| Revision as of 06:17, 27 October 2008 view source60.50.72.109 (talk) we r talking about RESULT the RESULT is India wiped out pakistan frm siachen, OK? ur ranting shd come under territory← Previous edit | Revision as of 14:19, 1 November 2008 view source 122.163.215.182 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Infobox Military Conflict | |||
| |conflict=Siachen Conflict | |||
| |partof=the ] and the ] | |||
| |image=] | |||
| |caption=Siachen Glacier lies in the ] range. Its snout is less than 50 km north of the ] Range. | |||
| |date=], ]<ref name = "Sentinel 1999">, 1999 April.</ref> | |||
| |place=], in a disputed and undemarcated region of ] | |||
| |casus= | |||
| |territory=] and ]come under Indian control | |||
| |result=Decisive Indian victory | |||
| |combatant1=<center>{{flagicon|India|size=65px}}<br> ] | |||
| |combatant2=<center>{{flagicon|Pakistan|size=65px}}<br> ] | |||
| |commander1= | |||
| |commander2= | |||
| |strength1= | |||
| |strength2= | |||
| |casualties1=1025 <ref></ref> | |||
| |casualties2=1344 <ref></ref> | |||
| |notes= | |||
| {{main|Siachen Glacier}} | |||
| }} | |||
| ''see also ]'' | |||
| The '''Siachen Conflict''', sometimes referred to as The '''Siachen War''' was a military conflict between ] and ] over the disputed ] region in ]. It began in 1984 with India's ]. | The '''Siachen Conflict''', sometimes referred to as The '''Siachen War''' was a military conflict between ] and ] over the disputed ] region in ]. It began in 1984 with India's ]. | ||
| Line 29: | Line 7: | ||
| ==Basis== | ==Basis== | ||
| The conflict in Siachen stems from the confusion in the improperly demarcated territory on the map beyond the map coordinate known as ]. The 1972 ] did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier, merely stating that from the NJ9842 location the boundary would proceed "thence north to the glaciers." | The conflict in Siachen stems from the confusion in the improperly demarcated territory on the map beyond the map coordinate known as ]. The 1972 ] did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier, merely stating that from the NJ9842 location the boundary would proceed "thence north to the glaciers." | ||
| ==Oropolitics== | |||
| In 1957 Pakistan permitted a British expedition under ] to approach the Siachen through the Bilafond La, and recce ].<ref>Himalayan Journal Vol. 21</ref> Five years later a Japanese-Pakistani expedition put two Japanese and a Pakistani Army climber on top of ].<ref> Himalayan Journal Vol. 25 </ref> These were early moves in this particular game of ]. | |||
| The United States Defense Mapping Agency (now ]) began in about 1967 to show, with no legal or treaty-derived justification or any boundary documentation, an international boundary on their Tactical Pilotage Charts available to the public and pilots as proceeding from NJ9842 east-northeast to the ] at 5,534 m (18,136 ft) on the China border. <ref></ref> Numerous governmental and private cartographers and atlas producers followed suit. This ] resulted in the US cartographically "awarding" the entire 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) of the Siachen-Saltoro area to Pakistan. | |||
| In the 1970s and early 1980s several ] expeditions applied to Pakistan to climb high peaks in the Siachen area as U.S army maps deliberately showed it on Pakistani side of the Line of Control, and Pakistan granted them. This in turn reinforced the Pakistani claim on the area, as these expeditions arrived on the glacier with a permit obtained from the ]. ] I ({{convert|7465|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=s}}) and ] II ({{convert|7406|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=s}}) were climbed in 1975 by a Japanese expedition led by H. Katayama, which approached through Pakistan via the Bilafond La.<ref> SANGAKU 71</ref> | |||
| Indian government and military took note. Prior to 1984 neither India nor Pakistan had any permanent presence in the area. Once having become aware of this and the errant US military maps, ] N. Kumar of the Indian Army, then commanding the Army's High-Altitude Warfare School, mounted an Army expedition to the Siachen area as a counter-exercise. In 1978 this expedition climbed ] II, claiming it as a first ascent in a typical 'oropolitical' riposte. Unusually for the normally secretive Indian Army, the news and photographs of this expedition were published in 'The Illustrated Weekly of India', a widely-circulated popular magazine.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Fighting== | |||
| The first public mention of a possible conflict situation in the Siachen was an abbreviated article titled "High Politics in the Karakoram" by ] in ''The Telegraph'' newspaper of ] in 1982<ref></ref>. The full text was printed as "Oropolitics" in the Alpine Journal, ], in 1984.<ref> Alpine Journal, 1984</ref> | |||
