Diego Garcia
Photo above shows Diego Garcia from the air. Looking from the northwest, with the airfield half way down the western arm of the atoll.
'FANTASY ISLAND'
Diego Garcia is the largest of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago. It now hosts a US military base covering two thirds of the island. The United Kingdom, which claims sovereignty over the island and the rest of the Chagos Archipelago, has a small number of military personnel stationed there. This includes the British Representative (BritRep - a Royal Navy Commander) and about 40 Royal Marines/Navy personnel. The Brits run the Customs, Police, and Magistrates Court (and the Brit Club - a bar) and try to persuade the US and other foreign contractor personnel to behave themselves.
The US effectively runs the rest. People drive on the right, the currency is US Dollars, and the majority of Government/Military personnel there are from the US Navy, US Air Force, and Marines. There is also a civilian workforce (mainly Filipinos) employed by a US based contractor.
Back in London there is a BIOT Administration based in the Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO) and a Governor of the Colony (known as the BIOT Commissioner).
Administering Diego Garcia and the BIOT costs the UK about £8 million a year (conservatively). What does the UK get in return? A lot of hassle in the courts and in the United Nations, from the Republic of Mauritius, and condemnation for the human rights abuse of the former inhabitants (Chagossians). The UK can also claim that we have created one of the largest Marine Parks in the world.
President George W Bush arrives at Diego Garcia, 4 Sept 2007
The BritRep (the one with shorts in white) seems to be much smaller than the Americans - fewer hamburgers perhaps? And yes the Brit Navy seems to like making their officers look like schoolboys - hence the shorts and long socks.
US/UK EXCHANGE OF NOTES
For details of the agreements between the UK and US concerning the use of Diego Garcia see the page 'US/UK Agreements'. This Greenpeace summary shown in the photograph is not quite accurate. There is no "lease" and the original 1966 agreement was for an unlimited period, but after 50 years either side could terminate the agreement with 2 years notice, otherwise it was to continue for a further 20 years (ie until December 2036). No "rent" is due nor paid although the US granted the UK a secret deduction of US $14M from Polaris missile development costs back in 1966.
The 'window' for termination or renegotiation of the Exchange of Notes ran from December 2014 to December 2016. Since neither the US nor the UK sought any changes to the agreement it now continues in force until 2036.
Links
Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia - official site
Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia - Facebook Page
Additional Websites
An interesting if slightly zany website about Diego Garcia run by Ted Morris (a former USAF transport pilot) can be found at: The Provisional Peoples' Democratic Republic of Diego Garcia. It contains a wealth of information and photographs.
Page last updated 9 Oct 2018