Autistic Genius Hacked Military Computers in Search of Alien Eco Tech

By: Neil Katz
Topics: Cybercrime

(John Stillwell/PA Wire)

Photo: Gary McKinnon arrives at the High Courts in central London Jan 20, 2009.

NEW YORK (CBS) An autistic computer genius, space aliens and Pretenders legend Chrissie Hynde are all wrapped up in what the federal government says is an effort to contain the most prolific computer hacker in American history.

The case focuses on Gary McKinnon, 42, a British citizen who, depending on your point of view, is either a brilliant, but harmless, autistic man searching for UFOs or a dangerous hacker who brainstormed his way into high-security computer systems at NASA and the Department of Defense.

The reality may be both and the drama is coming to America. Friday, McKinnon lost his long-fought extradition battle with the British justice system. He will be tried in the States, not in Britain, as he had hoped.

His mother, Janis Sharp, has publicly appealed to President Obama to help her son.

"I think Obama probably doesn't know about it, and he's got so many things to consider, but I'm really desperately trying to get through to Obama, because this is from the Bush era," she told the British press outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. "It's not of Obama. He would not want this to happen."

Neither, it seems, would Pretenders front woman Chrissie Hynde, who has recorded an old Crosby, Stills and Nash tune "Chicago" to promote McKinnon's cause.

There's a website, of course, where supporters can buy the Hynde track for a donation.

McKinnon's family and supporters have argued he should not be extradited because he has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, and could be at risk of psychosis or suicide if he is sent to the U.S.

But the American government says McKinnon is not the gentle genius he claims to be. He is charged with hacking into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense and several branches of the U.S. military soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Each of the eight counts of computer fraud he is facing potentially carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

McKinnon has already admitted to the charges, but told the BBC that rather than hoping to harm the United States he was trying to expose evidence that "secretive parts of the American government intelligence agencies did have access to crashed extra terrestrial technology which could… save us as a form of free, clean, pollution-free energy."

Wouldn't that be an inconvenient truth?

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by MArnoldNYC December 1, 2009 5:00 PM EST: THIS IS DISGUSTING. Especially as they let the son of the DEMOCRATIC US STATE SENATOR who hacked Palin's email off with a slap on the wrist...and they are going to throw the book at this guy just so Obama can look "tough on terrorists." THIS IS DISGUSTING and typical of the way that people with disabilities are routinely discriminated against and treated like garbage. Obama's team even beat me up, and I have the police report PROVING CRIMINAL ASSAULT AND BATTERY with a witness to prove it as a PWD, and the FEDERAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, NANCY PELOSI'S OFFICE AND THE WHITE HOUSE WHERE I HAVE TWO CONTACTS, INCLUDING CASSANDRA BUTTS, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE BOTH THIS, AND REFUSES TO SET UP A MEETING WITH ME FOR A PROPOSAL THAT THE DOD CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE ON TBI IS CALLING BETTER THAN ANYTHING THEY HAVE OR EXISTS IN THE COUNTRY....BUT IS ALSO A CLEANTECH JOBS CREATION AND CLEAN ENERGY CREATION PLAN FOR THE ABLE BODIED TOO...WHICH THEY ARE REFUSING TO MEET WITH ME ON. I HAVE OVER A DECADE OF DC EXPERIENCE AND AM ONE OF THE LEADING CLEANTECH EXPERTS IN THE COUNTRY....WHO DID THEY MEET WITH INSTEAD? BRAD PITT...WHO'S PROGRAM IS FAR INFERIOR TO MINE...BUT SINCE HE'S A WHITE RICH BOY MOVIE STAR, ACCORDING TO MR SUMMERS, NATURALLY BIOLOGICALLY SUPERIOR TO ME. RIGHT? And since I'm both white and a gimp too, why on earth would the white house want to meet with such a piece of human garbage after all, right?

Because that's how the government, not to mention Obama, treats women and gimps.

There's alot more to this story. If you want to get the 411, you can get in touch with me at margueritearnold@yahoo.com. There's a lot to it and it will blow you away.

In the meantime, speaking of "security," here's another link that you might be interested in about "security" at the White House....

http://margueritearnold.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/white-house-state-dinner-crashed-i-dont-think-so/

http://margueritearnold.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/congress-didnt-just-sell-out-women-it-raped-them/

Please get in touch. I have a story you don't want to miss.; Reply to this comment


by Clive-Gardener August 1, 2009 9:05 PM EDT: If hacking (or illegal downloading) is carried out in country 'A', via the internet, into (or from) a computer in country 'B', then shouldn't the crime be tried in country 'A' - where it was committed? However, if as a result of the hacking in country 'A' a computer in country 'B' is critically modified in an unauthorised fashion, counter to the laws of that country, then a crime has also been committed in country 'B'.

