Toba Kakar Range
Encyclopedia
The Toba Kakar Mountains are a Southern offshoot of the Himalayas
in the Balochistan
region of Pakistan
. The historical route through the mountains is known as the Bolan Pass
.
The mountains originally received media attention in August, 1979; when evidence emerged that Pakistan may be using them as a potential workspace towards development of nuclear weapons. Again in April, 1981
, the United States government raised concerns, this time with Senator Alan Cranston
referring specifically to a nuclear test site, built into the side of the mountains, 40 kilometres from Afghanistan
. As a result of this, Congress
amended existing legislation that would terminate finanicial assistance to Pakistan in the event of any nuclear test, so that it could not be waived by the President.
In late 2004, John Lehman
announced that the United States now had the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden
narrowed down to a 16-square kilometre area in the Toba Kakar mountains; though they were hesitant to enter the area , Lehman using the reference that it would be "another Vietnam
". Pakistan's Major General
Shaukat Sultan commented the claims of bin Laden being in that mountain range were "ridiculous" and without basis.
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
in the Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
region of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The historical route through the mountains is known as the Bolan Pass
Bolan Pass
The Bolan Pass is a mountain pass through the Toba Kakar Range of Balochistan province in western Pakistan, 120 kilometres from the Afghanistan border....
.
The mountains originally received media attention in August, 1979; when evidence emerged that Pakistan may be using them as a potential workspace towards development of nuclear weapons. Again in April, 1981
April 1981
January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberThe following events occurred in April 1981.-April 1, 1981 :...
, the United States government raised concerns, this time with Senator Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston
Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star...
referring specifically to a nuclear test site, built into the side of the mountains, 40 kilometres from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. As a result of this, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
amended existing legislation that would terminate finanicial assistance to Pakistan in the event of any nuclear test, so that it could not be waived by the President.
In late 2004, John Lehman
John Lehman
John F. Lehman, Jr. is an American investment banker and writer who served as Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration and in 2003–04 was a member of the 9/11 Commission....
announced that the United States now had the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
narrowed down to a 16-square kilometre area in the Toba Kakar mountains; though they were hesitant to enter the area , Lehman using the reference that it would be "another Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
". Pakistan's Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Shaukat Sultan commented the claims of bin Laden being in that mountain range were "ridiculous" and without basis.
See also
- Mountain ranges of PakistanMountain ranges of PakistanPakistan is home to many mountains above . Five of the fourteen eight-thousanders are in Pakistan, four of which are in Karakoram near Concordia....
- List of mountains in Pakistan
- List of highest mountains (a list of mountains above 7,200m)