| India launched ] (named after ] in a ] play by ]) on ], ] when the Kumaon ] of the ] and the ] went into the glacier region. Pakistan quickly responded with troop deployments and what followed was literally a race to the top. Within a few days, the Indians were in control of the entire area, as Pakistan was beaten to all of the ] high ground by about a week. The two northern passes - ] and ] - were quickly secured by India. Pakistan lost almost {{convert|900|sqmi|km2}} <ref name="Memoirs">{{cite book|author=] | title=] | publisher=Free Press | year=2006 | id=ISBN 0-7432-8344-9}}(pp. 68-69)</ref> to nearly {{convert|1000|sqmi|km2}} of territory to India <ref> July 31, 1989 - ]</ref> Since then Pakistan has launched several attempts to displace the Indian forces, but with little success. The most well known was in 1987, when an attempt was made by Pakistan to dislodge India from the area. The attack was masterminded by ] (later ]) heading a newly raised elite ] commando unit raised with ] help in the area.<ref>{{cite book|author=] | title=] | publisher=Routledge | year= | id=ISBN 0415304725}}(pp. 39)</ref> A special garrison with eight thousand troops was built at Khapalu. The immediate aim was to capture Bilafond La but after bitter fighting that included ], the Pakistanis were thrown back and the positions remained the same. The only ] - India's highest gallantry award - to be awarded for combat in the Siachen area went to ] ] (retired as Subedar Major/Honorary Captain), who in a daring daylight raid assaulted and captured a Pakistani post atop a 22,000 foot (6,700 m) peak, now named Bana Post.<ref>.</ref> | |||
| ==Ground situation== | |||
| In ], former ], General ] states that Pakistan lost almost {{convert|900|sqmi|km2}} of territory.<ref name="Memoirs">{{cite book|author=] | title=] | publisher=Free Press | year=2006 | id=ISBN 0-7432-8344-9}}(pp. 68-69)</ref> ] states that the Indian advance captured nearly {{convert|1000|sqmi|km2}} of territory claimed by Pakistan.<ref> July 31, 1989 - ]</ref> | |||
| Further attempts to reclaim positions were launched by Pakistan in 1990, 1995, 1996 and even in early 1999, just prior to the ]. The 1995 attack by Pakistan SSG was significant as it resulted in 40 casualties for Pakistan troops without any changes in the positions. An Indian IAF MI-17 helicopter was shot down in 1996. | |||
| The Indian army controls all of the {{convert|70|km|mi}} long Siachen Glacier as well as all of its tributary glaciers as well as the three main passes of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier, Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La, thus holding onto the tactical advantage of high ground.<ref>See http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/MONITOR/ISSUE6-1/Siachen.html for perhaps the most detailed treatment of the geography of the conflict, including its early days, and under section "3." the current status of control of Gyong La, contrary to the oft-copied misstatement in the old error-plagued summary at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/siachen.htm</ref>. <ref>See http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2304/stories/20060310001704400.htm for a detailed, current map.</ref> Gyong La (Pass) itself is at 35-10-29N, 77-04-15 E; that high point is controlled by India. | |||
| The Pakistanis control the glacial valley just five kilometers southwest of Gyong La. The Pakistanis have been unable get up to the crest of the Saltoro Ridge, while the Indians cannot come down and abandon their strategic high posts. | |||
| The line where Indian and Pakistani troops are presently holding onto their respective posts is being increasingly referred to as the ](AGPL).<ref> - April 29, 2006, '']''</ref><ref> November 26, 2003 - '']''</ref> | |||
| ==Frost bite== | |||
| A cease fire went into effect in 2003. Even before then, every year more soldiers were killed because of severe weather than enemy firing. The two sides have lost an estimated 2,000 personnel primarily due to ], ] and other complications. Both nations have 150 manned outposts along the glacier, with some 3,000 troops each. Official figures for maintaining these outposts are put at ~$300 and ~$200 million for India and Pakistan respectively. India has built the world's highest ] on this glacier at a place called Sonam, which is at 21,000 feet (6,400 m) above the sea level, to serve the area. India also installed the world's highest ] on the glacier.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Kargil war=== | |||
