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BS: Why is this man being extradited ?

31 Aug 08 - 12:02 PM (#2426834)
Subject: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

I don't frequent the BS section much so forgive me if this has already been discussed (I couldn't see any sign that it has been)

It makes me sick that the British Government don't have the balls to stand up for their citizens' rights, and are going to allow the extradition of this man to the US for an "offence" which I am sure most of us here would be only too delighted to have committed.

(And I speak as a dedicated Americanophile btw )

the GaryMcKinnon story

Officials at the Pentagon have egg on their faces and are seeking a scapegoat for their own incompetence imo


31 Aug 08 - 12:13 PM (#2426837)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

Ten to one they hire him to help protect their systems. Makes one feel all cuddly and warm to know that the nation's secrets are so securely handled. WTF!

And the folks in Europe NOT telling the US to get stuffed on this one lets ya know who doesn't have any cajones.


31 Aug 08 - 12:21 PM (#2426841)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: John MacKenzie

So he should be able to break the law with impunity or what?

JM


31 Aug 08 - 12:28 PM (#2426843)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

So the US should make its defence secrets so easy to access? Perhaps Homeland Security should investigate the Defence Department and NASA. Sure as hell if he could do it then so could people who do not have the best interests of the US/Europe in mind have done so too.


31 Aug 08 - 12:38 PM (#2426853)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

Terrible sentence. However . . . .


31 Aug 08 - 12:48 PM (#2426860)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

John, I do understand where you're coming from, and I suppose I agree a bit. But there also has to be a sense of proportion. There is no doubt in my mind that Bush and Cheney should be doing hard time for the deaths of so many kids, both soldiers and civilians. However, they got a pass on that. Yet some poor bugger looking for UFO information deserves the full and undivided attentions of the USA court and penal system? Hell, the bar has been set so low that I have difficulty seeing this as the crime of the decade. That honour is presently held by the White House, and it will continue to be until such time as thoose two are prosecuted for crimes against humanity.


31 Aug 08 - 12:52 PM (#2426863)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Megan L

Then why not send him to prison here not tae some foreign country that is considering either the death penalty or sending him to gtmo


31 Aug 08 - 01:03 PM (#2426871)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: olddude

gosh I hate hackers, But when they have breached my servers in the past I blamed myself. I know better and I know the tricks.   He should be fined in England, or get his hands slapped, even go to jail . Not extradited here, it is over kill and a waste of tax payer dollars to drag it out. There are many classic ways to nail hackers, A server called a tar pit to grab and hold a connection, a trogan server deliberatly left open to nail a hacker. My guess he is cut into a trogan server that never had real data on it only misleading data. Most sensitive government networks are setup in such a manner. I don't believe he even go close to critical data but was a government server hence the crime. The millions it cost were millions to trace the entry point. Nothing was compromised IMO. But a waste of more taxpayer dollars ... no not for this. If he launched a virus ... damn right he should


31 Aug 08 - 01:04 PM (#2426872)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: artbrooks

"Terrible sentence"? Has he already been tried and convicted? If not, how could anyone say he faces the death penalty?   US law forbids the extradition of US citizens - why doesn't UK law do the same?


31 Aug 08 - 01:08 PM (#2426874)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

"Perhaps Homeland Security should investigate the Defence Department and NASA. Sure as hell if he could do it then so could people who do not have the best interests of the US/Europe in mind have done so too."

The grammar. That's what I meant by 'terrible sentence'.


31 Aug 08 - 01:08 PM (#2426876)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

If he had committed an offence on American soil and scarpered back to this country, I would have no problem with his extradition.

If (and it is a big "IF") he has in fact committed any offence at all, then he should be tried and sentenced in the country wherein he committed the offence.


31 Aug 08 - 01:12 PM (#2426877)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: olddude

Most of the time when you hear of a HS kid hacking a government network, they are hacking into a trogan server like I described. I repeat, they contain false and misleading data and are setup to trap hackers. The guy got nowhere close to sensitive data IMO. They are too good at protecting it. The real problems come in when an employee who is authorized and working for the DOD gets the data and sells it. They call that espionage


31 Aug 08 - 01:28 PM (#2426889)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Georgiansilver

I actually think Bruce hit the nail on the head.. early in the thread... any bets that this guy will 'disappear' off the public radar and be working with his computers for the """authorities"""" whoever they happen to be.....


