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Accused British Hacker Gary McKinnon Loses Appeal

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 28 August 2008 - 17:09 · 35 comments & 7369 views

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A British man accused of hacking into U.S. military computers lost a major court battle today and could be extradited to the United States within weeks. Gary McKinnon is alleged to have illegally accessed computers belonging to the Pentagon, NASA and the U.S. Army and Navy in 2001 and 2002. McKinnon lost his appeal today to the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition.

A British man accused by the United States of "the biggest military hack of all time" lost an appeal on Thursday and could be extradited to the United States within weeks. Gary McKinnon, 42, had asked the European Court of Human Rights to block his extradition, complaining that he could face inhumane prison conditions if convicted there. He took his case to the court after losing an appeal to the British House of Lords last month.

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#1 Hum on 28 Aug 2008 - 17:26
#2 hackncrap on 28 Aug 2008 - 17:27
this is sick maybe if the government wasnt lying to every one all the time he wouldnt of done it he shouldnt be sent to the us as they are sick when it comes to prisons! i say let him go! he is a legend!!! via la mckinnon
(2 replies) #3 Majesticmerc on 28 Aug 2008 - 18:04
In principal, I don't agree with his extradition, because he shouldn't have gotten in if the systems he was hacking into had at least even half-decent security. Sensitive information shouldn't be on the Internet, period.

However, both British and U.S. law do consider deliberately breaching security to be an offence, and he doesn't really have an appeal. It's like appealing a house robbery because "The windows didn't have bars on them".
#3.1 Webworldx on 28 Aug 2008 - 20:12
(Majesticmerc said @ #3)
In principal, I don't agree with his extradition, because he shouldn't have gotten in if the systems he was hacking into had at least even half-decent security.


By the same token, if a small corner shop doesn't have a security guard and cameras, you should be allowed to steal from them?
#3.2 Majesticmerc on 28 Aug 2008 - 20:14
(Webworldx said @ #3.1)
By the same token, if a small corner shop doesn't have a security guard and cameras, you should be allowed to steal from them?


Read the second paragraph of my comment too.
(2 replies) #4 Airlink on 28 Aug 2008 - 18:17
Run, Gary. You won't get a fair trial in the US, not while Bush and his cabal of crooks are in power. Just run, and don't look back. The underground is waiting for you.
#4.1 NightmarE D on 28 Aug 2008 - 19:19
it doesn't matter who the president is and don't take this as me taking up for Bush and his buddies because I'm not. Not a fan at all. I seriously doubt Bush would even know who this guy is if he were asked.

Anyway

He'd be screwed no matter who the president is. Look at the stuff he says he saw and you realize exactly why they are trying very hard to extradite him and want to put him in prison for 70 years to make sure he never says another word about it.

Files that show:
A cover up of an alien presence
We have and use alien technology
A secret space program with a list of names listed as "non-terrestrial officers"
Free energy exists and is being used
Anti-Gravity
An entire building at NASA that's used only for airbrushing images from space before they ever reach the public
Images of UFO's
Images and documents about bases on the Moon and Mars

Among many other things. Astronauts have even admitted all these things long before McKinnon ever said anything about it and they are ignored. These people would have no reason to lie and make up stuff like that. They were there and seen it all with their own eyes and don't like how it's all being hidden from the public.

They want to make sure this guy never sees the light of day again. 70 years for a hack that used a little script he found? Come on people, it's a lot more than that and there's a reason that the government calls it the "biggest military hack of all time". Not because of how he did it, but because of what he saw in there that they were too stupid to properly secure.
#4.2 dr spock on 29 Aug 2008 - 02:06
Nightmare are you crazy?
Free Energy does not exist and is not being used. It breaks the Laws of Thermodynamics, and the laws of thermodynamics cannot be broken.
Use of alien technology? More BS. Assuming aliens do exist somewhere in the universe, for humans to acquire alien technology, aliens would either have to voluntarily give it to us, or we would have to take it from them. Now, given that they are technologically advanced enough to travel the cosmos, I'm pretty sure we wouldnt even be able to detect them, let alone communicate with them or shoot them down over and steal their technology.
Antigravity. This must be why NASA spends billions on propulsion systems and rocket fuel every year. If the US had technology as groundbreaking as true antigravity, it would be pretty obvious they were using it.
As for images and documents, anyone can create images and documents, it doesnt mean anything. There are thousands of pictures of "UFO's" on the internet, and almost as many conspiracy theories about the moon. Hell, noone has set foot on the moon in years, and noone has been to Mars, so how the hell could there be "bases" there? I dont exactly see the US sending resupply rockets to the Moon/Mars every few months.

