One of the ways UK and US laws differ is in regard to defamation. In the US, truth is a defense. In the UK it is not. Phill may have a tough time prevailing with such a suit.
In the first place cypherpunks is distributed in the UK. That means I can issue a writ in the UK. Secondly I deny Alan's claim that I have contravened the US imigration laws. Since I am not a public figure the burden of proof is upon Alan to prove his claim. I know an awful lot about the US libel laws after having spent time assisting in a complicated criminal investigation during which such a claim was made. As for the UK laws, there is practically no defense against a libel claim that one can file in court. There is absolutely no basis on which to justify them. This is why the Singapore government uses them as a form of censorship. Phill