31 Aug 08 - 01:29 PM (#2426890)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Jean(eanjay)

I'd rather we extradited Abu Hamza.


31 Aug 08 - 02:21 PM (#2426921)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: McGrath of Harlow

If the US Defence Department is crap they should be grateful to people who demonstrate that to be the case, and who inform them - in this case by putting up a message to that effect.

As for the UK Government, what else would you expect from a loyal satellite? Look at the other current case where the UK has been desperately trying to avoid annoying Washington by ceasing to collude in suppressing evidence indicating that a British resident on trial in Guantanamo, facing the death sentence, was viciously tortured to produce a "confession"?


31 Aug 08 - 02:21 PM (#2426922)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: John MacKenzie

"The unemployed man could face life in jail if convicted of accessing 97 US military and Nasa computers.

It alleges that between February 2001 and March 2002, he hacked into dozens of US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense computers, as well as 16 Nasa computers.

Prosecutors say he altered and deleted files at a naval air station not long after the 11 September attacks in 2001, rendering critical systems inoperable."


Yes of course, people who are just looking for UFO's [sic], always delete files on the systems they hack, don't they?

Sorry folks, but if it were your bank account, or your medical records, you'd be more than a little bit peeved.

Hackers are bad news.



JM


31 Aug 08 - 02:31 PM (#2426929)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

Yes, they are. Lotsa hackers out there. But THIS guy has the US DoD on his ass and I think NASA might be a tad pissed off, although I'm sure they'll see it as an opportunity to study the weaknesses of their systems. Suppose the guy was a for-real get into the system and play games and maybe pass on the info' The info would be gone elsewhere--hell, lots of elsewheres, so other than the how and the extent their securities were breached, why else get the fellow to the US for interrogation under the HLSA. This isn't about law, imo.


31 Aug 08 - 02:40 PM (#2426936)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: CarolC

The US is saying he altered and deleted files, but the guy himself makes a very good argument why we shouldn't believe what the US government is saying about it.


31 Aug 08 - 02:45 PM (#2426942)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: McGrath of Harlow

Hackers can indeed be bad news. But irresponsible organisations who don't ensure that important public data is kept securely are even worse news.

If it was my bank account or medical records I'd be angry all right - angry at the people bank or the hospital that had let me down so badly.


31 Aug 08 - 02:46 PM (#2426943)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: McGrath of Harlow

Hackers can indeed be bad news. But irresponsible organisations who don't ensure that important public data is kept securely are even worse news.

If it was my bank account or medical records I'd be angry all right - angry at the bank or the hospital that had let me down so badly.


31 Aug 08 - 02:47 PM (#2426946)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: SINSULL

He should be tried on British soil and if convicted serve his time in a British prison.


31 Aug 08 - 03:42 PM (#2426986)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Richard Bridge

The real problem is that the UK/US extradition treaty is very one sided. Basically, the US whistle, we extradite, without even any prima facie evidence that a crime (under the laws of either jurisdiction) has been committed, and certainly without examining whether the alleged foreign crime is a crime under UK law.

But it ain't that way when the UK wants to extradite anyone in the USA. Oh no.


31 Aug 08 - 04:32 PM (#2427017)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Sandy Mc Lean

How can a person be guilty of breaking laws of a country that he may never have set foot in? If he, a British citizen broke a British law deal with him in Britain! If no British law was broken and he never left British soil does he not have guaranteed rights? The Canadian government under Harper's rule is often first in line to kiss Bush's arse but our constitutional Bill of Rights give us protection. Extradition of people to the USA or elsewhere must comply with Canadian law.


31 Aug 08 - 05:11 PM (#2427044)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Richard Bridge

An Englishman can be convicted of a murder in Paris.

The "sex tourism" UK laws mean that Garry Glitter maybe charged in the UK of offences agains Thai children in Thailand.

As for extradition, the colony simply pass teh laws that the colonialists demand...


