Gary McKinnon is a victim of injustice

Jeremy

"The Americans want him to suffer because he made them look foolish..."

Making the Americans look foolish is the simplest thing in the world to do - because their native sense of humour is on a par with that of the Germans. And that is why they don't like it. Like yourselves, I suspect that this was Mr McKinnon's real "crime".

If Mr Johnson is an Englishman and a patriot worthy of his salt, then he will put a stop to this dark and filthy act of American bullying. And the government, moreover, will takes whatever legislative steps are necessary to ensure that such a thing can never happen again. And let the Tories be warned, the British people will not suffer themselves to be pushed around like this by a third-rate culture such as the United States.

Michael Booth

One of the first things the Tories should get rid of is this ridiculous extradition treaty with the USA. We are not a subject state within the American Empire (ok so we behave like it most of the time) and British citizens should not be handed over to a foreign power in this way. Lord Palmerston must be spinning in his grave...

Julianlzb87

I can understand that the Americans
can't have such a security risk wandering free. Someone else, perhaps Al Qu... whatever, would then nab him and then there'd be something to worry about.

Barman at The Red Lion, Westminster.

A defining moment looms for Alan Johnson here - stand-up and prove yourself worthy to lead the Labour Party, or cave-in like your craven and weak-willed predecessors.

It's your call, Alan...

Denis Cooper

What power does the Home Secretary have to stop this?

The Extradition Act 2003 was nodded through by lazy, negligent, selfish, Labour MPs, who apparently couldn't care less that it put their constituents at risk of arbitrary arrest and summary deportation to foreign jurisdictions, without the need for the foreign authorities to present a prima facie case in a British court.

While pro-EU Tories like Boris Johnson have only made a fuss about constituents being extradited to the US, and have steered clear of pointing out that the same Act introduced the EU Arrest Warrant.

Interestingly, just as the German Federal Constitutional Court had something to say about the Lisbon Treaty this week, four years ago it struck down the German legislation to implement the EU Arrest Warrant.

Paul

For what my opinion is worth:

If I were the American government, I would be very worried for all my personnel placed in sensitive posts whos safety might be compromised if a hacker ever got to that information. I would want to make an example of any hacker to discourage further attempts.

In this country we have forgotten about the point of punishment, and the importance of respect for property, and live in according consequent chaos (people having heads kicked like footballs by "I never done nuffin" youths etc).

b

I understood that the us can only extradite him if he is not charged and tried in the uk for the same criime. Surely everyone should report him to the authoritties in the same way they did with politicians and/or pursue a private prosecution to scupper the extradition.

Rob

Why hasn't Brown brought this up with Obama when he's not puckering up to kiss his arse? If he wants a boost in the polls and do wonders for his moral compass in one single move this would be it.

mckenzie

This has just come to my attention and I am horrified. I have the answer to all of his problems though. He must declare himself GAY immediately without any further adoo. Their will be marches and parades and no end of public protests....even the church will step in to aid his injustice.

Verity

Jeremy writes, from the country that presents Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand, paid for by money extracted by law for a license to watch television, as "funny", that Americans' "sense of humour is on a par with that of the Germans."

That must be why all their TV comedies like Friends, Fraser, The Golden Girls, The Simpsons, South Park, Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Belair, Sex And The City and many more are world best sellers. I'm not familiar with any German TV comedy series and suspect I never will be.

"The British people will not suffer themselves to be pushed around like this by a third rate culture like the United States.! Of course they will! They suffer their children being fed cruelly killed halal meat in schools. They suffer Elfin Safety tyranny. They suffer the tinpot tyranny of local councils. They suffer being treated with contempt by their own police and their own government. They suffer being sold down the river by their own government. They suffer the collapse of civil society under an unelected prime minister. They suffer thugs being elevated into our ancient House of Lords.

You must be daft.

Cogito Algol Ergosum

McKinnon's state of Aspergers is a cause for mitigation of sentence, but does not justify the cancellation of court proceedings.

The time for international complaints will be if the American court imposes a harsh sentence.

Ray

If an amateur hacker with autism was capable of cracking dozens of military passwords in a week or two and jeopardising US defence systems, I would surmise that with a few clicks of a mouse the the Chinese government should be perfectly capable of bringing the Pentagon to its knees inside a few minutes.

