Diego Garcia 8630 224358353 2008-07-08T14:31:46Z AkhtaBot 6756213 robot Modifying: [[es:Diego García]] {{otheruses|Diego Garcia (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox Airport | name = Diego Garcia | image = diegogarcia.jpg | image-width = | IATA = NKW | ICAO = FJDG | type = [[Naval Support Facility]] | owner = [[United Kingdom]] | operator = [[United States Navy]], [[Royal Navy]], [[Royal Marines]] | location = [[Diego Garcia]], [[Chagos]] | built = 1980s | used = 1971 - present | elevation-m = 3 | elevation-f = 9 | coordinates = {{coord|7|18|48|S|72|24|40|E|type:airport}} | r1-number = 13/31 | r1-length-f = 12,003 | r1-length-m = 3,659 | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] | footnotes = }} '''Diego Garcia''' is an [[atoll]] in the middle of the [[Indian Ocean]], about 1,600 km (1,000 mi) south off [[India]]'s and [[Sri Lanka]]'s southern coasts. It is the largest atoll by land area in the [[Chagos Archipelago]]. It is part of the [[British Indian Ocean Territory]] (BIOT), a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[British overseas territories|overseas territory]]. Since the enforced [[depopulation of Diego Garcia]] in the years leading up to 1973, it has been used as a military base by the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]]. It has one of five ground antennas assisting in the operation of the [[Global Positioning System]], the others being on [[Ascension Island]], [[Hawaii]], [[Kwajalein]] and in [[Colorado Springs]]. It is covered in luxuriant tropical vegetation, with little sign of the [[copra]] and [[coconut]] [[plantation]]s that once covered it. It is {{convert|60|km|mi}} long, with a maximum elevation of {{convert|6.7|m|ft}}, and nearly encloses a [[lagoon]] about {{convert|19|km|mi}} long and up to {{convert|8|km|mi}} wide. Depths in the lagoon extend to {{convert|30|m|ft}}, and numerous coral heads form hazards to navigation. Shallow reefs surround the island on the ocean side. The channel and anchorage area are [[dredge]]d, while the old turning basin can also be used. == Geography == [[Image:DiegoGarcia1.png|thumb|right|Location map of Diego Garcia.]] The atoll forms a nearly complete rim of land around a lagoon, enclosing 90 percent of its [[perimeter]], with an opening only in the north. The main island is the largest of about sixty islands which form the Chagos Archipelago. Besides the main islands, there are three small islets at the mouth of the lagoon in the north: #West Island (3.4 [[hectares|ha]]/8.4 acres) #Middle Island (6 [[hectares|ha]]/14.8 acres) #East Island (11.75 [[hectares|ha]]/29 acres) The total area of the atoll is 174 km² (66 mi²) according to [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf], of which 30 km² (12 mi²) are land, 17 km² (6.5 mi²) peripheral reef and 124 km² (48 mi²) are lagoon. == Climate == [[Image:Island couple.jpg|thumb|right|Eclipse Point]] Annual [[rainfall]] averages 260 cm (102 in), with the heaviest [[precipitation]] from October to February. August, the driest month, averages 100 mm (4.2 in). Temperatures are generally close to 30°C (86 °F) by day, falling to the low 20s °C (70 °F) by night. Humidity is high throughout the year. The almost constant breezes keep conditions reasonably comfortable. Diego Garcia is at risk from tropical [[cyclones]]. The surrounding [[topography]] is low and does not provide an extensive wind break. Since the 1960s the island has not been seriously affected by a severe tropical cyclone, even though it has often been threatened. The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone in the period 1970-2000 was approximately 40 knots (75 km/h). [[Image:Degar sunset from cannon point.jpg|thumb|left|Sunset at Cannon Point]] The island was somewhat affected by the [[tsunami]] caused by the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]]. Service personnel on the western arm of the atoll island reported only a minor increase in wave activity. The island was protected to a large degree by its favourable ocean topography. About 80 km (50 mi) east of the atoll lies the 650 km (400-mile) long Chagos Trench, an underwater canyon plunging more than 4,900 m (16,000 ft). The depth of the trench and its grade to the atoll's slope and shelf shore makes it more difficult for substantial tsunami waves to build before passing the atoll from the east. In addition, near shore [[coral reefs]] and an algal platform may have dissipated much of the waves' impact.