Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb Letter about the Chagossians and Diego Garcia
Copy-able text repeats below.
October 25, 2010
Dr. Lawrence J. Korb
203 Yoakum Pkwy Apt 908
Alexandria, VA 22304
Richard Gifford, Esquire
Clifford Chance LLP
10, Upper Bank St., Canary Wharf
London E14 5JJ
Dear Mr. Gifford,
Based upon my experience as an Assistant Secretary of Defense with responsibility for, among other areas, installations and logistics and my 23 years of service in the United States Naval reserve (including four years on active duty as a Naval Flight Officer), I can see no good national security reason for not allowing the Native Chagossians to return to all of Chagos, including Diego Garcia. In fact, after reviewing the situation, I cannot understand why they were evicted in the 1960s and 1970s.
While there is no doubt that Diego Garcia is a critical base for projecting U.S. power throughout the greater Middle East, there is no good reason why allowing the Chagossians to return would undermine the mission in any way. There are many U.S. bases around the globe that not only have the indigenous population living nearby but actually employ some of these people on the base.
I also believe that the Chagossians wishing to return should receive not only resettlement assistance but additional compensation for the misery that they have endured for the past several decades.
Sincerely,
Lawrence J. Korb
Dr. Lawrence J. Korb
203 Yoakum Pkwy Apt 908
Alexandria, VA 22304
Richard Gifford, Esquire
Clifford Chance LLP
10, Upper Bank St., Canary Wharf
London E14 5JJ
Dear Mr. Gifford,
Based upon my experience as an Assistant Secretary of Defense with responsibility for, among other areas, installations and logistics and my 23 years of service in the United States Naval reserve (including four years on active duty as a Naval Flight Officer), I can see no good national security reason for not allowing the Native Chagossians to return to all of Chagos, including Diego Garcia. In fact, after reviewing the situation, I cannot understand why they were evicted in the 1960s and 1970s.
While there is no doubt that Diego Garcia is a critical base for projecting U.S. power throughout the greater Middle East, there is no good reason why allowing the Chagossians to return would undermine the mission in any way. There are many U.S. bases around the globe that not only have the indigenous population living nearby but actually employ some of these people on the base.
I also believe that the Chagossians wishing to return should receive not only resettlement assistance but additional compensation for the misery that they have endured for the past several decades.
Sincerely,
Lawrence J. Korb