Marian C

mckenzie@July 5th, 2009 1:54pm

Oh you did make me laugh, some people may think your a cynic; but your absolutely right of course.

Marian C

“And, yes, Gary deserves to be punished - a light sentence or community service would be best”.

According to you maybe, as far as I am concerned, they can through him in a cell and through away the key. He’s a criminal, he knew he was breaking the law and still carried on; you even state “Gary who made a full confession to the police”. So what’s the problem? Is it the fact he is to be extradited to the USA that upset you, or do you think that the Americans could not possibly give him a fair trial? I could understand your reticence and would possibly agree with you, if he was being sent to say, Korea or Iran, but not the USA.

“But Gary is not a terrorist, he's a mild-mannered computer nerd with Aspergers syndrome”

How do you know that he is not a terrorist? Are you seriously suggesting that he should be let off with a slap on the wrist; are you quite mad! Any computer hacker with half a brain could claim the same ‘I’m just a computer nerd with Aspergers looking for UFO files’; total rot, he broke the law, he’s been court out and now he’s cr*pping himself.

Chris

"Alan Johnson proves himself as sensible on this issue as he has been on the subject of ID cards" - do you really mean you want him to try an unconvincing fudge because he hasn't got the intelligence or courage to do the right thing. Poor old Gary.

Peter Thomas

Er, he left messages saying "American foreign policy is state-sponsored terrorism and I will continue to disrupt the systems at the highest level".

Aspergers syndrome, my a--e. Looking for UFO files, my a--e. Concerned about security, my a--e. He's 43 years' old, knew exactly what he was doing and probably thought he was the bee's knees. There are innocent people much more deserving of sympathy and support than this criminal. Who is paying for all these appeals and for his legal team? We taxpayers I expect. He should be made to pay back every penny.

Steve.W

Denis Cooper seems to understand this, some of you do not.

Jeremy

Denis Cooper:

"The Extradition Act 2003 was nodded through by lazy, negligent, selfish, Labour MPs..."

It was Blair (again), wasn't it? There's only one word for that man - and I've already used a variation of it in my post at the top of this thread.

See if you can guess which word it is...

Paul

Verity, may I add "The King of Queens", "Big Bang Theory", "Everyone Loves Raymond" and "Everyone Hates Chris" to your list. Damn it, in our house we even like "8 Simple Rules".

(sarcasm) Britain has "Little Britain" (/sarcasm).

JohnBUK

Verity, here, here.

Perhaps if people spent some time in the USA they might not be so scathing. We all have faults so perhaps we need to keep our minds on our own issues. We in the UK have got the environment we deserve, politicians, police, local government etc etc. We generally are apathetic and expect "others", "them", to make our lives better. At least the Americans just DO it and applaud success!

Riccardo

Forget what McKinnon did and didn't do - he won't get a fair trial over there. Foreign citizens are always treated more harshly.

But the real issue is that iniquitous, one-sided extradition treaty brought in by Blair, and voted for by the Labour sheep. That and the Iraq war make me think Blair could indeed have been a CIA agent.

vincent jamin

the man is immature and still a child in mind body and spirit.
to expose him to the punitive and undoubted harsh, execrable environment of the american penal system would be unpardonable, pointedly cruel and unconscionable. the man 'child' has alreadly suffered severe mental ordeal akin to a 1000 lashes in the last 5 years - 'damocles' sword still hangs above him.
government and parliament have exhibited correct political behaviour expected of it by the us administration in denying full legal redress here - despite the fact that the crime was committed here. Let that now stop.
Be that as it may we are still the poodle and that won't change until the lopsided, grossly unjudicial & unfair extradition treaty is redrafted & changed.
It's clear that a very strong undercurrent of popular support over a broad spectrum of the public for this 'asbergers' afflicted person has now built up and may break upon this sorry excuse for a government tsunami like. Government led by Mr Brown through the modality of the courts would be well advised to accede and quietly concede ultimately in his favour. Not to would be politically rather 'unwise' - if he truly has labour's skin in mind. He may not want & possibly cannot change being 'anti-british citizen'. Perhaps either through crass stupidity or a very strong sense of self right above all else. Well bend one must because those very same people will finally wield and ultimately strike home the damocles sword upon where it is truly deserved!!!
I predict gary will ultimately be tried in the UK and not USA.
Vincent, Clairvoyant