| One of the factors behind the ] in 1999 when Pakistan sent infiltrators to occupy vacated Indian posts across the ] was their belief that India would be forced to withdraw from Siachen in return for Pakistan pulling back from Kargil. Both sides have been wishing to disengage from the costly military outposts but after the Kargil War India has backed off from withdrawing in Siachen, wary that the Kargil scenario could play out again if they vacate their Siachen Glacier posts without any official confirmation of their positions. | |||
| ===Political Visits=== | |||
| During her tenure as ], Ms ], visited the area west of Gyong La, making her the first premier from either side to get to the Siachen region. On ], ], ] ] became the first ] to visit the area, calling for a peaceful resolution of the problem. In the previous year, the ], ] became the first ] to visit the area. | |||
| ===Transport=== | |||
| India based ] plans to open a chartered service to the glacier's nearest airlink, the ] ], mainly for military purposes. Pakistan's ] flies tourists and ] daily to ], which is the jumping off point for ], the world's second highest point just 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) northwest of the Siachen area, although bad weather frequently grounds these scheduled flights. | |||
| ===Trekking expeditions=== | |||
| Since September 2007, India has opened up mountaineering and trekking expeditions to the forbidding glacial heights. The expeditions are also meant to show to the international audience that Indian troops hold "almost all dominating heights" on the important Saltoro Ridge and, to show that Pakistani troops are not within {{convert|15|mi|km}} of the {{convert|43.5|mi|km|-1|adj=on}} Siachen Glacier.<ref> ] 13 Sep 2007</ref> | |||
| The October 2008 trek is part of India’s move to assert its right over the glacier after a truce was agreed on in 2003.“The Siachen trek is being undertaken to send a message that every civilian with the help of military can visit this part of the country,” a senior Indian army officer explained. The civilian trek to Siachen started last year despite vehement protests from Pakistan which termed it India’s “tourism” in “disputed territory”. Pakistan which conducts similar trekking expeditions on its side of the glacier, with no requirement of a military liaison officer to accompany trekkers with the permit formalities taking barely two weeks, has not lodged a formal protest against the trek this year and India too has also kept it a low key affair, with Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony skipping the flagging off ceremony.<ref> http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/woman-power-rises-as-siachen-trek-enters-second-phase_100104894.html</ref> | |||
| ===US General visit=== | |||
| The Chief of Staff of the US Army, General George W Casey, on October 17,2008, visited the disputed Siachin Glacier along with Indian Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor.The US General visited the highest battleground of the world for ‘developing concept and medical aspect of fighting in severe cold conditions and high altitude’.<ref>http://pakobserver.net/200810/19/Editorial01.asp</ref> | |||
| == Operations == | |||
| {{History of India}} | |||
| *] (1984) | |||
| *] (1987) | |||
| *] (1987) | |||
| *] (1989) | |||
| == See also == | |||
| *] | |||
| *''Siachen: Conflict Without End'' by ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{Military of India}} | |||
| {{Military of Pakistan}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Mil-hist-stub}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 14:19, 1 November 2008
The Siachen Conflict, sometimes referred to as The Siachen War was a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. It began in 1984 with India's Operation Meghdoot.
Conflict
The glacier is the highest battleground on earth, where India and Pakistan have fought intermittently since April 13, 1984. Both countries maintain permanent military personnel in the region at a height of over 6,000 metres (20,000 ft). More than 4000 people have died in this inhospitable terrain, mostly due to weather extremities and the natural hazards of mountain warfare.
| Indo-Pakistani conflicts | |
|---|---|
| Kashmir conflict
Other conflicts Border skirmishes Strikes |
Basis
The conflict in Siachen stems from the confusion in the improperly demarcated territory on the map beyond the map coordinate known as NJ9842. The 1972 Simla Agreement did not clearly mention who controlled the glacier, merely stating that from the NJ9842 location the boundary would proceed "thence north to the glaciers."
- VAUSE, Mikel. Peering Over the Edge: The Philosophy of Mountaineering, p. 194.
- CHILD, Greg. Mixed Emotions: Mountaineering Writings, p. 147.