The BBC reports that Terry Waite has come out in support of Gary McKinnon.
'Drop hacker case' - Terry Waite
Human rights campaigner and former hostage Terry Waite has called on the US to drop charges against British computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
[...]
Mr Waite, a hostage in Lebanon for four years, called the motives "harmless" and said "common sense" was needed.He said the Pentagon ought to thank the self-confessed hacker for "exposing" the vulnerability of its computer security.
Mr Waite said Mr McKinnon's illness, a form of autism, made him "irrationally obsessive" and added that it was a waste of time to pursue him.
"No nation under the sun ought to convict an individual whose behaviour is occasioned by illness," he said.
"Gary is clearly a very clever chap.
"He has that unique ability to find his way through the internet jungle and enter the inner recesses of the Pentagon. Full marks for his ingenuity.
"Was Gary a spy? Was he attempting to bring down the mighty military force of the USA? As far as I know he was not. He was simply looking for little green men.
"Anyone who has the slightest acquaintance with [Asperger's Syndrome] will know that while the sufferer can be, and indeed often is, brilliant in certain logical processes they can become irrationally obsessive in other directions."
However, Mr Waite - who was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1987 - said he supported the efforts of the authorities to "track down and stop illegal activity" on the web.
Mr McKinnon's lawyers have appealed for him to be prosecuted in the UK on lesser charges, but the CPS said the best place for the case to be heard was the US.
[...]
Other eminent people who have come out in support of Gary McKinnon's right to be tried in the United Kingdom, rather than being extradited to the USA, include the UK Government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Lord Carlile of Berriew:
The Guardian: Terror law watchdog Lord Carlile joins clamour for accused hacker to be tried in UK instead of US
Mark
Not only do I strongly feel Gary should not be tried for anything. He should be congratulated for bringing it to the attention of the US authorities that their defense security is so poor.
I assume their security has been upgraded since which will no doubt make it more difficult for any terrorist hackers now. What would the situation be now if Gary hadn't tested their security.
Why don't they put on trial the IT staff who allowed this to happen in the first place.
Simon
With the ending of the Bush regime in the U.S., I had hoped and expected that wiser heads would now prevail and that the case against Gary would be seen in a more rational light.
I'm pleased to see that Gary's case is gaining ever more support and hope that he will be able to put this episode behind him and move on with his life. If he did commit any crime then I believe that he has more than paid for it already.
Louis Berk
I am impressed to the see that even more eminent minds are now providing support for Gary's plight. The excessive reaction to Gary's misdemeanours by the US government and the UK government's unflinching support for the unreasonable severity of the proposed punishment makes me ashamed to be British. It seems that you have to be a convicted of a serious terrorist offence to receive the protection of the UK government, while if you are a bumbling, inadequate, savant you are only worthy of being thrown like a lamb to the slaughter. Shame on Gordon Brown, shame on Jacqui Smith.
Euan Shanks
I've been following this for a while!! I know people with this type of autism and I think it's fair to say that Gary would probably commit suicide!! As per usual the US Gov is over reacting and has a history of going after the wrong person. Personally I would employ Gary the same way the fraudster Abignale was employed by the FBI. The more I read about Gary the more impressed I am at his intellegence. If he were to receive a sentence then surely it should be one of showing the Americans where they got it wrong!!
Walk
this case needs to be shown on the news again. i dont remember them showing it before but if they show it now im sure that lots more people would want to support him
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
In Canada here, I have never seen Gary McKinnon on the news, in the newspaper, radio, nothing. Not even in a magazine at the grocery store. Only on the internet - THATS how important access to information is.
Why is there no information about the Gary McKinnon case in plain view of citizens? This story is an extremely important case on the status of all of our human rights.
The way I see it is the British CPS are traitors to the British citizens and should be on trial themselves.
n-o-n- -anonymous-
For you:
http://www.mmdnewswire.com/gordon-chism-4794.html
www.amazon.com/Thinking-Persons-UFO-Book/dp/143922711X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237581108&sr=1-1
mary
he will be kept out of the news .. look into it if you dont realize why..
Honeybear
It's pleasant to learn that GARY is still in the UK. Trends continue - statistically speaking. So, my money is on GARY never being delivered to the Americans. Obama not dropping the case is disappointing. But, it's beginning to look like business as usual in the American government.
GARY is bright enough to have adapted to the situation by now. His mother is too. So, is there anything we can do with GARY? What I mean is, Ghandi in India had his thing, which others were able to support and work for. Gary's got his own things, above and beyond fighting the extradition. Can we join him in these other projects? What do you say, JAN? What else does GARY consider worth-while?
Jon Sorensen
Trust you guys are doing okay. Arrived back from my travels and checked your Website and astonished to find all this still not resolved.
Always felt that one of the possible reasons Gary McKinnon is being made an example of is partly because of not only what he might have seen online, but what "they" think he MIGHT have seen. I'm no conspiracy theorist. Gary is not being persecuted by the American people themselves. Who by, then? And why? I offer up the following in it's entirety just as a grist to the mill talking point and just as it was sent to me:
" This is the Illuminati plan of control - GM modified foods for ALL and health food, vitamins etc banned (Codex summit being held later in 2009).
