David Cameron, Britain's new Prime Minister, is currently in the United States for talks with President Obama. The two leaders have a lot of weighty issues to discuss: the BP oil spill and the war in Afghanistan spring to mind. But yesterday, they also spoke about the man pictured here. That's Gary McKinnon (and his mother), and I've been following his story for a few years now.
McKinnon stands accused by U.S. authorities of committing "the biggest military hack of all time." The the months just after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, McKinnon accessed (quite easily, it turns out) high-level military and NASA computer systems. He says he was looking for evidence of UFOs. U.S. authorities say his hacking brought down critical systems, and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. They want him extradited from Britain, and tried in U.S. courts.
McKinnon's been fighting that extradition for more than four years now. The last time I reported on Gary, it looked like his last legal appeals had just about run their course.
But then David Cameron ushered in a new British government, and his administration quickly put McKinnon's extradition on hold...again.
At a news conference with President Obama yesterday, Cameron said: "We completely understand that Gary McKinnon stands accused of a very important and significant crime. But...I hope a way through can be found."
For his part, the President pointed out that he won't personally get involved with any matters related to extradition, but that his administration is open to cooperating with British officials.
"What I expect is that my team will follow the law," said Mr. Obama. "And I trust that this will get resolved in a way that underscores the seriousness of the issue."
Serious, indeed, especially for Gary McKinnon.
If extradited and convicted, McKinnon faces more than 50 years in jail, and possibly more than a million dollars in fines. McKinnon's supporters point out that he has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. They say that McKinnon will almost certainly become suicidal if he's forced to spend any amount of time in a U.S. prison.
David Cameron later suggested that one potential resolution would see McKinnon serving any sentence in a British prison, not an American one.
McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, has campaigned on behalf of her son. She told the BBC that she "couldn't believe it" when she turned on the television and saw David Cameron and Barack Obama discussing her son. She said she still hopes that McKinnon will be tried in the U.K., and she praised Cameron for "having the guts to stand up for a British citizen."
Just when I think there are no more wrinkles in this story...
(Photo: Screengrab from McKinnon supporters' website)
Tags: Cybercrime, Internet
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