Gary McKinnon, a Scottish born hacker who managed to gain access to the US government computer system, is today staring at the possibility that he will be extradited to the US over the next few weeks. However, he has gained a strong ally in Terry Waite the former Beirut hostage who believes the US authorities should be thanking Mr McKinnon for exposing weaknesses in their system rather than looking to put him behind bars for a large proportion of its remaining life.
For those who have followed the case, Gary McKinnon claims that he hacked into the US government computer system looking for information about UFOs although the US authorities claim that he caused significant damage and left a string of messages with regards the fight against terror. There is dismay in the McKinnon camp at the apparent lack of interest shown by the UK government in protecting a UK civilian.
The Home Office has neither stood in the way of the US extradition request nor asked for sight of evidence against Mr McKinnon. The situation has taken a turn for the worse as Gary McKinnon has recently been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and there are serious concerns about his physical and mental health, should he be placed behind bars in the US.