We shall not lease Gan for any military purposes: Maldivian President Gayoom

In March 1976, after a long running feud with the Maldivian people who wanted them out of their idyllic islands, the British had a final pink gin at their exclusive club, packed their bags and quit Gan, the southernmost of 2,000 exotic Maldive Islands. No sooner had they left their World War II vintage staging post, than this strategic island of swaying coconut trees and incredibly blue lagoons 1,440 km southwest of Trivandrum was up for grabs. It had plenty going for it.

Almost on the equator, Gan dominated the strategic sea lanes of the troubled Indian Ocean just as effectively as Diego Garcia, 800 km away. What is more, there was already a large airstrip, port facilities, a hospital, a botanical garden, not forgetting the club and the golf course.

Rattled by the prospective American buildup on Diego Garcia, the most serious offer predictably came from the Russians. "They offered the Maldivian Government one million dollars annually for repair and recreation facilities for their Indian Ocean fishing fleet," recalled Abbas Ibrahim, the Maldivian president's executive secretary. "But after much discussion, the Maldivian Cabinet finally said no. We wanted a non-aligned foreign policy and a peaceful Indian Ocean."