British computer hacker to be extradicted to U.S. for hacking US military computers

British computer hacker Gary McKinnon has admitted that he has hacked into numerous U.S. government computers, but claims he has done no damage to them. He has just lost an appeal to the British High Court to an earlier court order that he should be extradited to the U.S. He can still appeal to the House of Lords. From Reuters:

Gary McKinnon was arrested in 2002 following charges by U.S. prosecutors that he illegally accessed 97 government computers -- including Pentagon, U.S. army, navy and NASA systems -- causing $700,000 worth of damage. [Snip]

"We do not find any grounds of appeal against the decision," said one of the judges, Lord Justice Maurice Kay.

"Mr. McKinnon's conduct was intentional and calculated to influence and affect the U.S. government by intimidation and coercion."

"As a result of his conduct, damage was caused to computers by impairing their integrity, availability and operation of programs, systems, information and data on the computers, rendering them unreliable," Kay said.

McKinnon's lawyers had argued that sending him to the United States would breach his human rights and should not be allowed on the basis that his extradition was sought "for the purpose of prosecuting him on account of his nationality or political opinions."

The American Prosecutors claim that McKinnon conducted the "biggest military hack of all time." I hope that when the trial occurs the defense attorney has sufficient computer knowledge to challenges this, or that the Prosecution can expand the facts behind it to explain the reasons for the claim. But that is probably just the technician in me. At times like this, I hate seeing technical details concealed behind political rhetoric.