The
Chagos Islands are beautiful.. Sadly, it looks like it may not be a peacful retreat anymore..
Some info I found on the islands:
Chagos Islands, once home to a native population known as Ilois, or Chagossians, lies in the
Indian Ocean approximately 500 kilometers south of the
Maldives.
The native population were deported by the British
government in the late sixties and early seventies to fulfill the terms of a leasing agreement to depopulate the islands, initally a communication centre, later to became a US military base on the main island of Diego Garcia during the cold war.
Today, Chagos archipelago is a military zone and has served in launching B52's during operation Desert Fox in '98 in Iraq, and the various bombing attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq thereafter.
The surviving Ilois are still fighting for the return of their country via British courts. The
current lease expires in 2016 but has an option to renew for an additional 50 years.
Only US and UK military personnel or
contract workers servicing the military and the odd detainees at the local correction facility named Camp Justice may enjoy the sights of Diego Garcia.
Thanks for the Cruising Quest link.. Interesting site