<ref>[http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=26265 "Diego Garcia Navy base reports no damage from quake, tsunamis"]. Leo Shane III, ''Stars and Stripes''. [[28 December]] [[2004]]. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]].</ref><ref name=chagosnews>{{cite journal | last=Sheppard | first=Charles | title=The Tsunami, Shore Erosion and Corals in the Chagos Islands | journal=Chagos News | publisher=Chagos Conservation Trust | volume=25 | issue= | pages=2–7 | issn=1355-6746 | month=April | year=2005 | url=http://www.chagosconservationtrust.org/pages/Chagos%20News/ChagosNews25.pdf | accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> A biological survey conducted in early 2005 indicated erosional effects of the tsunami wave on Diego Garcia and other islands of the Chagos Archipelago. One 200 to 300 m stretch of atoll shoreline was found to have been breached by the tsunami wave, representing approximately 10 percent of the eastern arm. A biological survey by the Chagos Conservation Trust reported that the resulting inundation additionally washed away shoreline shrubs and small to medium size coconut palms.<ref name=chagosnews/> On [[November 30]], [[1983]] a [[Moment magnitude scale|magnitude]] 7 [[earthquake]] 55 km (34 mi) northwest of the island caused a small tsunami resulting in a 1.5 m (5 ft) rise in wave height in the lagoon, causing some damage to buildings, piers and the runway. == History == [[Image:DG Ariel Plantation.jpg|thumb|right|Coconut Plantation, East Point</br>(former main settlement)]] [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorers discovered Diego Garcia in the early sixteenth century. The island's name is believed to have come from either the ship's captain or the navigator on that early voyage of discovery. The islands remained uninhabited until the 18th century when the [[France|French]] established [[copra]] plantations using [[slave labour]]. Diego Garcia became a possession of the [[United Kingdom]] after the [[Napoleonic wars]], and from 1814 to 1965 it was a dependency of [[Mauritius]]. In 1914, the island was visited by the German cruiser [[SMS Emden (1906)|SMS ''Emden'']]. In 1965, the [[Chagos Islands]], which include Diego Garcia, were detached from Mauritius to form part of the [[British Indian Ocean Territories]] (BIOT). In 1966 the crown bought the islands and plantations, which had been under private ownership and which had not been profitable with the introduction of new oils and lubricants. In 1971, the plantations were closed because of the agreement between the United Kingdom and the [[United States]] to make Diego Garcia available to the U.S. as a [[military base]]. No payment was made as part of this arrangement, although it has been claimed that the United Kingdom received a [[United States dollar|US$]]14 million discount on the acquisition of [[UGM-27 Polaris|Polaris missiles]] from the United States.<ref name = "ktyyqs">{{cite journal | title=Westminster Hall Debates for [[7 July]] [[2004]] | journal=Hansard House of Commons Daily Debates| volume=vol. 423 | issue=part 615 | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040707/halltext/40707h03.htm#40707h03_spnew7 | accessdate=2008-02-21 | format={{dead link|date=June 2008}} &ndash; <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=intitle%3AWestminster+Hall+Debates+for+%5B%5B7+July%5D%5D+%5B%5B2004%5D%5D&as_publication=Hansard+House+of+Commons+Daily+Debates+&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup> | unused_data=|UK Parliament}}</ref> The agreement forbids any other economic activity on the island. Until 1971 Diego Garcia had a native population of 2,000 [[Chagossians]] or Ilois, descendants of Indian workers and African slaves who had been brought to the island in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to work on the coconut and copra plantations. They lived in three settlements: East Point, the main settlement on the eastern rim of the atoll; Minni Minni, 4.5 km (2.75 mi) north of East Point; and Pointe Marianne, on the western rim. The islanders were [[Depopulation of Diego Garcia|forcibly depopulated]] to the [[Seychelles]] and then to Mauritius using controversial techniques by the UK government<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/oct/02/foreignpolicy.comment John Pilger: Paradise cleansed | Politics | The Guardian<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Since their expulsion the Chagossians have continually asserted their right to return to Diego Garcia. In April 2006, 102 Chagossians were allowed to visit Diego Garcia for a week, to tend to graves and visit their birthplaces.