The plight of the Chagos Islanders shows the dark side of the US-UK special relationship

While the strength of the US-UK ‘special relationship’ has waxed and waned in recent years, many have viewed it as being generally beneficial. Peter Harris writes on one major casualty of the special relationship – the Chagos Islanders. Evicted from their home nearly 50 years ago, the Chagos Islands were converted into the US military base, Diego Garcia. Despite a 2000 High Court ruling that the islanders’ exile had been illegal, strategic considerations have since stood in the way of their return. Obama’s visit to the UK is an opportunity to reopen the issue.