The office of British Home Secretary John Reid issued an official statement yesterday, in which he announced that the United States' request to extradite computer hacker Gary McKinnon, accused of performing "the biggest military hack of all time", was granted, the BBC informs.

A spokesperson of the Home Office stated: ""On 4 July the secretary of state signed an order for Mr McKinnon's extradition to the United States for charges connected with computer hacking. Mr McKinnon had exercised his right to submit representations against return but the secretary of state did not consider the issues raised availed Mr McKinnon".

Gary McKinnon, a British citizen, has been accused of tampering with the US government computer networks, and has been fighting extradition ever since he was arrested on this charge in November 2002. A ruling regarding this case was initially given in May, by a district judge from the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London, yet that decision needed the approval of the home secretary.

In an interview with the BBC, McKinnon declared that he felt "worried" because he had been betrayed by his own government. His family confirmed the spokesperson's announcement that he had only 14 days to appeal this decision: "Mr McKinnon now has the opportunity, within 14 days, to appeal against the decisions of the district judge/secretary of state."

Gary McKinnon has been charged with hacking a series of computers networks which belonged to the US army, navy, air force and Department of Defense, causing 700,000 dollars worth of damages for the US government, according to the latter. In his turn, McKinnon acknowledged the fact that he had spent quite a long time studying the networks he planned to break into but argued that his determination for doing such a thing sprang from the desire of searching for what he called "suppressed technology".

If he loses the appeal, then he may be transported to Guantanamo Bay under the suspicion of terrorism, his lawyers stated.