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4909264.stm "Emotional return for Chagossians"]. ''BBC News''. [[14 April]] [[2006]]. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1785297,00.html "Out of Eden"]. John Pilger, ''The Guardian''. [[29 May]] [[2006]]. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]]</ref> For a good general history of the Islands and what happened to the Ilois, refer to The Minority Rights Group Report No 54 - 'Diego Garcia: a contrast to the Falklands. [[Image:BIOTcops.JPG|thumb|left|Diego Garcia Police Station]] Diego Garcia is home to a [[military base]] jointly operated by the United States and the United Kingdom. It is a naval refuelling and support station and the home of [[Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two]], the naval unit responsible for the readiness of the ships in [[Military Sealift Command]] Prepositioning Program in the Indian Ocean, a vital strategic asset to the United States.<ref>[http://www.msc.navy.mil/mpstwo/ "Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two"], URL Accessed [[1 February]] [[2007]]</ref> It has an [[air base]] that primarily supported land-based [[U.S. Navy]] [[P-3 Orion]] maritime patrol aircraft during the [[Cold War]]. Since [[11 September]] [[2001]], in addition to P-3 aircraft, it has also supported some of the largest military [[aircraft]]. [[U.S. Air Force]] [[B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]]s, [[B-1B Lancer|B-1B]]s and [[B-2 Spirit|B-2]]s, as well as various [[aerial refueling]] tanker [[aircraft]] have been deployed to Diego Garcia to execute missions. During the [[Gulf War|1991 Gulf War]], Diego Garcia was home to the 4300th Bomb Wing (Provisional), made up of B-52G bombers from the former [[Loring AFB]], Maine and other B-52G bases. It was also used in support of military missions in [[Afghanistan]] during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], and to Iraq again during the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion]]. High-tech portable shelters to support the [[B-2 Spirit|B-2]] bomber were built on the island before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The B-52s, [[B-1 Lancer|B-1]]s and B-2s deployed to Diego Garcia in anticipation of the second [[Operation Iraqi Freedom|Iraq War]] carried out the initial [[aerial bombing of cities|aerial bombardment]] on [[Baghdad]] on [[March 22]], [[2003]]. Some of these [[bomber]]s dropped [[JDAM|GPS guided bombs]] and [[laser-guided bomb|laser guided]] 1,905 kg (4,200 lb.) [[bunker buster]]s in "[[decapitation strike]]s" intended to kill [[Saddam Hussein]] and other [[Baath Party]] officials.<ref>Chalmers Johnson, ''The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, secrecy and the end of the republic'' (London: Verso, 2004) 221-2.</ref> Although they now primarily deploy to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Diego Garcia still remains a regular deployment site for U.S. Navy [[P-3 Orion|P-3C Orion]] [[maritime patrol]] aircraft. [[Image:GEODSS Diego Garcia 2006-05-01.jpg|thumb|left|[[GEODSS]] at Diego Garcia]] The base is part of the [[U.S. Space Surveillance Network]],<ref>[http://www.stratcom.mil/fact_sheets/fact_spc.html United State Strategic Command: "Re-entry Assessment and Space Surveillance"]. U.S. Strategic Command. March 2004. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]]</ref> with a three-telescope [[GEODSS]] station, and is a [[NASA]] [[Space Shuttle]] emergency landing site.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/facility/sts-els.htm "Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites"]. ''GlobalSecurity.org''. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]].