31 Aug 08 - 05:17 PM (#2427052)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Penny S.

I cannot understand why we allowed this unbalanced agreement to be passed. It is appalling. There have already been some businessmen taken to answer for something they did in this country.

Is there any chance it can be renegotiated if there is a regime change?

Or is there really some conspiracy out there?

Penny


31 Aug 08 - 05:23 PM (#2427059)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: John MacKenzie

I agree the imbalance is iniquitous, but that doesn't ameliorate this man's crime does it?

JM


31 Aug 08 - 05:27 PM (#2427064)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

Nope. But what kind of crime is it? You leave the front or back door open and someone enters. Ya leave the keys in your ignition and the car gets swiped.


31 Aug 08 - 06:07 PM (#2427094)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: olddude

Like I said and repeat, I DOUBT the guy got into anything but a Trogan server, one that is setup to nail hackers. I know what I am talking about. It is damn near impossible to get into their real servers. There are deliberate holes setup in the tar pit and Trogan servers with fake information. It is designed to nail someone on the outside hacking. I DOUBT seriously if he saw anything of interest to anyone. I will bet the farm on it. You can take it to the bank, YOU DO NOT GET INTO THEIR SYSTEMS. Any other access is simply a trap set to catch hackers. Like someone stated, leave the keys in the car and wait till someone steals it. However this car is set to run out of gas and lock you in.


31 Aug 08 - 06:16 PM (#2427099)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Richard Bridge

We can in theory denounce it any time we like, and repeal any relevant UK law. That's "Parliamentary sovereignty".

But the poodle bitch will always roll over.


31 Aug 08 - 07:21 PM (#2427163)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

talking of poodle bitches, we may as well mention the so called European Court of Human Rights, who have just rejected his appeal.

I believe this is the same august body who decreed a number of years ago that tips paid by credit card in a hotel or restaurant could be retained by the owner and used to pay the staff wages, instead of being handed out as a bonus over and above the basic wage.


31 Aug 08 - 09:53 PM (#2427248)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: CarolC

If it's true that he didn't get into their systems, then the US government is lying about what he did.


31 Aug 08 - 09:56 PM (#2427252)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Peace

But we kinow that would never happen, Carol. This administration lie? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!


31 Aug 08 - 10:26 PM (#2427279)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Bert

How about adding up all the financial damage that hackers cause and making the bum pay some restitution. If he is the only one caught then he can pay the lot.

I have no sympathy for him whatsoever.


31 Aug 08 - 11:58 PM (#2427319)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: RobbieWilson

Just for a little perspective, on the radio news the other day I heard this story, saying that the man being extradited was liable for up to 70 years if UAS prosecutors get their way. The following item was on a man convicted of manufacturing sub machine guns known to have been used in 8 separate murders given a life sentence defined as at least 11 years.


01 Sep 08 - 08:01 AM (#2427550)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Mr Happy

His solicitor Karen Todner said this had been her client's "last chance" and appealed to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to intervene.

"He is absolutely devastated by the decision," she said. "He and his family are distraught.
"They are completely beside themselves. He is terrified by the prospect of going to America."

She added Mr McKinnon had recently been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and would ask for the case to be tried in this country.

**************

Relevance?


01 Sep 08 - 08:47 AM (#2427574)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Bert - PM
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 10:26 PM

How about adding up all the financial damage that hackers cause and making the bum pay some restitution. If he is the only one caught then he can pay the lot.

I have no sympathy for him whatsoever.


an uncharacteristically blinkered response, Bert. I am surprised at you ...


01 Sep 08 - 09:58 AM (#2427619)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Stu

"Relevance?"

If this is true, it is relevant. Asperger's is not always easy to diagnose and sufferers can and do lead relatively normal lives, often un-noticed and untreated. They are often adept at very technical work requiring high analytical skills, but often they have some 'eccentricities', in the form of varying degrees of problem with social interactions. If this chap has Asperger's then the chances are however you explain the wrongs of his actions he won't see it that way.

Of course, as the US actually condones the killing of mentally ill people then actually suffering from a disorder isn't a defence.

But then extraditing an individual to any county that carries the death penalty, kidnaps, tortures and detains people without trial and without access to proper legal support is morally unacceptable in my opinion anyway.


