David Vine, an assistant professor of anthropology at American University, presents his book Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia. The presentation takes place on Thursday, September 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

In his book, Vine tells the story of one of the most strategically important and secretive U.S. military installations outside the United States that has served as a launch pad for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He relates how, in the 1970s, the U.S. conspired with the United Kingdom to forcibly relocate the population of Diego Garcia, a small archipelago near the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, in order to build a military base.

Vine reveals how the official U.S. Navy strategy of using island naval bases to secure American power during the Cold War led to the decision to deport the indigenous population, the Chagossians, who were not compensated for the loss of livelihood or property and endured pervasive institutional racism, extreme poverty, and health problems.