Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., launched a novel assault in opposition to U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a plan to relinquish a navy base within the Indian Ocean, cautioning the British chief to “put down the bong.”
“Because the United Nations wants the United Kingdom to feel guilty, they want to give our military base and their military base to Mauritius,” Kennedy mentioned on the ground of the Senate. “Now, the prime minister of the United Kingdom can stop this, and Marco Rubio, our new Secretary of State, is against it. And I haven’t talked to him directly, but I think President Trump is against it.”
At situation is the destiny of the Chagos Islands, a British abroad territory within the Indian Ocean that presently hosts a U.S.-U.Okay. joint naval base at Diego Garcia.
UN DEMANDS BRITAIN END RULE OF CHAGOS ISLANDS IN 6 MONTHS
Cut up picture of Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Getty Pictures)
However a ruling by the Worldwide Court docket of Justice in 2019 that was backed by the United Nations discovered that the U.Okay. had no declare to the islands, spurring an October announcement that the U.Okay. had lower a deal handy over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius
Whereas the deal requires the bottom to stay beneath American and British management for one more 99-years, the plan handy over the territory has obtained push again in each the U.Okay and america.
Kennedy let it’s identified that he was a kind of critics, calling the plan to surrender management of the islands “bone deep down to the marrow stupid.”
PRESTON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 6: Prime Minister Keir Starmer offers an interview throughout a go to to Springfields (Preston Lab), Nationwide Nuclear Laboratory facility on February 6, 2025 in Preston, England. (Photograph by Oli Scarff – WPA Pool/Getty Pictures)
UN COURT TO RULE ON BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY OVER CHAGOS ISLANDS
“The United Kingdom is our friend. I went to school there for a while. I love them and I want to see the prime minister do well, but he needs to put down the bong. He needs to put down the bong,” Kennedy mentioned. “This makes absolutely no sense, and it’s going to be a big part of his legacy if he gives away this island and our military base to, in effect, what will eventually be China.”
The Louisiana senator then immediately modified gears, arguing that he didn’t “mean any disrespect,” whereas nonetheless urging Starmer to rethink.
Members of the Chagossian group collect with banners and placards outdoors parliament to protest in opposition to the federal government’s choice handy the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, on October 7, 2024. (Photograph by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photograph by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
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“I shouldn’t have said the bong part, I take it back,” Kennedy mentioned. “Please Mr. prime minister, don’t do this. Don’t do this. We’ll stand with you in telling the United Nations, who’s so upset with you, to go fill out a hurt feelings report because we’re not doing it. We’ll stand with you.”
The prime minister’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a Fox Information Digital request for remark.
