"Christie said. "It is a very significant intrusion case, because it reinforces the fact that a lone individual who is motivated can cause significant damage to the military preparedness of this country.""

That is a fact which is not disputed by anyone, In fact all electronic intrusion are, by the very nature of them coming from one keyboard, "lone" stumbles/searches.

"...coming so soon after 9/11, was serious enough to justify a huge investigative effort, particularly amid initial fears that it might have been the sponsored by a terrorist organisation. He acknowledged that the security of systems may not have been up to scratch, but said that this was besides the point."

"Besides the point" ...... a Lack of American Intelligence is besides the point, with them raising around like headless chicken looking for a terrorist organisation to blame on their lack of Secure Systems Programming with them suffering 911 and Anthrax attacks from forces trained at home. Do me a favour and do yourselves a favour, Mr Christie, Grow up and wake up and smell the Coffee, there's a good little chap.

""It [would] show him to be much more deliberate, methodical and vindictive than otherwise," said Christie. "I would imagine that the government is going to try to show that he's not this eccentric, but that he is using that as his cover story where his real motivation is attacking the government and the military because of US policies."

McKinnon faces a seven-count indictment in the US and claims that he caused damages estimated at $700,000. He disputes these damage assessments.

According to Christie, a major focus of the prosecution case will be to prove that McKinnon's attacks caused financial harm. “The government, through McKinnon's admissions, is halfway to the goal line but still has a ways to go," he said."

Financial harm a major focus for prosecution? Where then are all of Wall Street Darlings and Fat Cat Bankers whose Crooked Schemes have wiped off and will continue to wipe off Billions if not Trillions from the Markets and now who have a Serious Crisis of Confidence to Manipulate as their Game Crashes down around them and their Oily Friends? Or do they all get a Free Pass? Dream on, dude. To think that is acceptable would be deliberate, methodical and vindictive towards natural Justice and make a mockery of everything that America is supposed to represent.

Memo to NeoCons .... whom you will remember pulled down their own PNAC website site for the Wealth of Information it spilled about their very fascist plans and the Persons of Interest responsible ..... The Great Game has Changes. Get Used to ITs Lead and get with its NeuReal ProgramMIng.

Surely you can understand that Simple Text Message....... or do you want IT in Elementary Pictures too ..... http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Mastery-Level-Storybook-Rainbow/dp/0026863553/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

And what of "military preparedness of this country." today, I wonder. Is it any more advanced than it was before or is it still wide open to intrusion ..... because of the dirty secrets which the Administration is trying to Hide?

And Yes, there is a Fix for that, but it would most definitely be Alien to you, although do not use that as an excuse for Intelligence to Fail Again to Protect and Serve the Nation as you wage War with Terror rather than Engage in CyberIntelAIgents.

In God We Trust that is not ambiguous and/or difficult to understand. If you can't Lead Properly .....Just Follow AI Paths.

It says a lot about US government systems when they can only catch a UFO chaser from Blighty when they review their system security after realising they've been owned.

Regards looking like terrorism, given the weight governments attach to this word these days, surely they shouldn't use it in such a wishy-washy context.

The extradition should be fought as the Yanks can't be trusted to hand out a punishment that fits the crime, particularly if its handed over the the military. The "terrorism" link smacks of abuse of legislation, must like when that Walter fellow was thrown out of the Labour Party conference under terrorism acts.

Anyone who things that people have a fundamental right to victimize based on a unusual opportuntity for an easy attack is seriously deranged.

You seriously think that anyone making a mistake deserves to be victimized?

If you were my neighbor we'd have problems. One of my friends forgets to lock his door when he goes to work and there is an old woman who leaves her kesy in her front door somethings.

I catch you in the act and the police will be laughing all right, but not at the victim.

.

oooooo! Thoughtcrime!

I have to admit that I don't give a monkey's either way in this case.

Whatever his actual competence, his intent was still to hack into systems containing "Suppressed" (Or "Top Secret" as we say in the industry.) information. Anyone who expects "Them" not to care about this is either

1) So incompetent that their attempt will miss the mark by a mile

2) A complete cretin.

3) Has a hilarious faith in their own abilities.

On the other hand we have government systems that were inconvenienced by the above specemin.

Just send him on his way and hope that the court sentences both parties to death, I doubt either of them brings anything useful to the genepool.

