A uniquely broad coalition of over 80 top American and British national security figures, former officials, retired military leaders, policy experts, academics, elected leaders, and members of the UK’s House of Lords has issued a forceful public statement strongly supporting President Donald J. Trump statement that the British government’s proposal to give the Chagos islands to Mauritius is “GREAT STUPIDITY.”
Click here for more on Diego Garcia and the Chago Islands and why keeping them is vital to U.S. interests.
The statement calls for a permanent stop to the United Kingdom’s proposed transfer of the Chagos Islands – including Diego Garcia which hosts a vital American military base – to Mauritius. The signatories warn the plan would jeopardize one of the most important US military installations outside the United States, undermine long-standing defense agreements between Washington and London, and expose American operations to legal and strategic risk.
The signatories note the UK government’s current plan would hand sovereignty of the Diego Garcia to Mauritius and then pay billions of dollars over ninety-nine years to lease the island back. They warn that a single missed payment could allow the lease to be terminated, potentially leaving the American base operating on Mauritian territory without legal standing.
The statement also highlights that Mauritius is a signatory to the Pelindaba Treaty, which bars nuclear weapons on its soil. Because it is US policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of such weapons, the authors argue that any transfer of sovereignty could immediately open the door to legal challenges and international pressure campaigns targeting US operations.
The group urges the US to insist that the UK reaffirm the existing bilateral agreement governing the availability of Diego Garcia for defense purposes and repudiate any arrangements with third parties that could weaken or override it.
Supporters say the growing list of American and British signatories is intended to demonstrate broad and deep transatlantic concern and to underscore the strategic stakes for both countries.
“The message is that experienced and senior figures on both sides of the Atlantic believe this deal would be a historic mistake, and could seriously imperil future US – UK relations,” said one organizer involved in circulating the statement.
The statement is expected to be formally delivered to President Trump later this week.
Among the signers are:
Military
Political Appointees
UK Politicians/Legislators
Academics
In 1966 the United States and United Kingdom signed an “Exchange of notes constituting an agreement concerning the availability for defense purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory” in preparation for the United States building major military infrastructure on Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Diego Garcia base is now one of the most important American bases outside the United States. That agreement is in effect until 2036 and states “The Territory shall remain under United Kingdom sovereignty.”
In spite of that, Britain's Far Left Labour government is now trying to pass a proposed deal with Mauritius that would give Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos islands to the Islamist government of Mauritius.
For more on the Chagos Islands and why keeping them is vital to U.S. interests go to https://conservativehq.com/post/the-chagos-islands-and-why-is-keeping-them-is-important
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Click here for more on Diego Garcia and the Chago Islands and why keeping them is vital to U.S. interests.
The statement calls for a permanent stop to the United Kingdom’s proposed transfer of the Chagos Islands – including Diego Garcia which hosts a vital American military base – to Mauritius. The signatories warn the plan would jeopardize one of the most important US military installations outside the United States, undermine long-standing defense agreements between Washington and London, and expose American operations to legal and strategic risk.
The signatories note the UK government’s current plan would hand sovereignty of the Diego Garcia to Mauritius and then pay billions of dollars over ninety-nine years to lease the island back. They warn that a single missed payment could allow the lease to be terminated, potentially leaving the American base operating on Mauritian territory without legal standing.
The statement also highlights that Mauritius is a signatory to the Pelindaba Treaty, which bars nuclear weapons on its soil. Because it is US policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of such weapons, the authors argue that any transfer of sovereignty could immediately open the door to legal challenges and international pressure campaigns targeting US operations.
The group urges the US to insist that the UK reaffirm the existing bilateral agreement governing the availability of Diego Garcia for defense purposes and repudiate any arrangements with third parties that could weaken or override it.
Supporters say the growing list of American and British signatories is intended to demonstrate broad and deep transatlantic concern and to underscore the strategic stakes for both countries.
“The message is that experienced and senior figures on both sides of the Atlantic believe this deal would be a historic mistake, and could seriously imperil future US – UK relations,” said one organizer involved in circulating the statement.
The statement is expected to be formally delivered to President Trump later this week.
Among the signers are:
Military
- General Thomas Conant, USMC (ret.), former Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
- General Jerry C. McAbee USMC (ret.), former: Deputy Commanding General, Marine Forces Pacific; Deputy Commanding General, III MEF; Commanding General, Marine Corps Bases Hawaii; and Deputy Commanding General, USMARCENT
- Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, USN (ret.), former: policy director for the Senate Armed Services Committee; director of operations (J3) at U.S. Pacific Command
- Rear Admiral Christopher John Parry, CBE, Royal Navy (ret.), former Director General, Development, Concepts and Doctrine
- James Fanell, USN (ret.), former senior intelligence officer for China at the Office of Naval Intelligence and chief of intelligence for CTF-70, Seventh Fleet, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet
- Grant Newsham, USMCR (ret.), former reserve G2 (intelligence) and G5 (plans and policy) at Marine Forces Pacific
Political Appointees
- The Hon Sir Grant Shapps, former UK Defence Secretary
- Frank Gaffney, former US Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acting)
- Hon. George K. Rasley Jr, former Special Assistant to the Vice President of the United States.
- Alexander Gray, former Deputy Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff, National Security Council (2019-21)
- Hon. Peter Watson, former Director of Asian Affairs, National Security Council
- Nile Gardiner, former Aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
UK Politicians/Legislators
- Nigel Farage, Member of Parliament, Reform UK Leader
- Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Conservative Party Leader and UK Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC)
- Ben Habib, Leader of Advance UK
- Baroness Hoey of Lylehill and Rathlin
- The Earl of Leicester
- Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee, former First Minister of Northern Ireland
- Lord Strathcarron
- Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC, former Deputy Chairman/Treasurer of the UK Conservative Party
Academics
- David Starkey CBE, one of Britain’s leading historians
- Raul “Pete” Pedrozo, Howard S. Levie Professor of the Law of Armed Conflict and professor of International Law in the Stockton Center for International Law at the U.S. Naval War College.
- Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania. An original member of the Congressionally-mandated U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
- June Teufel Dreyer, University of Miami, formerly: Asia policy advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations; commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission
- Kerry K. Gershaneck, Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, National Chengchi University in Taiwan; former Marine Corps officer; former strategic planner and spokesman for the Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania
In 1966 the United States and United Kingdom signed an “Exchange of notes constituting an agreement concerning the availability for defense purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory” in preparation for the United States building major military infrastructure on Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Diego Garcia base is now one of the most important American bases outside the United States. That agreement is in effect until 2036 and states “The Territory shall remain under United Kingdom sovereignty.”
In spite of that, Britain's Far Left Labour government is now trying to pass a proposed deal with Mauritius that would give Diego Garcia and the rest of the Chagos islands to the Islamist government of Mauritius.
For more on the Chagos Islands and why keeping them is vital to U.S. interests go to https://conservativehq.com/post/the-chagos-islands-and-why-is-keeping-them-is-important
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com and is a veteran of over 300 political campaigns. A member of American MENSA, he served on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, as Director of Policy and Communication for former Congressman Adam Putnam (FL-12) then Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, and as spokesman for retired Rep. Mac Thornberry formerly a member of the House Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
