British politicians, diplomats and civil servants began a campaign— in their own words—"to maintain the pretence there were no permanent inhabitants" on the islands. This was vital, because proper residents would have to be recognized as people "whose democratic rights have to be safeguarded" .. . The inhabitants therefore became 35 non-people.
Many of the islanders were hustled across the water to neighboring Seychelles. England then leased an "uninhabited" Diego Garcia to the U.S. government. In exchange, Washington offered the British an $11 million subsidy on Polaris submarine technology. The 236THE "NON-PEOPLES" OF DIEGO GARCIA lives of island inhabitants and their homes had been valued at about $600 a person. The Pentagon rushed ahead to build its military base. Developed to house B-52S and, later, the radar-evading B-2 (Stealth) heavy bombers, it would play a key role in U.S. empire building, serving as a staging site for forays into the Middle East, India, and Afghanistan, as well as Africa. Despite its strategic importance, Diego Garcia remained lowprofile, a relatively unknown U.S. presence off the coast of Africa. Few people are aware that protecting it was justification for one of the most blatant assassination attempts ever undertaken by CIA-sponsored jackals. James Mancham had been elected the Seychelles' first president after independence was declared on June 29, 1976. His primary contact with Washington and London was by way of South Africa, a staunch corporatocracy ally. Through the South Africans, Mancham made it clear that he supported the Diego Garcia deal; he offered to quietly absorb displaced islanders and