</ref> Neither the U.S. nor the UK recognises Diego Garcia as being subject to the [[African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty]], though the rest of the [[Chagos Archipelago]] is included, suggesting they wish to maintain the freedom to base [[nuclear weapon]]s there. The agreement between the UK and U.S. for the U.S. to use the island as a military base was made in 1966. It runs until 2036, but either government can opt out of the agreement in 2016. Construction and maintenance of the base's communications equipment, fuel facilities and military hardware are done strictly by military contractors, and inventories of that weaponry are classified. No service-member family dependents are allowed. In 2001, the U.S. [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] said that there were more buildings on Diego Garcia (654) than military personnel.<ref>Chalmers Johnson, ''The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, secrecy and the end of the republic'' (London: Verso, 2004) 221.</ref> == Politics == [[Image:CIA-DG-BIOT.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Detailed map of Diego Garcia.]] In 2000 the British High Court upheld the claims of the islanders that the Ordinance which had been enacted to ensure their removal (although it was never in fact invoked for that purpose) was unlawful. The then Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, did not appeal. In 2002, the UK Parliament enacted legislation which gave all Chagossians the right to obtain British citizenship, granted the islanders the right to return to the Archipelago and granted them UK citizenship. In 2002, the islanders and their descendants, now numbering 4,500, returned to court requesting compensation, after two years of delays by the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|British Foreign Office]]. The Chagossians began proceedings to seek additional compensation payments from the British Government (they had been granted £650,000 compensation on removal in the 1970s, and a further £4 million in the early 1980s). The High Court and Court of Appeal upheld the Government's position that the compensation already paid was fair and lawful, and struck down the Chagossians claims for additional payments. Subsequently, on [[June 10]], [[2004]], the British government enacted two [[Order-in-Council|Orders-in-Council]] re-establishing immigration controls on the islands and effectively banning the islanders from returning home, reversing the 2000 court decision.<ref>{{cite web | author= | title=Developments in the British Indian Ocean Territory | url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1087553733971| publisher=UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office | date=2004-06-15| accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> Some of the Chagossians are making return plans to turn Diego Garcia into a sugarcane and fishing enterprise as soon as the defence agreement expires, and there have been discussions about the development of a commercial tourism industry on the islands, which may raise environmental concerns. A few dozen other Chagossians are still fighting to be housed in the UK, although they have the same rights as all British citizens.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3977853.stm "Exiles protest in Downing Street"]. ''BBC News''. [[3 November]] [[2004]]. URL accessed [[1 June]] [[2006]]</ref> On [[May 11]], [[2006]], the High Court ruled that the 2004 Orders-in-Council were unlawful, and that the Chagossians were entitled to return to the Chagos Archipelago.<ref>{{cite news | author=Neil Tweedie | title=Britain shamed as exiles of the Chagos Islands win the right to go home | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/12/wchag12.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/12/ixnews.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=2006-05-12| accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> This judgment was upheld by the Court of Appeal on [[May 23]], [[2007]].<ref>{{cite news | author= | title=Chagos families win legal battle | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6683205.stm | work=BBC News | date=2007-05-23| accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite BAILII | country=ew | litigants=Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and The Queen on the Application Of Bancoult | court=EWCA | division=Civ | year=2007 | num=498 |para= | date=2007-05-03}}</ref> The British Government have appealed this decision to the House of Lords, and the hearing will be in late June 2008 and early July 2008. ===Prison site allegation=== Human rights groups claim that the military base is used by the U.S. government for the controversial [[extraordinary rendition]] of prisoners. This claim was supported by the [[Council of Europe]] in June 2007.