Beege has written quite a bit about the clusterfark that is the Chagos Islands deal that Keir Starmer is desperately trying to push through, for reasons that completely elude me. (Is he being blackmailed by the Chinese or something?)
The Chagos Islands, as you know by now, are the location of the airbase Diego Garcia, and hence, one of the most strategically important locations in the world. When the US engages in military activity in the Eastern hemisphere, you can be certain that US forces will deploy from Diego Garcia.
Misley Mandarin is a native Chagossian and is now the self-declared "First Minister" of the Islands. He symbolically planted a flag on the Chagos Archipelago and is squatting there to protest the British attempt to hand the islands over to Mauritius, and is having the time of his life, giving interviews from the islands.
Over 50 years after their forced removal, Chagossians led by Misley Mandarin landed on Île du Coin in a symbolic return to their homeland. They declared their right to return, shared stories of exile in Mauritius, and called for self-determination.#Chagos #ChagosArchipelago pic.twitter.com/kP54gpAtp7
— Daily Observer (@DailyObserverNG) February 18, 2026
We, the people of the Chagos Islands, give our blessing for the United States to use the base at Diego Garcia for strikes against the Iranian regime – in defence of the Iranian people."
His full statement:
"Today, I stand not in exile, but on our own soil, as the democratically elected head of government of the Chagos Islands.
Let the world hear this clearly.
We are here.
We govern here.
And we decide what happens here.
For too long, decisions about Diego Garcia were made in distant capitals, without our voice, without our consent. That era is over.
Diego Garcia is not just a military base. It is a pillar of stability in the Indian Ocean. It protects trade routes, deters aggression, and helps preserve global security. These are dangerous times and so I must be absolutely clear ....
If the United States decides that action is needed to defend international order, then as the elected Government of these islands, we give our permission for the use of Diego Garcia in defence of peace, secured through strength.
Once again, to be clear …
We, the people of the Chagos Islands, give our blessing for the United States to use the base at Diego Garcia for strikes against the Iranian regime – in defence of the Iranian people.
This is our sovereign decision.
President Trump understands the strategic importance of this island. He understands that peace is preserved through strength, not hesitation.
To the President of the United States, I say this directly:
You have our partnership.
You have our co-operation.
You have our permission.
We hope this partnership will be mutual.
If our homeland stands as a shield for America and its allies, then America must stand as a shield for our people. We seek formal recognition of our government, binding guarantees of our right of return, and permanent protection of our indigenous lands.
The Chagos Islands will not be a bargaining chip. We will not be spoken for. And we will not be silent. We stand with those who defend stability. We stand with those who defend our common values. We stand with those who stand with us. God Bless the United States of America."
In the 1970s, the Brits kicked the native Chagossians off the islands in order to build the base at Diego Garcia, and for some reason, they depopulated the entire archipelago and not just Diego Garcia. Misley Mandarin wants them back and is willing to cut a deal with the United States to make that happen.
🇮🇴WATCH: Chagossian First Minister Misley Mandarin has - from the new settlement on the Chagos archipelago - given Donald Trump formal permission to strike Iran from Diego Garcia.
— Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) February 23, 2026
He says: "We, the people of the Chagos Islands, give our blessing for the United States to use the… pic.twitter.com/3eKdeoVuZx
He certainly has a good moral, if not legal, case for his argument that Chagossians, not Mauritius, should own the islands. Native Chagossians are descendants of Africans and Asians brought to the islands in the late 18th century, as there were no native inhabitants prior to that. They were freed slaves and laborers who settled there (or who were left there) and who made a life for themselves before they were uprooted for the good of the West during the Cold War.
Update from the #Chagos Islands this morning. The team is doing well and God is even answering their prayers. We are all thinking of you First Minister Misley Mandarin, Adam Holloway and team! #Heroes! #SaveChagos pic.twitter.com/0JvJsEt97G
— Great British PAC 🇬🇧 (@GreatBritishPAC) February 22, 2026
Misleys' claim to be the "First Minister" may be a bit grandiose, but then again, if you had to decide between being governed by Mandarin or by Keir Starmer, the choice would be easy enough. After all, Starmer wants to hand Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands over to a government that is 1,300 miles away with absolutely no connection to the island, and one that is deeply aligned with a hostile Chinese Communist government.
Starmer, who can't seem to find it in his heart to expel illegal aliens bent on taking over his home country, is ordering the removal of Chagos Islanders from the Chagos Islands, apparently to ensure that China can get its grip on this strategic bit of territory.
THE CHAGOS FILES: EXCLUSIVE: Chagossians are uniting........Bernadette Dugasse, leading British Chagossian campaigner, born on Diego Garcia, supports the arrival of BIOT Citizen group leader Misley Mandarin on the Chagos Islands. She told TCF: "If it was possible and easy to go… pic.twitter.com/PtOtcwpaxe
— Tessa Clarke (@TessaClarkeLive) February 19, 2026
If it was possible and easy to go to Chagos Islands right now - I will be very happy to go there to give support to the group over at Ile du Coin [Chagos]. God bless them.” FOR MORE, SIGN UP TO THE CHAGOS FILES at http://thechagosfiles.com
As you know, Starmer is claiming that his deal with Mauritius will not impede the US's use of Diego Garcia, but his assurances ring hollow, not just because handing the islands over to an adversary will reduce the value of the base, but also because Starmer is standing the way of using the base for US security purposes in our conflict with Iran.
What a wanker.
For all the talk of taking over Greenland, one could make the case that the US has nearly as great an interest in maintaining access to Diego Garcia, and unlike Greenland, the UK seems desperate to get rid of the islands. So desperate that Starmer wants to hand over billions of pounds to Mauritius in addition to the islands.
The US already has a massive military presence on the island, and a treaty with the UK giving us rights to use Diego Garcia for security purposes.
Let's take the islands, recognize the Chagossian government, and give Starmer the finger. If the choice is between Chinese rule by proxy and Misley Mandarin, it is an easy choice.
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