UK Lawmakers We Will Extradite Overseas Spammers

[emad]

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers plan to use a new tactic to stop the torrent of junk e-mail spam that floods in from overseas: extradite the mass-mailers and bring them to trial in the United Kingdom. "Spammers are no longer an irritant, they are a threat," British MP Brian White told Reuters on Thursday. The UK last month was the second European Union country after Italy to criminalize spam in a law that goes into effect in December.

But the law has drawn criticism from anti-spam crusaders who say it will be powerless to stop the flood of messages at the source. The majority of spam originates overseas, and in particular, the United States, industry experts say. While initially, extradition would be used to target spammers, it could be expanded to include suspects in other cybercrime cases such as virus-writing and hacking, he added.

White said he and fellow British lawmakers traveled to the U.S. earlier this month where they discussed with FBI officials extraditing American spammers who violate British laws. "The FBI's reaction was, subject to the individual case, they couldn't see any problem with it," he said.

UK and U.S. law enforcement authorities have a long history of cooperation in criminal matters, a relationship that has only grown stronger in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in America and their subsequent crackdowns on subversive groups.

More:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=MV50IPS04Q53QCRBAEZSFEY?type=internetNews&storyID=3722965

[Paschall]

1. And the UK still *won't* allow the extradition of terrorists?

Rashid Ramda, a member of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), successfully appealed a decision made by British Home Secretary, David Blunkett, to extradite him to France. The series of bomb attacks in which Ramda is allegedly implicated targeted the French railways and Paris metro and killed 10 people and injured 180 others in 1995.

[emad]

2. That's the 'other' Bush Administration for you - the one running

10 Downing Street

[saigon68]

3. LAP DOG POODLE BOY LICKS HIS MASTERS HAND

Spam is irritating-- but to get in an uproar. how about going after the businesses and corporations who HIRE the spammers?

Oh I forgot --we need more corporate freedom?