The British, facing severe financial problems and problems with their African bases wanted the US to participate in a joint base development further north of Diego Garcia. The US wasn’t interested. Diego Garcia was suggested. While the Senate was on board and the House was reluctant to spend the money (about $25 million was a good bit of spending in the late 60′s) Defense wasn’t all that interested in Diego. Robert McNamara nixed the idea because it was too far from the oil tanker routes to be of any use.

Then the British unexpectedly announced they were pulling out all troops from east of the Suez. The US had relied on the British troop presence in the Middle East to ride herd on oil interests. That changed things decidedly and Diego became necessary to continue the oil-based foreign policy in the Middle East.

From what I turned up and from reading various accounts of the ‘evacuation’ it appears that the islanders were moved by the British in a very insensitive fashion. It may not have been legal under international law for the US to move those people.There is some dispute about who gassed the dogs and the beasts of burden. Since it was done during the evacuation it is reasonable to conclude that the ones evacuating the Chagossians, the British, did the gassing.

The British eventually gave the Chagossians some money but many had fallen into alcoholism, depression, and other form of despair. They were eventually given British citizenship, some moved to England, others elsewhere.

It appears to me after reading various articles that Mr. Vine may have an unspoken agenda. Who knows what that might be but he seems to be tapping a sentiment that the US military is some anonymous force that goes about the world surreptitiously carrying out the will of evil corporations at the expense of the taxpayers and the US image overseas.

Perhaps that is true but I don’t think so in this matter.

There was some legal trickery that prohibited the Chagossian’s case from being heard in US courts. You can look at that as the US avoiding its responsibilities or protecting taxpayer dollars from being spent when the British should be the ones to pay.

What readers might consider is that all Middle East foreign policy decisions over the past 60 years have been, are, and will be about oil. Oil that is needed to meet the demands of our culture and economy. You know, the one that allows you to waste energy on unnecessary car trips, inefficient use of home and office electricity, and gadgets we can probably do without.

The continuing saga on this issue is far more riling; it appears that the forces behind relocating the Chagossians would like to see a very expensive eco-resort there. The Chagsossians wouldn’t necessarily get to rebuild their culture but would get to run shops, clean rooms, serve the guests. Frankly, I’m not sure I would want to visit an eco-resort or live in a location that is within impact distance of a terror strike against Diego.

By all accounts, it appears that the British, experiencing a serious financial drain due to its military bases in the Middle East and Africa, want the US to participate in a joint military base somewhat north of Diego Garcia, but the US wasn’t interested. The option of Diego Garcia came up. The Senate was on board, the House was skeptical and Defense questioned the need and the logistics as they related to, mainly, protecting the oil routes that passed the tip of Africa.

According to one document, the proposal was rejected by Robert McNamara. The British then, quite unexpectedly announced that they were pulling out all troops from ‘East of the Suez’ leaving the US in a position of having to increase US presence in the Middle East to ensure the flow of oil that had become essential to the US economy, had been for many years, and explained US presence there completely.

It appears, too that, unlike what is implied in ‘U.S. Forcibly Deported Islanders, Gassed their Dogs to Make Way for Diego Garcia Military Base’ that the British transported the Chagossians to Mauritius and did so in a very insensitive fashion. Those transported were given some financial settlement at a later date, but many fell into despair, alcoholism, and the like. The Chagossians were under British rule at the time and it would probably have been a violation of international law for the US to remove them. Since then they have been given British citizenship and many moved to England, others stayed on Mauritius, some went elsewhere.

The gassing of the family pets and beasts of burden seems to have been true but there are mixed conclusions as to whether it was done by the US or British.

Again, I haven’t read Mr. Vine’s book, but if the above article is representative of its content it appears that he is building ‘evidence’ for a larger agenda that seems to be reduction or removal of US Forward Operating Bases around the world and doing so with something of a sensationalized account.

By targeting the US military as some autonomous force taking things into its own hands around the world for some sinister purpose, he might accomplish that. But readers should understand that US presence in the Middle East and the perimeter bases that support that position such as Diego Garcia, are part of foreign policy and that foreign policy supports domestic needs (and, yes, the needs of big money efforts that may meet investor needs at the expense of US taxpayers and the country’s image in the world). Those domestic needs are dominated by the culture we decide to live in and that culture was, is, and shall continue to be based on oil energy and all the bells and whistle that come with it.

Something to think about the next time you leave lights on, take unnecessary drives or buy things that are not energy efficient.