Kennedy in The Telegraph: Starmer can restore trust in the special relationship by halting the Chagos deal

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Telegraph explaining why the United Kingdom's plan to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius would be detrimental to the security of the joint U.S.-U.K. base on the island of Diego Garcia.

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

"The American people regularly list the United Kingdom as our closest ally, and for good reason. We don't just talk about being allies; we actively work together to protect each other's interests.

"That's why the United Kingdom's possible transfer of the Chagos Archipelago, including the joint US-UK military base on the island of Diego Garcia, to Mauritius is so deeply concerning. Any deal that [jeopardizes] the security of Diego Garcia would not only threaten our shared military installation, but it would also undermine the very idea that the United Kingdom is the type of friend Americans can trust to have our backs, and vice versa."

. . .

"The United Kingdom cannot cede the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius without handing the keys of Diego Garcia to the Chinese Communist Party."

. . .

"At a time when our adversaries in Russia, China, and Iran are testing the true strength of our military alliances, we cannot allow a United Nations smear campaign against the British people and their territories become yet another fissure in the special relationship that Americans and Britons share.

"Fortunately, the United Kingdom has time to work with the Trump administration to halt this deal and ensure that the Chagos Archipelago remains a British territory. The Prime Minister can remind the American people why they have so much faith in our British allies by standing strong against the United Nations and protecting our shared national security interests on Diego Garcia."

Read Kennedy's op-ed here.