In the case of Gary McKinnon, because of the nature of the alleged crime and since the evidence suggests that he was not physically present in the USA when and where the offense was committed, doesn't there need to be a preliminary hearing in the UK first (with prosecution and defense counsel) to establish whether an answerable crime has been committed and, if so, whether the crime has been committed in the UK alone or both in the UK and in the USA? Such an approach would work both ways - for citizens of both countries.

If the hacking is proved and thereby demonstrates that there have been security issues with the computers that this guy got into, then what is the proof that someone else with similar capabilities, somewhere else, hasn't also hacked into the same systems and made critical changes, as opposed to just looking around and/or leaving 'Post-it note'-type messages - however rude and inappropriate?

Sometimes, the incentive seems to be to catch someone doing something wrong, however relatively trivial, and then blame and punish them for everything else that has gone wrong. In which case we move into 'Midnight Express' territory.

Because of the originality of these proceedings the procedural points established through their prosecution are likely to become case law.; Reply to this comment


by tarocardman August 1, 2009 6:51 AM EDT: The truth is the government is the problem.; Reply to this comment

by longtree-2009 August 1, 2009 4:32 AM EDT

he will not be sentenced to prison and even if he is, he will serve little time. judge and/or jury will have pity on him and he will skate on all charges. just another criminal that will beat the u.s. justice system. look for a book, or movie, about his criminality. no doubt, he will do the round of talk shows here and in the uk. if it were up to me, he would executed but it's not up to me. entitled to an opinion here too.

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by legacyabq August 1, 2009 8:29 AM EDT: Wow. So quick to deal out death.

Who do you think you are, God?!

Shame on you!

by pensacola8-2009 August 1, 2009 3:29 AM EDT

The things he claimed to be searching for wont be found in any government computer. His defense is lame and very weak at best. He will be prosecuted for the appropriate violations and possibly offered a reduced sentence in the event that he can prove he conspired for another person or government. The Federal Courts will have the burden of proof to clear him of any mental incompentance before any trial can begin. Autism covers a large variety of mental capacities, but only a few types actually impair the victim's judgement to the point of mental incopetance. The likelihood of an accomplice is considered high, since he possessed considerable skill that most likely required guidance to use and make the cyber attacks.

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by legacyabq August 1, 2009 8:29 AM EDT: your last sentence is an endless cycle.. If *he* required guidance, then wouldn't the"guid" require guidance?\

Theres no reason to think, without evidence, he didnt do it himself..

Look up aspergers BTW, its a very, um, "scientific" type of personality.. Aspergers people are often genuises.


by lloydbest1 July 31, 2009 10:21 PM EDT: "McKinnon has already admitted to the charges, but told the BBC that rather than hoping to harm the United States he was trying to expose evidence that "secretive parts of the American government intelligence agencies did have access to crashed extra terrestrial technology which could? save us as a form of free, clean, pollution-free energy.""

Not that I believe in his conspiracy theory (at least I don't think I do), but that "technology" MacKinnon thinks he's uncovered could well be the reason Uncle Sam wants him locked up and the key thrown away.; Reply to this comment


by hannahpowell July 31, 2009 10:16 PM EDT: We need to take advantage of this kind of mind. Obviously we need someone like him to fix our security problem ...
When are we going to "GET IT" .... someone please call MENSA; Reply to this comment


by hannahpowell July 31, 2009 10:13 PM EDT: We need to take advantage of this kind of mind. Obviously we need someone like him to fix our security problem ...
When are we going to "GET IT" .... someone please call MENSA; Reply to this comment

by cgillasp July 31, 2009 9:10 PM EDT

You mean no one else notices that we can have a whole brilliant blue sky that reaches several thousand feet in every direction, then the next morning the sky is empty and filled with pollution?

And you think that could possibly be natural?

See that's where all you missed some critical point about whats going on.

Were being duped, someone is dumping the whole skyfull of (mostly oxygen I presume) so that the next day chaos still reigns supreme in our lives.

Thats some pretty wicked technology if you ask me, and it's also on a massive scale as I've watched it unfold over 4 US states.

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