<ref>{{cite paper | author=Dick Marty, Switzerland, ALDE | title=Secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees involving Council of Europe member states: second report | version=Section 70; page 13 | format=.PDF | publisher=Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights | url=http://www.sacc.org.uk/sacc/docs/coe-rendition-second-marty-report.pdf | date=2007-06-07 | accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> The [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|British Foreign Secretary]] [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] stated in [[British parliament|Parliament]] that U.S. authorities have repeatedly assured him that no detainees have passed in transit through Diego Garcia or have disembarked there.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Written Answers to Questions [[21 June]] [[2004]] | journal=Hansard House of Commons Daily Debates| publisher=UK Parliament | volume=vol. 422 | issue=part 605 | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040621/text/40621w13.htm#40621w13.html_wqn9 | accessdate=2008-02-21 | format={{dead link|date=June 2008}} &ndash; <sup>[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=intitle%3AWritten+Answers+to+Questions+%5B%5B21+June%5D%5D+%5B%5B2004%5D%5D&as_publication=Hansard+House+of+Commons+Daily+Debates&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&btnG=Search Scholar search]</sup>}}</ref> In October 2007 the all-party Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament announced that it would launch an investigation of the claims, which it is reported were twice confirmed by General [[Barry McCaffrey]].<ref name=guardian/> On [[October 19]] [[2007]] ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported: "The all-party foreign affairs committee is to examine long-standing suspicions that the agency has operated one of its so-called '[[black site]]' prisons on Diego Garcia..."<ref name=guardian>{{cite news | author=Ian Cobain | coauthors=Richard Norton-Taylor | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2194649,00.html | title=Claims of secret CIA jail for terror suspects on British island to be investigated | work=The Guardian | date=2007-10-19 | accessdate=2007-10-21}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' quoted British [[Member of Parliament]] Andrew Tyrie, "Time and time again the UK government has relied on US assurances on this issue, refusing to examine the truth of these allegations for themselves. It is high time our government took its head out of the sand and looked into these allegations." ===Rendition admission by F.O.=== On [[February 21]] [[2008]], British Foreign Secretary [[David Miliband]] admitted that two US [[extraordinary rendition]] flights refueled on Diego Garcia in 2002.<ref>{{cite news | author=Staff writers | title=UK apology over rendition flights | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7256587.stm | work=BBC News | date=2008-02-21| accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> Further, it has been implied that these actions constituted a direct breach of the treaty between the US and the UK concerning Diego Garcia.<ref>{{cite news | author=James Robbins | title=Miliband's apology over 'rendition' | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7257574.stm | work=BBC News | date=2008-02-21 | accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref><ref name = "ktyyqs"/> ===Further allegations from U.N. Official=== [[Manfred Novak]], the United Nations' special rapporteur on torture, says that credible evidence exists supporting allegations about the use of Diego Garcia as a prison [[black site]] for alleged terrorists. Clara Gutteridge, an investigator with human rights group [[Reprieve (organisation)|Reprieve]], states that US-operated ships moored outside the territorial waters of Diego Garcia were used to incarcerate and torture detainees.