I'm John Batchelor, and I welcome Cleo Pascal, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,

to help me understand the Indo-Pacific inaction right now here at the beginning of 2026.

This vast amount of water is planet Earth, and in there are sovereign states, colonial remnants, and something in between, spread between the U.S.

and its allies in Europe.

We begin with our ally in Europe, the United Kingdom.

There is a series of islands called the Chegos Islands in the middle of the Indo-Pacific.

The most important one is Diego Garcia, where the U.S. has a very large airbase that is critical for projecting power

into Eurasia. For example, we have reason to believe it's always being reinforced because of

the fear that war will break out again in the Middle East, Iran attacking its neighbors.

However, we turn to Parliament.

There's a process underway in Parliament directed by the Prime Minister, Kirstarmer,

in order to transfer the sovereignty of the Chegos Islands to Mauritius, which is another island group in the Indo-Pacific,

much closer to Africa. Cleo, a very good day to you. You have written of these matters

in the national interest. Your concern is security. You've attended these last days the Honolulu Defense Forum in which these matters were discussed,

I'm certain.

You are saying that the action of Parliament and the Prime Minister in the Indian Ocean Basin

affects the whole of the Indo-Pacific.

How so?

Good evening to you, Cleo.

Good evening.

The Diego Garcia base, which is currently on U.S. soil, on U.K. soil, is a joint U.S. base, but it's

really a U.S. base.

...