Pull your head out of your a** and face reality. The guy is being extradited to the states so he can face the consequences of computer hacking. If someone hacked my PC, and I had the power to extradite them, I would, just so I could kick their a**.
(2 replies) #5 thealexweb on 28 Aug 2008 - 18:48
He did the crime in his country and he should do the punishment in his own country.
#5.1 +Shadrack on 28 Aug 2008 - 21:29
The crime wasn't against his country.
#5.2 Airlink on 29 Aug 2008 - 08:13
What he did was grey-hat hacking, and what his did should not be classified as computer crime. He didn't actually do any of the "dammage" the US is claiming. All he did was show-up the holes in their security but poking his virtual head inside their supposedly "secure" network and taking a look; Holes they has to pay to patch, and their claiming that expense as damages. Well, guess what? This isn't a civil suit, and you can't bring criminal charges against someone for voluntary costs you incurred after the fact. If he didn't actually damage anything, then the law he's being charged under is unconstitutional and should be struck down.

Not only that, how does US law apply to someone not on US soil who's not a US citizen? It doesn't, that's how. The British government is submissive to the US on this issue. I mean, the brits could have charged him with a crime themselves, punished him, refused to extradite him, and that would have been the end of it. Sadly though, the White House has the British government for lap-dogs these days. Makes me sick.
(6 replies) #6 A Clockwork Lime on 28 Aug 2008 - 19:02
He's a complete and total idiot and deserves incarceration for that alone.

He knowingly and willing broke into a foreign government network. Not only a foreign government network, but the United States' goverment network. Not only was it a foreign government network, it was a foreign MILITARY network. Not only *that*, but he did it as a script kiddie. He wasn't even creative or intelligent about how he did it. He just used some scripts he found on the internet.

Whatever his reasons (which makes him ten times as stupid if you believe his bull**** aliens excuse), it was a stupid, idiotic and moronic thing to do. Praising such stupidity just makes -you- stupid.

Maybe Bubba'll **** some sense into him.
#6.1 NightmarE D on 28 Aug 2008 - 19:31
I like how types like you mention the little script kiddie thing. You seem to forget it was him that said it himself that he used a little script he found on the net and modified. People like you make it sound like he never admitted this when it's the main thing he brings up every time he talks about it because of how easy it was to get in with it.

I also like these people who say things like "aliens can't possibly exist". What are we then? If that were true, we wouldn't be here ourselves.

#6.2 A Clockwork Lime on 28 Aug 2008 - 20:04
It works out since I like idiots like you who celebrate even bigger idiots. "Ooh, if I worship him that makes ME a hacker somehow! YAY! I R HAXORZ!" Dumbasses.
#6.3 hoju3 on 29 Aug 2008 - 01:51
So if he had been "creative and intelligent" about it, you'd feel differently?

Clearly it was the wrong thing to do. However, a possible life sentence and Bubba's brand of justice for being an idiot? Seems a bit out of proportion to me.
#6.4 Airlink on 29 Aug 2008 - 08:24
First off, the guy hacked into what is supposedly THE most secure network in the world, bar none. You can call him a script kiddy if you want, but don't do it to his face or he'll go and find a script that he didn't write himself, modify it, and then replace you with it.

He got caught, but if what we hear is true, he's mentally ill and was undiagnosed at the time he did the hack. Get him the right doctor the right kind of mental health treatment, he might turn out to be ****ing brilliant! I mean, if he can hack the pentagon while mental ill, imagine what he could do if they could get him stable, sober, and sane.

You ****ing right-wing Law & Order types thing jail is the answer to everything. You don't stop to consider what you're throwing away by just locking someone up and not even trying to see how his skills could be useful.
#6.5 ir0nw0lf on 29 Aug 2008 - 14:19
(Airlink said @ #6.4)
You ****ing right-wing Law & Order types thing jail is the answer to everything. You don't stop to consider what you're throwing away by just locking someone up and not even trying to see how his skills could be useful.

So by your logic, we should take a serial murderer who was mega efficient at carving bodies up, give him a free ride and put him in a butcher shop of some kind where he can use those skills?
#6.6 Airlink on 30 Aug 2008 - 03:26
(ir0nw0lf said @ #6.5)
(Airlink said @ #6.4)
You ****ing right-wing Law & Order types thing jail is the answer to everything. You don't stop to consider what you're throwing away by just locking someone up and not even trying to see how his skills could be useful.

So by your logic, we should take a serial murderer who was mega efficient at carving bodies up, give him a free ride and put him in a butcher shop of some kind where he can use those skills?