<ref>{{cite news | author=Jamie Doward | title=British island 'used by US for rendition' | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/02/ciarendition.unitednations | work=The Observer | date=2008-03-02 | accessdate=2008-03-27}}</ref> ===Arrests=== On [[12 March]] [[2008]], [[The Guardian]] reported that two British protesters had been arrested for "entering the waters [of Diego Garcia] illegally".<ref>{{cite news | author=Duncan Campbell | title=British campaigners arrested at sea in Diego Garcia protest | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/12/humanrights.military | work=The Guardian | date=2008-03-12| accessdate=2008-03-27}}</ref> ==Strategic importance== During the [[Cold War]] era, the United States was keen on establishing a military base in the Indian Ocean. Because of Diego Garcia's proximity to India, a potential ally of the [[Soviet Union]], the United States saw the island as a strategically important one. U.S. military activities in Diego Garcia have caused friction between India and U.S. in the past.<ref>{{cite news | author=Patrick Martin | title=Bush's response to South Asia disaster: indifference compounded by political incompetence | url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/dec2004/bush-d30.shtml | work=World Socialist | date=2004-12-30| accessdate=2008-03-27}}</ref> Various political parties in India repeatedly demanded that the U.S. dismantle the military base as they saw U.S. naval presence in Diego Garcia as a potential threat to India's dominance of the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite journal | first=Sitaram | last=Yechury | title=Access to Indian Military Bases: Making India an Appendage to US | journal=People's Democracy | publisher=The Communist Party of India (Marxist) url=http://pd.cpim.org/2001/july01/july012k1_indo_us.htm | volume=XXV | issue=26 | date=1 July 2001| accessdate=2008-03-27}}</ref> [[Image:B-1 Bombers on Diego Garcia.jpg|thumb|left|[[B-1 Lancer|B-1B Lancer]] Bombers on Diego Garcia.]] After the end of the Cold War, relations between India and U.S. improved dramatically. Diego Garcia was the site of several naval exercises between the [[U.S. Navy|U.S.]] and [[Indian Navy]] held between 2001 and 2004. Diego Garcia is also located relatively close to the Middle East, and experienced rapid military build-ups during the beginnings of the Iranian revolution and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Diego Garcia has several current missions. U.S. Air Force bombers and AWACS surveillance planes operate from the 3,650 m (12,000 ft) runway, and the USAF Space Command has built a satellite tracking station and communications facility. The atoll shelters the 14 ships of Marine Prepositioning Squadron Two. These ships carry the equipment and supplies to support a major armed force with tanks, armored personnel carriers, munitions, fuel, spare parts and even a mobile field hospital. This equipment showed its necessity during the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]], when the Squadron quickly delivered its equipment to [[Saudi Arabia]]. There, soldiers flown on air transports from U.S. and European bases quickly unloaded and deployed the pre-positioned material. Another example of it's strategic importance can be seen when [[yellowcake]] from Saddam Hussian's nuclear program arrived from [[Iraq]] to [[Canada]] via this naval [[base]] to the [[Canadian]] company [[Cameco]]. ===Pre-positioned vessels=== There are five cargo vessels that each carry [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] supplies sufficient to support a [[Marine Air-Ground Task Force]] for 30 days. *[[MV Anderson|MV ''Anderson'']] *[[MV Baugh|MV ''Baugh'']] *[[MV Bonnyman|MV ''Bonnyman'']] *[[MV Hauge|MV ''Hauge'']] *[[MV Phillips|MV ''Phillips'']] The four combat force ships provide rapid-response delivery of [[U.S. Army]] equipment to ground troops. Three are [[Lighter aboard ship]]s (LASH) which carry barges called [[Lighter (barge)|Lighter]]s that contain Army ammunition to be ferried ashore. *[[MV American Cormorant|MV ''American Cormorant'']] *[[SS Green Harbour|SS ''Green Harbour'']], (LASH) *[[SS Green Valley|SS ''Green Valley'']], (LASH) *[[MV Jeb Stuart|MV ''Jeb Stuart'']], (LASH) Five logistics vessels{{Clarifyme|date=March 2008}}<!