Briton who hacked US military computer not criminal: expert
 US authorities allege the man gained access to 97 computers belonging to bodies including the army, navy, defence department and NASA. |
by Staff Writers
Gary McKinnon, 42, faces extradition from Britain to the US where he
could be jailed for up to 70 years if convicted of sabotaging US
defence systems in 2001 and 2002.
He says he was looking for evidence of UFOs and insists he was motivated by curiosity.
US authorities allege he gained access to 97 computers belonging to
bodies including the army, navy, defence department and NASA.
But Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University, a leading
expert on Asperger's Syndrome, said what McKinnon did was "the activity
of somebody with a disability rather than a criminal activity".
"It can bring a sort of tunnel vision so that in their pursuit of
truth, they are blind to the potential social consequences for them or
for other people," he added of the syndrome, which is characterised by
difficulties in social interaction.
"There are questions about whether he should be imprisoned at all
because someone with Asperger's Syndrome will find it very difficult to
tolerate a prison environment." http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Briton_who_hacked_US_military_computer_not_criminal_expert_999.html VIEW/COMMENT:
London (AFP) Jan 15, 2009
A British man who hacked into the computer systems
of the US military and NASA did so because of his Asperger's Syndrome
and not because he is a criminal, a leading expert said Thursday.
I agree this case is getting very interesting and shall receive the utmost attention by myself. If what he found, or what he says he found, is correct then it would rock modern civilization as we know it.
-Trust no one-
Posted by: Born2BWILD | 16 January 2009 at 14:29
I'm following this case as closely as possible. Gary is/was into something HUGE!
Anything which leads to global contact and peaceful mutual co-habitation gets my vote. Truth is truth, awareness is a good thing. Share what's discovered and to heck with the lies of the past.
Purple Crow of COHRA.
Posted by: Purple Crow | 15 January 2009 at 22:28