Still undecided? Fiery fun London to the Lakes Festival of frisbee Find out more with our general Dangerously impressive tricks It’s those Fellwanderers again, as Disc Doctors impress at south election pullout, centre pages from the jugglers, page 17 if you hadn’t guessed, page 21 east regionals, page 26 The student newspaper of Imperial College ● Established 1949 ● Issue 1320 ● Thursday 28 April 2005 ● www.felixonline.co.uk Extradition hearing Imperial alumnus Babar Union Ahmad will discover on 17 Charing Cross Hospital May whether or not he is to be extradited to the United States under new terror laws. reveals uNEWS page 3 set to close? Tackling poverty plans for “We live in a world where poverty causes the deaths of 30,000 children each day; a postgrad world where 38 million people live with HIV...” Colin Smith explains how sabbatical you can get involved in the Make Poverty History cam- By Dave Edwards paign at Imperial, while Numaan Chaudhry investi- Imperial College Union gates what the richer nations has announced ambitious are doing to address the plans for a new Sabbatical problem. Officer, the Deputy President uBUSINESS page 4 (Graduate Students). uCOMMENT page 7 Funding for the post will become available from the Poker aces Higher Education Funding Imperial students finish third Council for England and 20th out of 259 competi- (HEFCE). Within the next tors at the inaugural UK stu- two months, the Union plans dent poker championship. to elect a student who will uCLUBS AND SOCIETIES then work full-time in the page 18 role from 1 August, taking the total number of sabbaticals at Nighthike 2005 Imperial to seven. Twenty-five teams of Imperial Mustafa Arif, the President, students hike through the told Felix: “Everyone rec- night in sub-zero tempera- ognises that postgraduate tures. Madness. representation is a problem, and in our QAA [Quality Assurance Agency] submis- Charing Cross Hospital, a centre of learning for Imperial College medical students, may have to close sion it was highlighted as a major weakness. The College By Dave Edwards the plans last week, but were and there will be a full public rently considering a range has accepted that and we Editor warned by their chief execu- consultation before any final of options with respect to have ringfenced money from tive that it would be officially decisions are made. their service configura- HEFCE available next year One of Imperial College’s denied if the plans emerged In a statement, Derek tion. Imperial College would to fund an extra sabbatical to uCLUBS AND SOCIETIES main teaching sites for medi- in the run-up to [general Smith, chief executive of expect that any substantial look over the whole remit of page 20 cal students faces closure, election] polling day”. The Hammersmith Hospitals NHS alteration in services would postgradute activity.” according to national news- electorate’s opinions on any Trust, announced: “We expect take into account the appro- The Deputy President paper reports published dur- closure or partial closure to have to spend up to £400m priate arrangements for any (Graduate Students) will ing the Easter break. on renewing our estate dur- transfer of our undergradu- focus on academic represen- THIS WEEK Consultants at Charing ing the next ten years. With ate and postgraduate educa- tation, postgraduate welfare, News page 2 “Closing the Cross Hospital, in Hammer- that level of investment, we tion, and honour the provi- postgraduate involvement in Business page 4 smith, told the media that Charing Cross... have to look at all the options sions for our research activity student activities and other Science page 5 “closing the Charing Cross... available to us to demonstrate and facilities.” issues. Comment page 6 is the only realistic possibil- is the only that what we’re planning is Lucy Pickard, President of The plans must still be Columns page 10 ity” to combat the local NHS realistic the best way of spending pub- Imperial College School of approved by the Union and What’s On page 12 trust’s huge debts and main- lic funds. We are looking at Medicine Students’ Union, College Councils, but Sam Election special page 13 tenance costs. The hospital’s possibility” options at the moment, but told Felix: “It’s difficult to say Rorke, the Deputy President main services would transfer as yet have no plans, so have what situation we would be (Education and Welfare), said Clubs and Societies to the Hammersmith hospital could dramatically influence nothing yet to consult on, and in if Charing Cross closed. he was confident of having a page 17 in Acton, but no-one knows the result in the key mar- are unlikely to have for some It’s understandable that stu- “champion