-- 2 container + 1 hospital + 3 tankers = 6 --> service the rapid delivery requirements of the [[U.S. Air Force]], [[U.S. Navy]] and [[Defense Logistics Agency]]. There are two Air Force [[container ship]]s for munitions, missiles and spare parts; a 500-bed [[hospital ship]], and three [[floating storage and offloading unit]]s assigned to [[Military Sealift Command]] supporting the [[Defense Logistics Agency]], including an [[offshore petroleum discharge system]] (OPDS) [[tanker ship]]. *[[MV Buffalo Soldier|MV ''Buffalo Soldier'']], container *[[MV Fisher|MV ''Fisher'']] container *[[MV Green Ridge|MV ''Green Ridge'']], hospital *[[USNS Henry J. Kaiser|USNS ''Henry J. Kaiser'']], tanker *[[SS Potomac|SS ''Potomac'']], OPDS tanker ===GPS=== Diego Garcia is one of the five control bases for the [[Global Positioning System]], operated by the US military. The US Air Force also has monitoring stations in [[Hawaii]], [[Kwajalein]], [[Ascension Island]], and [[Colorado Springs]], [[Colorado]]. The stations synchronise and update the atomic clocks on the 24 orbiting satellites that emit the signals used by GPS receivers. ===Space Shuttle=== The island is one of 33 emergency landing sites worldwide for the [[United States]] [[Space Shuttle]].<ref>{{cite web | author=John Pike | title=Space Shuttle Landing Sites | url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/facility/sts-els.htm | publisher=GlobalSecurity.org | date=2004-04-27 | accessdate=2008-02-20}}</ref> None of these facilities have been used for a Shuttle landing. ==Cargo service== {{Cleanup|date=June 2008}} [[Image:Mv-baffin-strait-route.png|thumb|right|MV ''Baffin Strait'' transits between Singapore and Diego Garcia once a month.]]{{see|MV Baffin Strait (T-AK W9519)}} Since 2004 the MV ''Baffin Strait'', often referred to as the "DGAR shuttle," has been chartered to deliver 250 containers each month from [[Singapore]] to [[Diego Garcia]].<ref name="dgar">[http://www.msc.navy.mil/N00p/pressrel/press07/press51.htm Change at the helm for MSC's Diego Garcia office]</ref> The ship carries everything from fresh food to building supplies to aircraft parts, delivering more than 200,000 tons of cargo to the island each year."<ref name="dgar"/> On the return trip to Singapore she carries recyclable metals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deparc.xservices.com/pdfs/stories/Navy/FY06_SW_Success_Stories.pdf |title=2006 Pollution Provention and Solid Waste Success Stories |accessdate=2008-03-18 |author=Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) |date=2007 |work= |publisher=U.S. Department of the Navy}}</ref> In 2004 TransAtlantic Lines outbid [[Sealift Incorporated]] for the transport contract between [[Singapore]] and [[Diego Garcia]].<ref name="sag">{{cite web |url=http://www.amo-union.org/newspaper/Morgue/11-2004/Sections/News/sagamore.htm |title= Non-union operator wins charter held by Sagamore |accessdate=2007-09-26 |author=American Maritime Officers |coauthors= |date=2004-11 |work=AMO Currents |publisher=}}</ref> The route had previously been serviced by Sealift Inc.'s ''[[MV Sagamore]]'', manned by members of [[American Maritime Officers]] and [[Seafarers' International Union]].<ref name="sag"/> TransAtlantic Lines reportedly won the contract by approximately 10 percent, representing a price difference of about US$2.7 million.<ref name="sag"/> The ''Baffin Strait'''s current charter runs from [[January 10]], [[2005]] to [[September 30]], [[2008]] at a daily rate of US$12,550 under contract number N00033-05-C-5500.<ref name ="mscss">[http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:pI2a9N5YqxsJ:www.procurement.msc.navy.mil/procurement/AttachmentViewer%3FsectionType%3DCommonDocumentSection%26id%3D5000008%26fileId%3D60006952+site:*.mil+Transpacific&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=51&gl=us MSC Procurement Spreadsheet]</ref> ==Wildlife== The island is a haven for several types of [[crab]]; hermit crabs overrun the jungle at night. The extremely large 4 kg [[coconut crab]], or "robber crab" is found here. There is a large number of red crabs everywhere in the island though it is not known to which [[species]] they belong. They can be seen everywhere (tents, showers, laundry rooms, runway, etc.) The island hosts birds from many different regions, including [[Barred Ground Dove|Indian Barred Ground Dove]] (''[[Geopelia striata]]''), [[Turtle Dove]] (''[[Streptopelia picturata]]''), [[Indian Mynah]] (''[[Acridotheres tristis]]''), [[Madagascar Fody]] (''[[Foudia madagascariensis]]''), and imported chickens (''[[Gallus gallus]]'').