger\u2019s syndrome. <\/p>\n<p>http:\/\/business.timesonline.co.uk\/tol\/business\/law\/article4628575.ece<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p>\n<p class=\"Furniture\"><small><br \/>\n\u00a9 Copyright 2008<br \/>\n&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/small><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\nvar gaJsHost = ((\"https:\" == document.location.protocol) ? \"https:\/\/ssl.\" : \"http:\/\/www.\");\ndocument.write(unescape(\"%3Cscript src='\" + gaJsHost + \"google-analytics.com\/ga.js' type='text\/javascript'%3E%3C\/script%3E\"));\n<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/ga.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\nvar pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(\"UA-4476960-2\");\npageTracker._trackPageview();\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/edge.quantserve.com\/quant.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">_qacct=\"p-2eBUE6aI-a5qo\";quantserve();<\/script>\n<\/p>\n<p><noscript><br \/>\n&lt;a href=&quot;http:\/\/www.quantcast.com\/p-2eBUE6aI-a5qo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img<br \/>\nsrc=&quot;http:\/\/pixel.quantserve.com\/pixel\/p-2eBUE6aI-a5qo.gif&quot;<br \/>\nstyle=&quot;display: none;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;1&quot; width=&quot;1&quot;<br \/>\nalt=&quot;Quantcast&quot;\/&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;<br \/>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"http:\/\/www.theregister.co.uk\/Design\/javascript\/story_fixup.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><br \/>\n&nbsp; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omniversity.us\/exopolitics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}