Links please.
From the syallabus on the Masters Course in International Relations at the Tom Clancy University of Codswallop.
Links please.
Here's a Time piece with the back story, namely Indira Gandhi's view that the existence of a US naval base at Diego Garcia was controversial.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi arrives in Washington this week for her first official visit in nearly eleven years. Her mission is to narrow India's differences with the U.S. on a number of issues. Among them: ... the controversial U.S. naval base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
More background:
At the Conference, the Indian Prime Minister was assiduously promoting the concept of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace. Her intention was primarily to prevent the United States from establishing further military bases in the countries on the rim of the Indian Ocean and especially to force the United States Government to dismantle its base in Diego Garcia.
An Indian source on a military forum says it was an "eyes only" operation:
Originally Posted by Blademaster I am curious. Did InN or InAF have any contigency plans of hitting Diego Garcia, or is that simply too far out of reach?
During Indira Gandhi's time, we had an airborne operation half way towards the island to capture it, but was called back. But better sense prevaled and an incident against the US was avoided.
Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers I would love to learn and examine the operational details.
Sir, These are one of those "for your eyes only" type things. All I know is that one phase was already underway when they were called back. My fathers unit (a field ambulance unit), was packed and on the tarmac waiting for their turn to take off. It was one of those cold war era incidents, as Indo-US relations were not cordial.
Now, I understand that the official Indian position is that Diego Garcia belongs to Mauritius, but I can't believe the Indians would relinquish it after losing several thousand men in its taking.