Saturday, October 20, 2012
Gary McKinnon - a matter of principle
The Telegraph reports that America is preparing formally to complain to Britain over Home Secretary Theresa May’s decision to block the extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
The paper says that row over Mr McKinnon has turned into the biggest cooling in trans-Atlantic relations since Lockerbie bomber was released three years ago:
Senior US officials are now understood to describe the relationship between the Obama administration and Mrs May as “finished”.
Mr Holder is understood to feel “completely screwed” by Mrs May’s decision not to extradite Mr McKinnon because of doctors’ fears that he might kill himself, complaining that the US has wasted million so pounds on legal fees for the case.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Mr Holder has refused to return Mrs May’s phone calls since her surprise announcement on Tuesday.
Really? Personally, I am proud that the UK Coalition Goverment took this decision. There were clearly extenuating circumstances in the McKinnon case and it took a Home Secretary with real guts to recognise that and to stand up to the USA.
If America wants to respond by going off in a massive sulk then that is their lookout. The balance has been restored in UK-US relations after a decade of capitulation under Tony Blair.
The paper says that row over Mr McKinnon has turned into the biggest cooling in trans-Atlantic relations since Lockerbie bomber was released three years ago:
Senior US officials are now understood to describe the relationship between the Obama administration and Mrs May as “finished”.
Mr Holder is understood to feel “completely screwed” by Mrs May’s decision not to extradite Mr McKinnon because of doctors’ fears that he might kill himself, complaining that the US has wasted million so pounds on legal fees for the case.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Mr Holder has refused to return Mrs May’s phone calls since her surprise announcement on Tuesday.
Really? Personally, I am proud that the UK Coalition Goverment took this decision. There were clearly extenuating circumstances in the McKinnon case and it took a Home Secretary with real guts to recognise that and to stand up to the USA.
If America wants to respond by going off in a massive sulk then that is their lookout. The balance has been restored in UK-US relations after a decade of capitulation under Tony Blair.
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"...it took a Home Secretary with real guts to recognise that and to stand up to the USA.."
Instead of the usual brown-tonguing, poodle reaction, you mean?
I expect the Tories took some delight in snubbing Obama, in the run up to the election.
Don't read too much into it. The US says 'jump' and Whitehall asks, 'how high?'. That is set to continue.
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Instead of the usual brown-tonguing, poodle reaction, you mean?
I expect the Tories took some delight in snubbing Obama, in the run up to the election.
Don't read too much into it. The US says 'jump' and Whitehall asks, 'how high?'. That is set to continue.
# posted by 
: 6:58 PM
: 6:58 PM<< Home