Where did I say anything about serial murderers? I think you're the one who needs to study logic a little more, buddy.
(4 replies) #7 Manuroc on 28 Aug 2008 - 20:43
If he was an American living in the US and hacking into another government's computers to steal sensitive data, he would never be extradited to that country for sentence.
#7.1 hoju3 on 29 Aug 2008 - 01:53
I totally agree.
#7.2 Shiranui on 29 Aug 2008 - 03:20
Indeed. They would just say "So, er, what did you find out?"
#7.3 nmesisca on 29 Aug 2008 - 09:14
(Manuroc said @ #7)
If he was an American living in the US and hacking into another government's computers to steal sensitive data, he would never be extradited to that country for sentence.



but of course we are all serving the US of A
#7.4 Airlink on 30 Aug 2008 - 03:27
Yeah, the Union of Stupid Assholes. May they rot in hell.
#8 starless.bible.black on 29 Aug 2008 - 01:13
don't mess with Big Brother is the message I get.

poor guy, my son has Asperger's syndrome and I understand that he got a little carried away with his curiosity.
#9 Shiranui on 29 Aug 2008 - 03:21
Poor B'stard, he's gonna get waterboarded.
(3 replies) #10 ursamajoran on 29 Aug 2008 - 05:59
I think I just ROFLed! Oh poor baby doesn't want to be buns up kneeling for his 6'8" 380lb. toothless cellmate Beelzebubba in a U.S. Prison. Well maybe he should have hacked into the Canadian Military's systems. I hear they have couches in the cells and give you warm milk and cookies before they tuck you in. LOL, what a major loser. If you can't do the time, then...oh you know the rest. Hey Gary. C YA! Wouldn't want to be ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#10.1 Airlink on 29 Aug 2008 - 08:29
Who let the four-year-old in?
#10.2 nmesisca on 29 Aug 2008 - 09:13
(ursamajoran said @ #10)
I think I just ROFLed! Oh poor baby doesn't want to be buns up kneeling for his 6'8" 380lb. toothless cellmate Beelzebubba in a U.S. Prison. Well maybe he should have hacked into the Canadian Military's systems. I hear they have couches in the cells and give you warm milk and cookies before they tuck you in. LOL, what a major loser. If you can't do the time, then...oh you know the rest. Hey Gary. C YA! Wouldn't want to be ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



oh how i reaaaaly hope something bad happens to you.
#10.3 mitch41 on 31 Aug 2008 - 12:48
How could you even say that? You haven't a clue.
(2 replies) #11 +cJr. on 29 Aug 2008 - 10:12
I don't understand why everybody is defending this McKinnon guy!! It serves him right!! He shouldn't have hacked into the computers in the first place! You wouldn't like it if he hacked into your computer & saw your personal details, credit card information, or porn collection (lol).
#11.1 ir0nw0lf on 29 Aug 2008 - 14:29
(if you can't recognize sarcasm, don't read on)
Remember, the people defending him for *insert lame reason* would like to think that hacking is perfectly legal and that he did nothing wrong. Hello?? He hacked into a military computer system. It is 100% irrelevant *how* or *why* he did it (honestly, does his hunting for UFO/alien/conspiracy theories really change things?), scripts or otherwise. That does not change the fact that he still hacked into their system with no permission/authorization. I have yet hear of anyone in the US military who said, "Oh yeah, we gave him permission to hack into our systems or to breach our security to test for vulnerabilities." I guess those defending him have evidence of such. *shrug*

I guess I should hop on to the bandwagon too. You folks in Britain, any suggestions on a British target to hack (you know, for curiosity purposes and all, *cough* UFO's, aliens, British royal coverups or scandals *cough*), brag about then try to fight extradition?
#11.2 Mike on 29 Aug 2008 - 14:31
(cJr. said @ #1)
I don't understand why everybody is defending this McKinnon guy!! It serves him right!! He shouldn't have hacked into the computers in the first place! You wouldn't like it if he hacked into your computer & saw your personal details, credit card information, or porn collection (lol).


so you think all hackers should be tried as terrorists and locked up for 70years?
#12 jonnytabpni on 29 Aug 2008 - 14:52
I actually feel scared for this guy..

The world is a scary place
#13 David Horn on 30 Aug 2008 - 06:10
I think the issue here isn't whether or not he broke the law - we all agree that he did. The problem is that he is to be extradited to a country which (no offence intended) has a fairly backwards legal system when it comes to sentencing. I'm no bleeding heart liberal, but chances are if convicted in America he will see the rest of his life in prison.

For murder, yes, I can see that as an acceptable punishment. For curiosity? No. I'm not denying that he deserves punishment of some description, but an effective death sentence in an American prison is not it.
#14 LiqHead on 30 Aug 2008 - 13:20
He broke the law- plain and simple. If you can't do the time then don't do the crime

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