Nasa hacker McKinnon's extradition halted for review

[D69]

NEWS

New home secretary Theresa May has paused Gary McKinnon's extradition proceedings so she can fully consider the issues in his case.

May has applied for a judicial review hearing, scheduled for Tuesday next week, to be adjourned, the Home Office said on Thursday. The hearing had been arranged to consider whether May's predecessor, Alan Johnson, was right in law to allow the Nasa hacker's extradition to go ahead despite fresh evidence of McKinnon's worsening psychiatric condition.

"The Home Secretary has considered the proposal from Gary McKinnon's legal team and has agreed an adjournment should be sought," the Home Office said. "An application to the court is being made today."

McKinnon's solicitor, Karen Todner, said in a Thursday statement that May "wishes to have appropriate time... to consider the issues in the case".

"I hope this may be a signal of a more compassionate and caring home secretary and one that is willing to defend the rights of our citizens," Todner said. "I will be lodging further representations shortly. In the meantime Gary will remain in the UK."

Johnson was the last in a string of Labour home secretaries to reject pleas from McKinnon's supporters to halt the extradition. Indicted by the US Justice Department in 2002 for hacking into US military systems, McKinnon faces up to 70 years in a maximum security federal prison if convicted in that country.

McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger syndrome, a condition on the autistic spectrum, has always admitted the hacks, but claims to have been looking for evidence of extraterrestrial life. He denies having caused the levels of damage — $700,000 (£485,000) — alleged by the US authorities.

Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who now govern in coalition, have expressed doubts about the extradition, and the Lib Dems have explicitly called for the extradition to be stopped.

The government also said on Thursday that it would "review the operation of the Extradition Act — and the US/UK extradition treaty — to make sure it is even-handed". A major criticism of the proposed McKinnon extradition is that the US can demand the UK send over criminal suspects without just cause, but there is no reciprocity in the deal.

ZDNet UK asked the Home Office on Thursday whether May's decision to pause McKinnon's extradition proceedings had anything to do with this planned review, but had received no answer at the time of writing.

src:__http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2010/05/20/nasa-hacker-mckinnons-extradition-halted-for-review-40088988/

 

[durabone]

Some context might help. McKinnon you might recall, hacked into NASA computers looking for evidence of UFOs.

_http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/20/computer-hacker-gary-mckinnon-extradition-on-hold

This article mentions the 'word' UFO:

McKinnon's supporters believe the new coalition government is sympathetic to their cause as David Cameron and Nick Clegg have in the past publicly criticised plans to extradite McKinnon. Last year, Cameron said any trial should take place in the UK. He said there was "a clear argument to be made that he should answer [any questions] in a British court".

McKinnon admitted to hacking into 97 computers in the US defence department and Nasa from his London flat, and said he was looking for evidence of UFOs between 2001-2.

Despite a lengthy legal battle and strong public support for the Free Gary campaign, McKinnon has so far failed in his seven-year fight against extradition. His supporters argue that McKinnon has Asperger's syndrome and was driven only by an obsession with UFOs. The US government argues that his hacking attempts were a deliberate effort to breach American defence systems.

I remember the day this was announced. People were quite upset, and apparently still are.

 

[The rabbit]

I for one am happy to hear this , ive ben keeping up to date on this extradition thingy. The interesting thing is the "he was only looking for ETs" reason for letting him be free , when this just may be the reason that they want him so badly.

Anyway I hope he gets to stay in the U.K. It would be another psychological blow to him if after this pause he is extradited.

 

[durabone]

In this wired magazine interview from 2006, he says he succeeded:

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2006/06/71182

'UFO Hacker' Tells What He Found


McKinnon: I knew that governments suppressed antigravity, UFO-related technologies, free energy or what they call zero-point energy. This should not be kept hidden from the public when pensioners can't pay their fuel bills.
WN: Did you find anything in your search for evidence of UFOs?
McKinnon: Certainly did. There is The Disclosure Project. This is a book with 400 testimonials from everyone from air traffic controllers to those responsible for launching nuclear missiles. Very credible witnesses. They talk about reverse-(engineered) technology taken from captured or destroyed alien craft.

EDIT: "The Disclosure Project" is a re-roll of CSETI vis-a-vis Dr. Steven Greer. He 'almost' succeeded in starting congressional hearings circa 2000. But then DICK ARMEY was put in charge of the committee at the very last minute and scuttled the whole thing, am I right?