British computer whiz loses appeal against extradition to US

London - A Briton lost an appeal here Tuesday against extradition to the United States for allegedly hacking into US defence computers in what has been dubbed the "biggest military hack of all time."

Gary McKinnon, an unemployed computer expert who lost his appeal in the High Court, said he was searching for evidence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) when he hacked into US computers and was not intending to disrupt security.

Lord Justice Maurice Kay and Justice John Goldring dismissed his appeal, saying: "We do not find any grounds of appeal."

However, Ben Cooper, representing McKinnon, said he would now try to have the House of Lords, Britain's highest court, hear the case, including an alleged threat from US prosecutors that "he would fry."

Cooper also said that McKinnon had been suffering from ill health during recent court hearings and was still receiving treatment from doctors.

Using software available for download on the Internet, McKinnon allegedly hacked into computer networks operated by NASA, the US Army, US Navy, Department of Defense and the US Air Force from 2001 to 2002.

The prosecutor in the US state of Virginia called it the "biggest military hack of all time."

The estimated loss to the various military organisations, NASA and the private businesses was approximately 900,000 dollars (730,000 euros), the US justice department said.

Home Secretary John Reid last year granted the US request to extradite him for trial, but the defendant's lawyers argued that the move would breach his human rights.

His supporters say McKinnon is being made a "scapegoat" for the shortcomings of security policies on US military networks.

McKinnon was indicted in November 2002 by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia on seven counts of computer fraud and related activity, the US justice department said on its website.

If found guilty, McKinnon faces on each count a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a 250,000-dollar (195,000-euro) fine, the US justice website said at the time.

Agence France Presse