01 Sep 08 - 10:59 AM (#2427670)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Uncle_DaveO

PEACE said. . .

Terrible sentence. However . . . .

Peace, I don't know whether you're talking about someone's writing style or the possible penalty for the charges brought against the defendant.

If the latter, one should never take at face value such statements as "he could receive X years" or "could cost him Y" period of time. The operative word is "could".

Those statements in newspaper stories are almost invariably technically true but false as a real prospective penalty. The writer takes the maximum penalties for each charge and adds them up to a frightening total and prints it. But the Court in most cases has wide, wide latitude, both as to length of imprisonment term to be imposed for each charge and whether the sentences are to run concurrently, which is very common.

Supposing he's convicted of all charges, I'd be surprised if he received more than say 20 years (instead of ninety-some), and possibly a good deal less.

Dave Oesterreich


01 Sep 08 - 11:06 PM (#2428290)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: The Fooles Troupe

There seems a direct parallel to the recent Aussie 'terrorist' case - poor bastard brainwashed at Gitmo for years on little evidence except his 'confession under duress' - Little Fascist Johnny bent over for George, and the guy was bullied to plead guilty under a 'Star Chamber' (English History Reference!) system that was later discredited.


01 Sep 08 - 11:11 PM (#2428292)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: The Fooles Troupe

Oh - btw, you ever seen many Yanks given the same treatment to other countries? Especially the Military who rape women in Okinawa, spirited away in secret back home?

What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander...


02 Sep 08 - 08:27 AM (#2428598)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: GUEST,HughM

Sandy said almost exactly what I've been thinking: If he has broken a British law, he should be tried in Britain. If he has not broken a British law he is innocent. I find it extroardinary that foreign criminals can get sanctuary in Britain if their own countries have the death penalty or use torture to gain evidence, yet we are prepared to hand this guy over to the United States, where he has never been.
If he really has made a nuisance of himself in some way, perhaps the U.S. should be grateful that this problem with their security was found by someone benign and not by terrorists.
I believe the relevance of Asperger's syndrome is that he may not be good at foreseeing the consequences of his actions.


02 Sep 08 - 08:36 AM (#2428613)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Manitas_at_home

This is where the Internet is bringing up problems. The server he hacked into is in the US therefore the US authorities considered the offence to have taken place in the US whereas you or I might comsider that the offence took place in the UK. Perhaps we could avoid extraditing him by prosecuting him here under English law? Would double-jeopardy then come into effect?


02 Sep 08 - 11:15 AM (#2428792)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Richard Bridge

No, the Blair poodle signed a very one-sided treaty, and put it into a very one-sided UK statute, so now the UK is OBLIGED to send the innocent-until-proven-guilty to the USA where the rich go free and the poor to jail, and the UK courts are OBLIGED to make orders that will comply.

It is in short colonialist. The American legal system is imposed on an economically dependent territory.

Will this guy get a fair trial in the USA? Like hell he will.


Not that the UK is perfect (Lord Haw-Haw, the Birmingham 6 (although I'm not so sure about that one) the Dando murderer (although I'm not so sure about that one either) and so on), but it seems to me that it is not THAT bad.


02 Sep 08 - 11:38 AM (#2428812)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: katlaughing

I wouldn't complain at all if someone were to indict and extradite the shrub et alia to the Hague or wherever to be tried for war crimes.

This seems a bit much for the hacker, but then we do not have all of the facts, do we? Regardless, I don't have much use for hackers but, from what has been said, I don't think it warrants the harsh sentences mentioned.


02 Sep 08 - 06:58 PM (#2429281)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Penny S.

Radio 4 had a play about this this afternoon. The US prosecutor apparently said the "hope he fries" remark in the interview where he was offered a plea bargain.

What the hell are we doing sending someone to be tried in a country with the death penalty? Can we rescind this? I know Burke thought all Parliaments bound their successors, but I though Paine's argument against that had won.

According to the play, he thinks the reason he was picked on from all the hackers he saw in there (passwords set to default, computers on all night)is because he got into the place where the US keeps all the antigravity and energy secrets they got from reverse engineering UFOs, and he wanted to publish them so the oil wars wouldn't happen. I don't know how true that is.

