on 1 december 2010, a leaked us embassy london diplomatic cable exposed british and us communications in creating the marine nature reserve. the cable relays exchanges between us political counselor richard mills and british director of the foreign and commonwealth office colin roberts, in which roberts "asserted that establishing a marine park would, in effect, put paid to resettlement claims of the archipelago's former residents." richard mills concludes: "establishing a marine reserve might, indeed, as the fco's roberts stated, be the most effective long-term way to prevent any of the chagos islands' former inhabitants or their descendants from resettling in the biot." the cable (reference id "09london1156") was classified as confidential and "no foreigners", and leaked as part of the cablegate cache.