Paris, godforbid she ever bring anything to the genepool

Well, maybe this WAS a terrorist attack in as much as they said "Ooooh! I'm frightened!!!" and then were in deathly fear of losing their jobs when their inconceivable incompetence was found out, ensuring that they were terrorised.

'course this only works if the merkins involved were yellow-bellied wankfests.

Got another one for you there Turbojerry

5. Friendly fire (now there's a misnomer if ever there was one!)

Also known as wanting to murder anyone who doesn't follow your ideals and not giving a flying fig who gets in the way, even your allies.

Mine's the one with the iPhone in the pocket with dictionary.com on the screen.

1. How precisely can you cause $700,000 of damage to a computer network like the pentagon whose security would presumably be unrivalled (leaving out the lack of any external CCTV cameras during 9/11 -_-)?

2. Conversely, why the hell is Naval Station Earle, which apparently is one of the US Navy's few Atlantic munitions replenishment docks be susceptible to 'damage' considering its strategic importance?

3. Gary McKinnon is a noob. I don't often use that word. Its far over used, but in this case ignoramus doesn't quite capture the idiocy of the subject. Why the hell would you be so stupid as to run the risk of antagonising the US govt during its highest overall threat level since 1962? Especially considering the sabre rattling supreme in its executive branch.

- Paris because even she isn't quite that stupid.

Oops. It only works one way. Sorry I forgot.

"Christie said. 'It is a very significant intrusion case, because it reinforces the fact that a lone individual who is motivated can cause significant damage to the military preparedness of this country.'"

Ah, the old purloined letter, hiding the truth right out in the open. I agree with this 100% -- but the problem isn't that this hacker is so evil, the problem is your security is pants. This reinforces the fact that your network is wide open to any bored script kiddie with some time on his hands.

"He acknowledged that the security of systems may not have been up to scratch, but said that this was besides the point."

*snerk* Hah hah hah! No, it IS the point. You're trying to deflect our attention from the real problem, which is not this poor schmuck, but the fact that our wonderful expensive military is either too cheap or too stupid -- probably too cheap AND too stupid -- to set up a properly secured network. Instead of saying "Oops, we've screwed up, time to fix things" you try to lay the blame at the feet of the first guy caught in the spotlight.

MUCH easier to shoot the messenger than solve the problem.

I would clutch at every available straw to avoid facing charges of terrorism infront of the US military.

If he did leave a silly note it only shows he has sufficient mental incompetence to believe the US government are capable of hushing up contact with aliens. If the US was involved in a giant cover-up, it would on all the news outside the US and they would make a movie about it for he US market.

$700,000 to train the 97 most computer illiterate soldiers in the US to remember a secure password? A bargain price, but I do not see why McKinnon should have to pay it. The US has lots of soldiers. There must be plenty capable of remembering a password. Who selected those 97 for vital defence computer work?

I am sure real terrorists are cowering in fear at this message from the US: "Don't mess with us or our lawyers will hound someone else!"

Paris for president!

It is amazing to me, that people do not believe that a theft / crime has occurred (and all logic seems to go out the window), if it was done from behind a keyboard.

Unless of course, it is a spammer. A spammer can murder/suicide their family, or get a 10+ yr sentence basically for annoying people. While people here and elsewhere generally applaud the end results. What "real" harm has a spammer caused YOU, that should result in a 10 yr sentence or the death of their children?

Spam

Spammer sends spam for extended period of time. Spammer sends you emails that say "i send you spams, because you are a sucker and you deserve it". Spammer caught.

Spammer defense:

I did it, but just for fun. I didn't mean to upset you.

Well, other people have sent you spam too.

Your email server let me send you mail. As a matter of fact, anyone can send you mail. So you sort of deserve it.

My deliberate sending of spam directly to you doesn't count, because others could (and have) sent you spam. So you can plainly see that the criminal charge is not fair to me, the spammer. It is only the result of poor timing, and my unfortunate capture.

homeless man assault

Worldwide news report of a group of people beating a homeless man to death in NYC. During the report, the same group shows up and beats another homeless person to death. In the same spot, on live TV.

A week later you travel to NYC from far away, and are caught on video kicking a homeless guy. But not identified. Over the next several months, you are caught on video kicking dozens of homeless people. Not just in NYC, but in Boston, D.C., and Miami too.

