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Conspiracy Theories

I have been looking at the world map today and realised that the UK/US military base on Diego Garcia was directly in the path of the tsunami, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I started googling around to find out what had happened there and was pretty surprised to discover that they suffered no damage of any description. For a coral atoll with no point higher than 22 feet and an average elevation of 4 feet, having nothing to report about a tsunami that displaced over 7000 people in the adjacent Maldives seems remarkable. There seem to be two explanations floating around the web right now. First is the "nothing happened" theory, best represented by this anonymous "eyewitness":
During the Tsunami, the waves only increased in size about 1 foot, and tossed around coconuts like they were beach balls. Other than that, there was NOTHING out of the ordinary.
Then there are those who claim that Diego Garcia was the only place in the Indian Ocean given an early warning - this comment from a group with an axe to grind seems typical:
The NOAA immediately warned the U.S. Naval Station at Diego Garcia, which suffered very little damage from the tsunami. It is telling that the NOAA was able to get the warning to the US Navy base in the area, but wouldn't pick up the phone and call the civil authorities in the region to warn them. They made sure that a US military base was notified and did almost nothing to issue a warning to the civilian inhabitants who were in the direct path of the wave--a warning that might have saved thousands of lives. This is criminal negligence.
Certainly the US is keen on the "nothing happened here, move along" angle and is fielding experts to sustain it. Whatever the truth, the fact that the NOAA folk only sent alert e-mails to the affacted regions will rattle around for a while as the world tries to salve its conscience.

posted at 10:51 AM (UK) | |

Comments:

I don't like conspiracy stories. DG is an extensive base with *thousands* of people staioned there. If it has been affected by the tsunami in any serious way we'd know about it.

You should also read the following quote from this article: "Carolyn Bell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey, said even though an earthquake like Sunday’s will radiate destructive waves in all directions, the damage caused by the water differs greatly depending on the undersea topography.

"She speculated that the numerous coral reefs may have dissipated some of the waves’ impact on the British-owned island, resulting in only a slightly higher tide that residents might not necessarily notice.

"She said residents of coastal areas in Australia reported no effects from the earthquake, even though researchers know the sea levels there rose several feet."

You presumably don't require photographic evidence that Australia is still there.

# posted by

Disillusioned kid : 7:34 PM

Oh, thanks for the link by the way!

# posted by

Disillusioned kid : 7:40 PM

I hinted over in the Yahoo group that neither do I & that was the point of the posting - should have been clearer, sorry. I think what we see in these stories i the start of the round of recriminations that are necessary in a godless society - with no God there can be no act-of-god so someone must be to blame.

And I checked on Australia, yes.

# posted by

webmink : 7:54 PM

Simon, to be fair on this blaming-in-the-absense-of-a-god-to-blame-things-on, I remember from reading Candide that after the quake and tsunami in Godly Lisbon there was an auto-de-fete where any number of people were burned at the stake for their culpability in the eyes of the Church and State.

I don't think Jeb Bush and Colin Powell, when they come to the region this weekend, will have to worry about getting a reception like the one Pangloss and Candide found in Lisbon.

On the other hand, Jeb Bush made a rather Panglossian comment after one of the hurricanes demolished a fair portion of his state.

And as an aside, why won't Blogger let me use the CITE element?

# posted by

whump : 1:38 AM

I don't know for a fact, but I'm guessing DG was warned. But, all that would have done is given the people time to find higher ground. It wouldn't have protected the buildings or airplains unable to be moved.
I got an email and phone call from someone I know from DG within 24hrs of the tsunami. So, they obviously had power, phone and internet.
This person also said that there was some damage from a 6ft swell-
stuff from the jungle floor got washed into the lagoon, things like that.
Nothing major at all.
-thrillcat

# posted by

thrillcat : 6:04 PM