A Victory for Common Sense

[Mich the Tester]

Indeed. In this case crime was committed on US soil

To prove that the US government will have to tell the court, in public, where the servers are. Is that really wise?

[AtW]

He is a criminal under US law, no doubt, but he is was not in the US when he commited the "crime" nor is he now, so those US laws don't and should not apply

Well then, let's have open season here: sit in UK in front of a computer, do all sort of nasty things in foreign countries and it's all kewl? That's not exactly the view that Western Justice shares.

[AtW]

To prove that the US government will have to tell the court, in public, where the servers are. Is that really wise?

Well, servers were at known physical locations where known US Govt buildings are located - nothing unwise saying that there are computers at Langley, which happens to be the place where CIA HQ is.

[Moscow Mule]

For those who have labeled MckInnon a crimnal (what pecuniary advantage did he profit from and what damage did he actually do apart from showing that NASAs IT dept was pretty sloppy with its security policy)'.

How then do you explain the fact that hackers from China have acquired much information from the US government/industry and penetrated US financial institutions - yet the US has chosen not to persue such Chinese hackers .

I suspect McKinnon was at most an embaressment to certain US authotities and being a Brit a 'soft target' under the current unfair Extradition Treaty (to be revised by the Conservatives) - it strikes me the whole episode is rather shameful.

You don't have to obtain advantage to be a criminal.

I don't disagree with you that McKinnon is a soft target, but to suggest he's done nothing wrong - and didn't know he was doing wrong - is blinkered at best.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Well then, let's have open season here: sit in UK in front of a computer, do all sort of nasty things in foreign countries and it's all kewl? That's not exactly the view that Western Justice shares.

Which is exactly what the Chinese hackers (employed by Chinese Communist Goverment agencies) have been doing with impunity - or perhaps they are not criminals - but just doing their wee bit for Greater Communist China Atw ?

[Mich the Tester]

Well, servers were at known physical locations where known US Govt buildings are located - nothing unwise saying that there are computers at Langley, which happens to be the place where CIA HQ is.

All of them? IP numbers please.

[Mich the Tester]

Well then, let's have open season here: sit in UK in front of a computer, do all sort of nasty things in foreign countries and it's all kewl? That's not exactly the view that Western Justice shares.

So if I spend a day surfing for porn and then checking out some human rights organisations while sitting behind a PC in Holland, I can be prosecuted in China for viewing illegal websites?

[Not So Wise]

Well then, let's have open season here: sit in UK in front of a computer, do all sort of nasty things in foreign countries and it's all kewl? That's not exactly the view that Western Justice shares.

If he hacked say...Iran, North Korea, China would he be considered Criminal or Hero by "western justice"?

The view of "western justice" (especially USA) shares is "did the criminal do something naughty in a country we like/dislike and more importantly do they have any political clout with us"

Like hell this is the country that refuses to presecute it's own mercenarys for raping one of it's own citizen's, in a country/zone controled by the US because "it did not happen on US soil"

[RichardCranium]

McKinnon saved from Extradition -with full support from the Conservatives

Happy, happy, happy!

And regarding all subsequent posts, WAJPS.

[AtW]

Which is exactly what the Chinese hackers (employed by Chinese Communist Goverment agencies) have been doing with impunity - or perhaps they are not criminals - but just doing their wee bit for Greater Communist China Atw ?

One common principle for extraditions is that people who are accused of crime in country A would have also been prosecuted for this crime if they did it in country B where they are now.

Based on this the Chinese hackers are probably not criminals as in all probability they are working for the Chinese Govt and thus do the kind of job MI5/6, CIA do.