http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/27/internationalcrime.hacking



By Jamie Doward

home affairs editor

The Observer

July 27 2008



When he wakes up this morning, Gary McKinnon will be 72 hours from 

learning whether he is on the fast track to a 60-year prison sentence, 

thanks to his obsession with aliens.



McKinnon, 42, from Enfield in north London, is accused by American 

prosecutors of illegally accessing top-secret computer systems in what 

they claimed in one legal document was 'the biggest military computer 

hack of all time'.



The self-taught IT expert insists he was simply looking for information 

the US government had on UFOs and is adamant that he never damaged any 

of its computer systems. This argument, however, cuts little ice with 

the Americans, who are trying to extradite him. Five years after being 

told by British police that he would probably get a six-month community 

service order for his exploits, McKinnon finds himself still wanted by 

the US authorities. A 2006 High Court ruling granted the extradition 

request, and on Wednesday the House of Lords will decide on McKinnon's 

appeal against that ruling.



[...]





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Received on Mon Jul 28 2008 - 00:46:54 PDT