TIME WE ALL WOKE UP? Dont let it happen in Britain.
House and Senate bills to kill all organic farms
(FAST track bills in 2 weeks)
Food Safety Modernization Act (HR 875):
Criminalization of Organic Farms
Bills are:
House H.R. 875
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875
Senate S 425
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-425
There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next
2 weeks before people realize what is happening..
Main backer and lobbyist is (guess who) Monsanto
This Bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply".
If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds will be allowed, only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now causing unexpected diseases in humans.
Here is a short video on the subject:
http://www.voteronpaul.com/newsDetail.php?Food-Safety-Modernization-Act-HR-875-C
Criminalization-of-Organic-Farms-222
Lets get real ! This has NOTHING to do with food safety.
This is only about TOTAL CONTROL by the feds in our lives ".
There you have it. "X-Files", anyone? Believe what you will.
Stay Sunny!
Stu
No offence Honeybear but your last post was ridiculous even for you. "Trends continue - statistically speaking" - so you're the longer that Gary spends in the UK, the less likely he is to be extradited? That's one amazing piece of logic!
And as for comparing Gary to Ghandi - the more you crackpots post on this board, the more I despair - this kind of rubbish does Gary no favours. If you have something worthwhile to say then say it, if you're just going to post this kind of rubbish then don't bother.
Oh, and Janis - happy mother's day ;-)
Janis
Thank you Honeybear. I also believe that the longer Gary is kept here the more chance there is of him being permanently kept in the U.K as support for Gary by more eminent people is growing by the day and will just keep on building.
I'm trying to organise various things to help bring Gary's case to the attention of Obama as I believe Obama is a Good man with a sense of perspective and not a vindictive extremist.
Hopefully I'll be able to pull off the events I'm trying to organise by myself but I have some good and very high profile friends from my past/from the music world and they've known Gary since he was a child and know that he's a good person.
I believe that music can have a Huge effect on even global situations, just as it did in the sixties/seventies.
Also the fact that a former hostage such as Terry Waite has spoken up for Gary and Lord Carlile!!! and Karl Watkins & Duane Jackson plus Cross Party support for Gary and then Boris Johnson and Trudie & Sting & so many others joining the chorus for Gary to be kept in the U.K .... was just so unexpected and out of the blue that I feel Good must be on our side and that Gary will never be dragged from the Island he was born on.
Sometimes the power of fate and destiny can truly works wonders, exceed expectations and defy all the odds.
I believe all of our thoughts are joining up together to create a Huge Force of Good that can bring about real change and defeat the Dark Forces.
I'll keep you updated as soon as everything is set in stone and will call on any supporters that are in or can come to London, when the time is right.
Gary says Many Thanks to everyone & Very Best Wishes.
I'm seeing him later today and the sun is shining in London. Hope it's shining in your lives.
Best Wishes
Janis (Gary's Mum)
Janis
Thank you for the Happy Mothers Day wish Stu!
I know that despite the High Profile support Gary has that I can't rest and have to continue to do everything possible to keep him here....and I will!
Many Thanks
Janis (Gary's Mum)
Jose
Link to Interview with Gary's Mum Re-Gary McKinnon on George Galloway TV show.
Repeated at 2am on Sky Channel 515 23rd March. (in about half an hour)and repeated again at about 2pm on 23rd March
on Skly Channel 515
http://tinyurl.com/dn6ofl
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech. replied to comment from mary
Mary "he will be kept out of the news .. look into it if you dont realize why.."
Could you please explain to me? Why will he be kept out of the news ?
Thankx
Janis
Reply to Jon Sorenson: Excellent post Jon!
Best Wishes
Janis
Stu
New Zealand company hires hacker
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7962671.stm
Elle Hart, Elec.Eng.Tech.
CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Domains/Law, Investigations andEthics/Liability and Due Cause/
"The standard criteria for assessing the legal requirements for implementing recommended safeguards is to evaluate the cost of the safeguard and the estimated loss from the corresponding threat, if realized. If the cost is less than the estimated loss and the organization doeosn't implement a safeguard, then a legal liability may exist. This is based on the principle of proximate causation, on which an action taken or not taken was part of a sequence pf events that resulted on negative consequences.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, senior corporate officers may be personally liable if their organization fails to comply with applicable laws. Such individuals must follow the prudent man rule, which requires them to perform their duties."
AND so.....
If Gary is found guilty - then that means also that a large slice of the military staff, and the government themselves for not protecting the network AND the nine one one issue...which also opens the government up for a criminal prosecution as well as civil litigation for any subsequent loss....
Elle ;)
james replied to comment from Jon Sorensen
I've been waking people up to Codex Alimentarius for months. It's a slow process but it certainly helps if you tell them to look up the subject themselves without losing them in the first few seconds of your 'conspiracy nut' explanation.
Write 'look up codex alimentarius' on every bank note that comes into your possession (I know that's not so easy these days, thanks to them).
Great post Jon.
Matt T
Only one song Gilmour can sing for tht protest....shine on you crazy diamond :) or possibly 'us and them'
Kalvis Jansons
How can I take any pride in the UK, if Gary is treated like this. I cannot understand how this issue has gone on for so long.
Best of luck Gary!