Also, before the UK let the US set up a base there, we first forcibly deported the native population (can't have pesky natives getting in the way of our base, can we).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Garcia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopul...f_Diego_Garcia
The High Court ruled a few years ago that the Chagos islanders should be allowed to return home, & that the deportation was unlawful.
The Government eventually overruled the Court using orders in council (after having previously, with Robin Cook as Foreign Secretary, said it accepted the court's decision & would find a way to allow the islanders to at least return to the outer islands in the Chagos Archipelago rather than Diego Garcia itself).
The High Court said that was unlawful.
The Government appealed.
The Court of Appeal then found that the Government's actions were "unlawful abuse of power by the executive government."
The islanders have yet to actually return though.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1004840.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1005064.stm
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle1862399.ece
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depopul...t_developments
Still, I guess that's another subject...
As for the Government's revelation that rendition flights used UK territory... I didn't really find it very surprising... (well, OK, them actually owning up was surprising, but the actual flights-use-UK-territory wasn't).