Senator Kennedy offers a clean and easy solution to the Chagos islands debacle – sell them to the US!!
Maybe the UK could sweeten the deal by 'only' paying the US $25 billion to take the Chagos Islands!
In this 21-minute speech given to th US Senate; the excellent, no-nonsense Senator John Neely Kennedy . (R. Louisiana) solves the UK’S Chagos Islands mess with a simple solution that addresses all the issues except the interests of China.
Sell the islands to the US.
Kennedy on U.S. Senate floor: Chagos Islands deal allows China access to joint US-UK military base
Admittedly this flies in the face of the UK paying billions to Mauritius (instead of the Chagossians!)
Imagine that getting money for a strategic asset rather than paying all Mauritian income taxes for decades – so maybe UK politicians will baulk at the prospect.
As a remidr here are details of the settlememe:
‘Key components of the monetary settlement include:
£3.4 billion net present value (approximately US$4.6 billion) in payments over a 99-year lease for the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
An annual payment of £101 million (approx. US$136 million) to Mauritius for 99 years, with potential extensions.
A £40 million trust fund to benefit the Chagossian people.
An annual grant of £45 million (approx. US$61 million) to Mauritius for 25 years to support economic development and welfare.
These payments serve as both reparations for historical injustice and compensation for the UK’s transfer of sovereignty, while ensuring the continued operation of the strategic Diego Garcia military base. The deal was structured to satisfy international legal rulings and prevent future legal challenges that could threaten the base’s security.’
‘The net present value of the UK’s monetary settlement for the Chagos Islands, as calculated by the UK government, is £3.4 billion (approximately US$4.6 billion). This figure accounts for the estimated £101 million annual payment over the 99-year lease period, adjusted for inflation and the time value of money using the Treasury’s social time preference rate (2.5–3.5% per year).
As far as I know, the settlement could have been base on £25 million a year for 20 years – there is no internationally agreed formula – it was made up.
You never know, maybe he UK would offer the US $25 billion to take it over! It would make just as much sense as the deal with Mauritius!
Poor old Chagossians – they get nada o matter what the outcome of this buffoonery after being dispossessed of their homeland for the last 60 years.
Onwards!
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