Gary McKinnon

[hugh]

" I can't play the game no more, I can't abide
by their stupid rules which get me sick inside
They've been made by men who've given up the search,
whose gods are dead..."

As somebody once said.

I can only vaguely remember posting about Gary McKinnon on here. I cannot give an out and out logical argument against convicting Gary McKinnnon, but there is something I find emotionally and morally abhorrent about the whole affair. And that's the craven attitude of this country and its lapdog acceptance of America's (and our) lunatic "war against terrorism." 'Cos that's what this is really about. They've already led us into two pointless and wasteful wars that have probably done more to further the causes of terrorism than to deter it. About forty thousand troops in Afghanistan? To deal with the threat posed by a couple of hundred members of Al Qaeda? Who've upped sticks and moved to Pakistan?? How surreally stupid can it get?

Anyways, Gary McKInnon. He breaches their security. Now I know that's wrong, but...if someone considers cyberspace to be their own sacrosanct and unbreachable territory then surely it's up to them to arrange their own cyber affairs a little better?
By all accounts it was a shambolic attempt at security by the supposedly most security conscious nation in the world, and the whole thing stinks of embarrassed scapegoat finding. Now I could see the point in treating this man as an international criminal if he were seeking to use any knowledge gained for evil ends, but he so obviously wasn't. As for 700,000 dollars (or whatever they claim it was) of damage, I'd love to see an itemised bill for that. How do they work that out? Does that include costs and labour? Or is that just the price of a bolt on the stable door after the horse has gone?

Also...if the law says the "crime" was committed in the United States, then the law is bent in favour of the powerful. Wouldn't be the first time. I really think this one of the most ridiculous and vindictive aspects of the whole affair, and if a Home Secretary has no opinion to offer on that then he's in the wrong job. As for Asperger's syndrome, I don't even think that should come into it. Aspies for freedom, I say, and free Gary McKinnon.

Sorry for rambling on so much, I'm in much the same condition as I was when I first posted.

[ionnsaigh]

Finally, Ionns - give us a clue what you're on about

The aliens and their super fuel - the lies deceit and secret files of the United States ( Oil ) America.
And last not least.. a poor bugger caught in the middle who has Aspergers.

[Kevin Mc]

Anyways, Gary McKInnon. He breaches their security. Now I know that's wrong, but...if someone considers cyberspace to be their own sacrosanct and unbreachable territory then surely it's up to them to arrange their own cyber affairs a little better?
By all accounts it was a shambolic attempt at security by the supposedly most security conscious nation in the world, and the whole thing stinks of embarrassed scapegoat finding.

I remember watching an inteview with Gary McKinnon a couple of years ago. He said that he was using something like PC Anywhere to get onto the PC's. Some of the PC's were unlocked with no password, and others had obvious passwords like "password" or "admin". Working in IT, I can believe this. He only got caught as someone happened to see the mouse moving on the unattended screen. It was a very interesting interview - I'll try to search for it - maybe on Youtube now..

Hardly hacking. Just sounds like very, very lax security and embarrassed scapegoat finding as Hugh said above.

[Sheik Yir Erse]

Kevin - look at the link posted on the previous page, it might be that one. That was the interview I remembered.

[Malky]

His lawyer has succeeded in getting him another judicial review.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8458004.stm

[Govangirl]

A bit of sense at last, I hope, although seemingly, he is in a bad state, mentally.

Further to this review,the government needs to stand up for the future Gary McKinnons and change our extradition laws as soon as possible. It is ridiculous that American prosecutors have only to supply details of a charge to a British magistrates' court to trigger extradition, while British lawyers have to provide evidence in a court to support a similar request. This country couldn't have done a better job of failing to represent the interests of British citizens if it even tried.
Yes, I'm very cynical about our seemingly one way relationship with the USA. It makes me laugh when the Murdochite/DailyMailite media machines go on about the 'Brussels Bureaucrats' taking our freedoms with stories about banning conkers or bent bananas when the greatest threat to our judicial independence and integrity comes from our pals across the pond.

Give me Brussels over Washington any day.

Phew, haven't had a rant since last year. That's my New Year resolution up the swanee then!

[Sweltered]

If he's fit to be tried, he should be dealt with accordingly...Regardless of the ease of any access he accomplished, he set out to snoop round in computer systems. If he knows right from wrong, he knew he was doing wrong, and should face the consequences.



Would that be Suwannee?

[Govangirl]

This river is the subject of the Stephen Foster song "Old Folks at Home", in which he calls it the Swanee River. It was called Swanee River because Foster had misspelled the name. George Gershwin's song, made popular by Al Jolson, is also spelled "Swanee", and boasts that "the folks up North will see me no more when I get to that Swanee shore".
Taken from Google, today. Smarta**e

[Sweltered]

This river is the subject of the Stephen Foster song "Old Folks at Home", in which he calls it the Swanee River. It was called Swanee River because Foster had misspelled the name. George Gershwin's song, made popular by Al Jolson, is also spelled "Swanee", and boasts that "the folks up North will see me no more when I get to that Swanee shore".
Taken from Google, today. Smarta**e

Am I a smerterse because I can spell and they can't ? Amusing to think how long Foster's song was the state song of Florida, complete with the spelling mistake...

Anyway, back to the hacker. Would there be the same outcry if he had been hacking into the sites Gary Glitter frequented and a foreign government wanted to extradite him...

[hugh]

Second mention of Gary Glitter. Still none the wiser on the connection.