How the U.S. Stole an Island

Summary

The Chagos Archipelago, an isolated group of islands in the Indian Ocean, once home to thousands of indigenous Islanders, now houses a secretive U.S. military base on Diego Garcia. The British Empire, in a covert deal with the U.S., forcibly removed the locals and leased the territory, violating UN decolonization efforts. Despite international rulings against this arrangement, the U.S. and U.K. maintain control, with the displaced Islanders fighting for repatriation and justice.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Chagos Archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean equidistant from Africa and Australia, consists of around 60 remote atolls and islands.
• 🏝️ The main island, Diego Garcia, is now a United States military base, which is technically on British territory that was secretly rented to the US 50 years ago.
• 📜 The British took control of the Chagos Archipelago from the French in 1814, and the locals primarily worked in coconut cultivation.
• 🌐 In the mid-1900s, the UN initiated decolonization efforts, prompting the British to leave their colonies, including Chagos.
• 🔍 The US sought to expand its military influence and identified Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean as an ideal location for a base, despite not having any territories there.
• 💸 The US and UK made a covert deal where the US would cancel £14 million of the UK's debt in exchange for the island, keeping the arrangement secret to avoid public scrutiny.
• 🚫 To make way for the US base, the indigenous population of over a thousand locals on Diego Garcia were forcibly removed and relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles.
• 🔨 The construction of the US military base began after the indigenous population was removed, and it has since become a strategic point for accessing regional hotspots like the Middle East and Asia.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Diego Garcia has been used as a CIA black site for interrogating suspects post-9/11, a fact initially denied but later admitted by both the US and UK governments.
• 🏡 The forcibly evicted Chagossians have been fighting for justice and repatriation to their homeland, despite compensation attempts by the British government.
• 📊 The International Court of Justice ruled the UK's continued possession of the Chagos Archipelago illegal, and the UN General Assembly voted in favor of returning the islands to Mauritius, but the US and UK have not complied.

Q & A

What is the Chagos Archipelago?

The Chagos Archipelago is a cluster of around 60 remote atolls and islands located in the Indian Ocean, equidistant from Africa and Australia, and about a thousand kilometers from any landmass.

What happened to the local population of the Chagos Archipelago?

The local population, which consisted of Islanders who lived there for many generations, were forcibly removed from their homes in the late 1960s and relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Why did the United States want a military base on Diego Garcia?

The United States sought a base in the Indian Ocean to expand its military power and influence around the world, and Diego Garcia, being part of the Chagos Archipelago, was identified as an ideal location.

How did the United States secure the island of Diego Garcia?

The U.S. made a secret deal with the British, offering to wipe out $14 million of debt owed by the UK in exchange for securing the island. The UK then persuaded Mauritius to give up the Chagos Archipelago in exchange for £3 million and independence.

What was the justification given by the British for removing the local population from Diego Garcia?

The British government assured the Americans in a government memo that there would be no indigenous population on Diego Garcia, except for seagulls, implying that the removal of the local people was part of the agreement.

What facilities does the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia have?

The base on Diego Garcia includes a deep-sea port for nuclear submarines, an airfield, and has been nicknamed 'the footprint of freedom.' It has also been used as a CIA black site for interrogations post-9/11.

How secretive is the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia?

The base is highly secretive, with no journalists allowed to visit and few civilians ever arriving. It has been used for sensitive operations, including as a launch pad for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What has been the legal fight of the Chagos Islanders for their rights?

The forcibly evicted Chagos Islanders have been fighting for justice and repatriation to their homeland through years of legal action, arguing that they have a right to return.

What was the International Court of Justice's ruling on the Chagos Archipelago?

The International Court of Justice ruled that the UK's continued control over the Chagos Archipelago was illegal and not in compliance with the process of decolonization.

What is the current stance of the UK and the US regarding the Chagos Archipelago?

Despite legal rulings and global consensus, the UK continues to defend its claim to the island, and as long as they do, the US military will maintain its base there.

How did StoryBlocks contribute to the creation of the video?

StoryBlocks provided a variety of stock footage and other media used in the video, particularly for the intro, allowing the creator to access high-quality visuals at an affordable subscription cost.