Trump was warned against Chagos deal by generals

Donald Trump turns against Sir Keir Starmer’s surrender deal for the Chagos Islands After top US generals warned that it would “weaken” the US military.

The US President received a letter from nine former Army, Navy and intelligence leaders 48 hours before him Called the deal a “big fool”.

In it, defence chiefs warned that Britain’s deal to give the archipelago to Mauritius would make the Diego Garcia US airbase there “inherently less secure”.

mr trump He cautiously backed the deal when it was signed last year, saying he was planning to “run along” with it.

Now it can be revealed: change of heart. It came shortly after a letter signed by senior military chiefs was received warning about the dangers of the agreement.

The names of the signers have not been publicly released, but the letter was signed by retired four-star admirals and generals – the highest ranks in the US military. – Also the former head of the Defence Intelligence Department.

‘Once sovereignty is transferred it cannot be regained’

Former leaders of Indo-Pacific Command, US Central Command and the STRATCOM nuclear deterrence body were among those expressing concerns.

He wrote: “From a military perspective, sovereignty matters. A base held under lease, subject to international arbitration, political pressure, or third-party treaty obligations, is inherently less secure than a base held under sovereign authority.

“This introduces uncertainty into contingency planning and weakens deterrence by implying conditional access rather than assured access. In an era of rule of law and coercive diplomacy, this distinction is not theoretical but operational.

“The proposed transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius would bring about a new and unnecessary change in the command, legal and political environment surrounding one of America’s most important overseas bases.

“Once sovereignty is transferred, it cannot be reclaimed. Any future crisis will be managed from a weaker position than is the case today.”

While most of the signers wanted to keep their names out of the public domain, one who agreed to have his name released was Colonel Grant Newsham, the former reserve chief of intelligence for Marine Forces Pacific and an expert on China.

The letter echoes concerns expressed by China’s supporters in Britain. The increasingly close ties between Mauritius and Beijing have raised concerns among lawmakers and peers, who are taking strong action to try to block the deal.

Last week the Mauritius government issued a statement pledging to “strengthen cooperation” after a meeting with the Chinese ambassador.

As well as being an important US airbase for long-range bombing, the island is a major deep-water port for nuclear-powered submarines in the region.

Former military leaders warned: “Diego Garcia has long supported missions involving nuclear powered ships and platforms that are centers of deterrence and strategic access.

“Even if current assurances are given, future governments or third parties may invoke Pelindaba obligations to challenge or disrupt operations.

“It creates an avenue for legal pressure, diplomatic pressure and operational disruption that does not exist under the current sovereign arrangement.”

‘Diego Garcia must remain determined.’

In a direct appeal to Mr Trump, he said, “This is not a matter of diplomacy or symbolism. This is about preserving the ability of the United States and its allies to act decisively in defence of shared security interests.

“We respectfully urge you to engage directly with the United Kingdom Government and make clear that any arrangement that undermines sovereignty over Diego Garcia undermines the military effectiveness, deterrent value, and long-term security of the base.

“Strong alliances depend on certainty. Diego Garcia must remain certain.”

Despite controversy over costs and security implications, Downing Street signed off on the deal to hand over the Chagos Islands last May.

Posting on his Truth social platform on Tuesday morning, Mr Trump criticised the deal, saying it was done “for no reason”.

He also cited the agreement as a reason why the US should take control of Greenland – a demand that has already damaged relations between the UK and US.

He later said at a White House press conference: “I think when they were originally going to do this, they were talking about some concept of ownership, but now they essentially just want to do a lease and sell it. And I’m against that.”

Ministers have argued that it is necessary to secure the future of the Diego Garcia base due to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In a non-binding opinion, the ICJ supported the sovereignty claims of Mauritius, which is not even the archipelago’s nearest neighbour, 1,300 miles away.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted the deal will still go ahead, although ministers had previously said they would not implement it without US support.

Sir Keir has made more than a dozen changes during his first 18 months in government, but he is unlikely to back down on the Chagos agreement, as it has the support of almost all his Labour MPs.

Amidst the growing controversy, the White House has indicated that trade talks with Britain are now stalled.

Under the agreement, Britain will hand over control of the Chagos Islands, a remote and strategic archipelago in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius.

Britain would then lease Diego Garcia, its largest island and home to a major US airbase, for 99 years at a cost to taxpayers of up to £35 billion.