<ref>{{cite web | author=Ted Morris | title=Herons and Land Birds of Diego Garcia | url=http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/nature-birds-herons-and-landbirds.html | publisher=PROPEOPDEMREPDG | date=2007-04-04 | accessdate=2008-02-21}}</ref> All the flora and fauna are protected, and it is even unlawful to be in possession of a dead coconut crab. Hefty fines are levied against violators. Diego Garcia was designated a [[Ramsar Site]] on [[July 4]], [[2001]] (354 km<sup>2</sup>). ==See also== {{commonscat}} * [[Depopulation of Diego Garcia]] * [[RAF Gan]] * [[James Horsburgh]] * [[Robert Moresby]] * [[Stealing a Nation]] ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * [http://domain1164221.sites.fasthosts.com/background.htm The UK Chagos Support Association: The story so far] * [http://www.chagos.org/home.htm Chagos Islands Indigenous Population Internet Site] * [http://www.diegogarciaonline.com Diego Garcia Online: Information for locals of Diego Garcia.] * [http://www.dg.navy.mil Official site of the United States Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia.] * [http://www.northwood.mod.uk/pjobs/biot/biot.htm Official site of the UK PJHQ Overseas Bases, Diego Garcia.] * [http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=diego_garcia Diego Garcia] timeline posted at the History Commons * [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/diego-garcia.htm Diego Garcia "Camp Justice"], GlobalSecurity.org * [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jksonc/docs/bancoult-d16b1.html US/UK BIOT defence agreements, 1966-1982], U.S. Court filing * [http://www.infoplease.com/spot/dg.html Where in the World Is Diego Garcia?], Infoplease.com * [http://www.antiwar.com/orig/pilger.php?articleid=3702 Diego Garcia: Paradise Cleansed, by John Pilger] * [http://www.bitsofnews.com/content/view/3778/ The Jewel in the Pentagon's Crown], by Gisle Tangenes, BitsofNews.com * [http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/duffy/arb/149/v149.pdf Atoll Research Bulletin 149: Geography and Ecology of Diego Garcia Atoll] * Stealing a Nation - A Special Report by John Pilger [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3667764379758632511 on Google Video]; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMW48n72-8Q on YouTube.com] *[http://www.law.northwestern.edu/journals/jihr/v5/n1/4/Nauvel.pdf A Return from Exile in Sight? The Chagossians and their Struggle, from the ''Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights''] * Alex Doherty [http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6180 'Diego Garcia', in ZNet] * Curtis, Mark [http://markcurtis.wordpress.com/2007/02/01/web-of-deceit/ Web of Deceit: Britain's Real Role in the World.] London:Vintage, 2003. * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7075361.stm BBC News Exiles lose appeal over benefits] 02/11/07 *[http://sgs.lpi.org.uk/seagreensingers/theisland The Island is a jazz opera commisioned and broadcast in the 60's on radio themed on events in Garcia Diego written by William Russo, words Adrian Mitchell performed by the Russo Orchestra sung by Cleo Lane and Denis Quilley] *http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080707.NUKE07/TPStory/National {{coor title dm|7|18|S|72|24|E|type:island}} {{Atolls of the Chagos Archipelago}} {{Strategic Air Command}} [[Category:Chagos Archipelago]] [[Category:Indian Ocean atolls]] [[Category:Overseas military bases]] [[Category:United States Navy bases]] [[Category:Military facilities of the United States by country]] [[Category:Black sites]] [[Category:Space Shuttle landing sites]] [[Category:British Indian Ocean Territory]] [[Category:Ramsar sites in the United Kingdom]] [[ar:دييغو غارسيا]] [[be-x-old:Дыега Гарсія]] [[ca:Diego Garcia]] [[de:Diego Garcia]] [[el:Ντιέγκο Γκαρσία]] [[es:Diego García]] [[fa:دیگو گارسیا]] [[fr:Diego Garcia]] [[gl:Diego García]] [[hr:Diego Garcia]] [[it:Diego Garcia]] [[he:דייגו גרסיה]] [[sw:Diego Garcia]] [[nl:Diego Garcia (eiland)]] [[ja:ディエゴガルシア島]] [[no:Diego Garcia]] [[pl:Diego Garcia]] [[pt:Diego Garcia]] [[ru:Диего-Гарсия]] [[sq:Diego Garsia]] [[sr:Дијего Гарсија]] [[fi:Diego Garcia]] [[sv:Diego Garcia]] [[vi:Diego Garcia]] [[ur:ڈیگو گارشیا]]