You are aware of the video, but feel righteous. You write a letter to NY times stating "there was a reason those filthy bums were killed, I am BOOT, I will continue to stomp". Then you are caught.

Your defense:

I think that homeless people are secretly rich. I was not trying to hurt them or kick their body. I was just trying to kick their pants pocket, to make all of their money fly out.

I kicked them, but I saw other people kick them too.

They are just lying there in the street. Any person walking by would have been able to kick them. So they are sort of asking for it.

My timing and taunting? Coincidence. I just believe that the homeless are rich and am out to prove it. That's all. Yes I am aware that the homeless exist in every country in the world, and if they are secretly rich, they would be secretly rich in other countries too. I am aware that I could have tried to prove my theory on the local homeless or the homeless in Russia, China or France. But i feel that the U.S. homeless are a special kind of rich, so i wanted to prove my theory on the U.S. homeless.

--

When the hell did "well, it's not impossible.." replace "it's probable" in reasonable doubt / thinking?

Is this guy wealth, or just a political cause? This extended defense has to be costing a bundle.

My main concern on this issue revolves around the question, Is he telling the Truth? Seems to me , that the US Gov. is after him to force him to rescind his previous comments about what he saw, he says he saw evidence involving UFOs and Anti-Gravity technology, both items happen to be at the core of the most highly classified and compartmentalized secret programs being guarded by the US. The deal the US authorities have offered appear to be quite fair, but I'll wager you a hefty sum that part of any deal will include immediate cooperation from Gary with regards to the top secret information he has "leaked", to the media. His admission that he was using Marijuana during his exploits is tailor made for countering his damaging assertions. A statement by Mr. McKinnon explaining that he did not actually see any of the items claimed, in conjunction with any plea deal will serve as evidence of this theory. He says he did not download any images because they were embedded, but someone of his skill level can capture any images present on his computer monitor. The knowledge of these systems would benefit Humanity, the US will conceal and weaponize any such technologies, the free countries on the other hand would more likely develop the resources for the benefit of the world. By allowing Gary to be extradited, the UK is allowing the Corporate controlled US industrial complex to further their unsavory goals.

Perhaps there are no such technologies, but it all boils down to one question, "Is he telling the Truth?"

I live in the States, I have some idea of what my Government is capable of.

"US foreign policy is akin to government-sponsored terrorism these days.... It was not a mistake that there was a huge security stand down on September 11 last year.... I am SOLO. I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels."

This is damning only in an USA court, everywhere else it is a statement of fact. W has killed more innocents than Bin Laden ever will.

When did Blair sign away our laws legitamacy to Washington ? It is time for a Boston tea-party in reverse.

...like on https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3231674 and McKinnon had read it too...

What is relevant is that any organization should think that they can have critical systems secure whilst being available on the internet. Fucktards is too kind a word for them.

Efros

I'm not certain if its retrospective but...

ARTICLE 4

Political and Military Offenses

1. Extradition shall not be granted if the offense for which extradition is requested is a

political offense.

I think a strong case could be made for this being a Political offence ;)

"a major focus of the prosecution case will be to prove that McKinnon's attacks caused financial harm"

er, how much has been spent on the prosecution case? it must be more than 700K. presumably they will now prosecute themselves also.

Did he really think he could get away with hacking into the us military?

Gary should have just waited. It's clear that we're being slowly conditioned to alien life, what with NASA's daily Mars bulletins. I reckon we'll be told the truth by Xmas.

Sorry, no sympathy for this man. Yes the yanks appear to be throwing the book rather hard, but then that is their way in a post-9/11 world.

Bottom line - be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions, or don't do it in the first case. Hacking was clearly an offence when this guy went alien-hunting, he should have thought about what he was doing and the concequences of getting caught.

In this day and age, hacking US computers from a UK network, the chances of being caught are probably something greater than 99%...

I'm sure I don't need to provide much evidence to prove to you that not one single branch of the US administration entirely trusts any of the other branches. Therefore, given that so many people think that the Airforce / NASA / whoever are covering up advanced technology, why is it so hard to believe that other agencies would be investigating the veracity of these reports? The files may all say 'No evidence found' but you can bet your bottom dollar that _every_ agency has some files on UFO reports.

Computer Misuse Act 1990.