Diego Garcia--a small island, part of the
British Indian Ocean Territory belonging to the United Kingdom--has, along with Guam, Okinawa, and Singapore, become vital to the U.S.
A British fishery patrol vessel has been involved in search operations in the waters around the
British Indian Ocean Territory and police have also helped with routine checks on the MH370 flight manifest.
Britain has 14 - including Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory;
British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands; St Helena South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.
In addition to independent states, there are many island territories which are controlled by outsiders such as France (Reunion, St Paul, Amsterdam, Kerguelen, and Crozet Islands), the United Kingdom (The
British Indian Ocean territory or Chagos Archipelago), Australia (Cocos, Christmas, Ashmore and Carter islands and Heard and MacDonald islands), India (Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadeep islands) South Africa (Marion and Prince Edward islands) and Yemen (Socotra) Also the Indian Ocean's littoral states have claims to exclusive economic zones.2 The Indian Ocean region is home to 2.6 billion people or 39% of the world population.3 The people living in the region belong to different races, religions and cultures.
' According to the US flight plan rendering Belhaj and his wife to Libya, the plane would refuel at the American base on the
British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia.
It was of great significance that the sovereignty of the disputed Chagos Archipelago, the so-called
British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), also made it onto the agenda.
He was picked up that year following a tip-off by the secret external intelligence service, MI6, and flown by the CIA, via the
British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia, to Libya where he claims he was tortured for six years.
They also believe the US would ask permission to launch attacks from Diego Garcia, the
British Indian ocean territory, which the Americans have used previously for conflicts in the Middle East.
Between 1968 and 1973, British Labour and Conservative governments organized the removal of everyone living on the 55 islands that now constitute the
British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), and that were split off from Mauritius at the time of its independence.