From: Jason Terwilliger <jlt8903@osfmail.isc.rit.edu>
Filed at 1:02 p.m. EST
By The Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) -- In an abrupt shift, the Israeli teen-ager
accused of breaking into the Pentagon's computer system has
stopped cooperating with police, his lawyer said Monday.
Amnon Zichroni said his 18-year-old client, Ehud Tenenbaum, had
not realized how seriously authorities would take the
allegations against him.
``He assumed at first that they would see this episode as a
youthful mistake,'' Zichroni told The Associated Press. ``There
are two ways to treat such a boy. You can try and destroy him
for what he did, or you can try and rehabilitate him and harness
his talents for the benefit of society.''
Zichroni said he believed American authorities were pursuing the
case against Tenenbaum -- nicknamed ``The Analyzer'' -- too
vigorously. He suggested that Israeli prosecutors should weigh
the damage of Tenenbaum's actions against his potential to
contribute to society.
``We are talking about a boy who is about to be drafted. I am
sure the army could find a good way to use him,'' he said.
Tenenbaum was detained for questioning last week on suspicion of
breaking into several computer systems in Israel and the United
States, including the Pentagon system. Police initially said
Tenenbaum, who is currently under house arrest, was cooperating
fully.
Zichroni said questioning had been suspended while Tenenbaum
recovers from the flu and would resume as soon as his fever goes
down.
Police spokeswoman Linda Menuhin said she could not comment on
an ongoing investigation.
According to the Haaretz newspaper, the teen-ager's sudden
silence was also prompted by the fear of massive civil law suits
from computer companies in the United States whose business may
have been damaged by his activities.
Rather than sue him, Zichroni said those companies should thank
him for calling attention to weakness in their security.
``Imagine if a Russian spy had infiltrated their sites, instead
of a youth with no criminal intentions,'' he said.
Zichroni said he expects his client to be charged under a 1995
Israeli law against breaking into computer systems that provides
for up to a three-year prison sentence. No one has ever been
prosecuted for violating the law, he said.
-o-
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Received on Mon Mar 23 14:48:41 1998