Penny


02 Sep 08 - 07:02 PM (#2429287)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Penny S.

BBC R4b Afternoon Play - McKinnon Extradition


02 Sep 08 - 11:23 PM (#2429473)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Sandy Mc Lean

The Helms-Burton Act was an attempt to extend USA law to other soverign nations (mainly trading with the enemy, aka Cuba). It was a piece of shit and I think that one of these bastards died a short time ago. It was soundly rejected by USA's allies but I think that it was passed into law anyway. This extradition agreement seems to follow in its footstep of bullying your friends. The good people of the UK should not stand for it! Demand a bill of rights that neither Blair nor those who succeed can overrule! If Gary McKinnon has not broken your laws tell Bush to "KISS YOUR ARSE!"


03 Sep 08 - 02:41 AM (#2429547)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Penny S.

It occurs to me that I have been ambiguous about the not knowing the truth of the situation described in the play. What I don't know is how true it is that he claims to have found evidence of the US using UFO technology, as in does he so claim, or if so, does he believe his claim. (If he is AS, then he would believe his claim). Not how true it is that he actually found such evidence, or, if he found such evidence that it was true.

Penny (profound sceptic on the subject)


03 Sep 08 - 03:57 AM (#2429579)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Paul Burke

the Birmingham 6 (although I'm not so sure about that one)

No doubt at all that they were framed. Unprofessional forensics, coppers desperate for any conviction, gullible and panicking jury, appeal judges concerned more to support each other than with justice.


03 Sep 08 - 04:20 AM (#2429591)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: CarolC

He does so claim, and he says it like he believes it. He says he was inspired to start investigating that sort of thing after hearing a lot of former high level US government and military people talking about it through the Disclosure Project.


03 Sep 08 - 05:15 AM (#2429622)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: John MacKenzie

It was a play, not a documentary, don't be misled by things that cannot be proven, but are used for dramatic effect.

JM


03 Sep 08 - 05:18 AM (#2429625)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Penny S.

Quite, hence my doubt. But the fries remark has been widely reported before, and not countered.

That is atrocious.

Penny


03 Sep 08 - 06:00 AM (#2429646)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: CarolC

Gary McKinnon, in his own words...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=541527296239246483&ei=h1--SOGsDY7-qwL69M3_CA&q=Gary+McKinnon&vt=lf&hl=en


03 Sep 08 - 09:31 AM (#2429763)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Paco Rabanne


                   No names, no pack drill.


03 Sep 08 - 09:34 AM (#2429766)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Paco Rabanne

According to a BBC report this chap had been "accessing 97 military and NASA computers." If I had done that, I would expect a cruise missile down the chimney. What a silly billy this man is.


03 Sep 08 - 02:12 PM (#2430058)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

I guess olddude has grown weary of posting his wise words to no avail, seemingly, so I will repeat his earlier post.

Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: olddude - PM
Date: 31 Aug 08 - 06:07 PM

Like I said and repeat, I DOUBT the guy got into anything but a Trojan server, one that is setup to nail hackers. I know what I am talking about. It is damn near impossible to get into their real servers. There are deliberate holes setup in the tar pit and Trojan servers with fake information. It is designed to nail someone on the outside hacking. I DOUBT seriously if he saw anything of interest to anyone. I will bet the farm on it. You can take it to the bank, YOU DO NOT GET INTO THEIR SYSTEMS. Any other access is simply a trap set to catch hackers. Like someone stated, leave the keys in the car and wait till someone steals it. However this car is set to run out of gas and lock you in.


how difficult is that to understand ?

I get it, and I am no mental heavyweight ...


03 Sep 08 - 02:51 PM (#2430091)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: John MacKenzie

Well as he said "It is designed to nail someone on the outside" hacking. This smart ass got nailed.
JM


03 Sep 08 - 06:14 PM (#2430292)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: CarolC

If that's the case, how was he able to carry on his activities for more than two years?


31 Jul 09 - 03:09 PM (#2691209)
Subject: RE: BS: Why is this man being extradited ?
From: Murray MacLeod

Maybe a Joeclone would like to link the thread started today to this earlier thread, for the sake of continuity ...