for postgraduate Nightlife page 22 what the future will hold for ginal seat of Hammersmith time yet.” dents are very worried about affairs” in place for the 2005-6 Arts page 23 Imperial College teaching at and Fulham, where Labour Professor Stephen Smith, it. We would like to maintain academic year. Film page 24 the site. currently holds a majority of Principal of the Imperial the medical school’s facilities, Only postgraduates will be Puzzles page 25 According to an article in around 2,000. College Faculty of Medicine, and if that means we need to eligible to stand for election, The Observer, “consultants The plans are likely to be responded: “Hammersmith fight for them, we will.” but all students will be able Sport page 26 at both hospitals were told of officially unveiled in June, Hospitals NHS Trust is cur- ● Comment, page 6 to vote. Felix 2 www.felixonline.co.uk Thursday 10 March 2005 NEWS Issue 1319 Babar Ahmad hearing: view from the court room Editor By an Imperial student munications with a person on (which can carry the death Dave Edwards a US naval ship – the dates of penalty). He also expressed At the beginning of the two- which, according to the Free grave doubts that Mr Ahmad Business Editor day extradition hearing, Babar Ahmad campaign, coin- could get a fair trial by jury Numaan Chaudhry Babar Ahmad walked into cided with Mr Ahmad’s wed- in America, citing attacks Science Editor court accompanied by three ding day and his honeymoon and discrimination against Darius Nikbin policemen, turning to smile on a remote island without Muslims after 9/11. at his family and support- internet access. Also quoted Mr Loflin further affirmed Music Editor ers from Imperial College. as evidence was a publicly that a written assurance that Andrew Sykes He confirmed his name and available documentary DVD the death penalty would not had to correct the clerk on on 9/11. be applied had to come from Nightlife Editor his date of birth. He looked Edward Fitzgerald QC, for the top if it was to be effective Simon Clark unflustered as the charges the defence, stated the risks – that is, from the President were read out – no doubt he facing Babar if extradited to or the Attorney General. Arts Editor had heard them numerous the US, the first being indefi- The opposing lawyers could Paola Smith times before. nite detention as an ‘enemy not agree on whether declar- The allegations were based combatant’, which would ing Mr Ahmad an ‘enemy Books Editor on computer evidence, quoted involve “a flagrant denial of The protest outside Bow Street Magistrates Court during combatant’ would be a breach Martin Smith and repeated several times by the principles of justice”. Babar Ahmad’s extradition hearing of the Extradition Treaty. John Hardy, appearing for the Thomas Loflin, a Supreme In the end Mr Hardy agreed Film Editor US government. As this was Court attorney and expert in could be handed over to the Even if not declared an on what the potential conse- Alan Ng an extradition hearing, the US criminal law, appeared military as an ‘enemy combat- ‘enemy combatant’, Mr quences were if Mr Ahmad Sub Editor defence was unable to chal- as an expert witness for the ant’ even if tried and acquit- Ahmad could be subject to were handed over to the mili- Sarah Pozniak lenge any of the evidence in defence having submitted ted in a civilian court. ‘Special Administrative Meas- tary, but would not agree on court, and so its reliability was two affidavits to court. He Mr Ahmad could be ures’, regardless of whether whether there was a real risk not discussed. The evidence stated that there was a real detained in Guantanamo Bay, he is convicted or awaiting of this happening. Felix quoted included email com- risk that Mr Ahmad would be “or worse”, according to Mr trial. Under these meas- At noon on the trial’s sec- Beit Quad turned over to the military Loflin, who also referred to ures he could be indefinitely ond day, Mr Hardy asked the Prince Consort Road as an ‘enemy combatant’. If prisons in other countries detained in solitary confine- judge for a further two to three London SW7 2BB so, he needn’t even be given such as in Afghanistan, Egypt ment and have restrictions weeks to gather more evi- a trial. and Pakistan. The ‘Doctrine placed on his contact with dence to support his case by Telephone: 020 7594 8072 Under Military Order of Specialty’, which prevents lawyers. interaction with the US gov- Email: [email protected] Number 1, the only trial avail- an extradited person being Mr Loflin then mentioned ernment. This was granted, Web: www.felixonline.co.uk able to him would be by mili- tried for offences other than the possibility that if Mr and the trial was adjourned.