U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

[WestVirginiaRebel]

NY Times:

WASHINGTON — The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials.

The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.

An internal Pentagon memo, for example, states that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys.

The vast scale of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth was discovered by a small team of Pentagon officials and American geologists. The Afghan government and President Hamid Karzai were recently briefed, American officials said.

While it could take many years to develop a mining industry, the potential is so great that officials and executives in the industry believe it could attract heavy investment even before mines are profitable, providing the possibility of jobs that could distract from generations of war.

“There is stunning potential here,” Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command, said in an interview on Saturday. “There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant.”

The value of the newly discovered mineral deposits dwarfs the size of Afghanistan’s existing war-bedraggled economy, which is based largely on opium production and narcotics trafficking as well as aid from the United States and other industrialized countries. Afghanistan’s gross domestic product is only about $12 billion.

“This will become the backbone of the Afghan economy,” said Jalil Jumriany, an adviser to the Afghan minister of mines.
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Afghanistan is literally sitting on top of a gold mine. So does this make Karzi Afghanistan's Uncle Jed?

[pinz]

 

This could signal an abrupt fork in the road for East Asian politics and history!

 

Think what could happen if the general population suddenly had literacy, lots of books and indoor plumbing!

 

(I mean besides hemorrhoids....)

[NCTexan]

 

This could signal an abrupt fork in the road for East Asian politics and history!

 

Think what could happen if the general population suddenly had literacy, lots of books and indoor plumbing!

 

(I mean besides hemorrhoids....)

The impact on their society could be immeasurable!

 

Just think... air condition Corporate Boxes in their new buzhaski stadium. (No more dust kicked into your chili-dog and nachos!)

 

[Pepper]

"The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials."

 

Ummm, senior American government officials. Part of the same group that tell us

- that the Social Security lock box will last at least a decade beyond all previous estimates, no matter when you ask the officials the status

- that the Deepwater Horizon drill rig was safe prior to epic FAIL

- that "the system is working"

- there is no Islamic terror threat

- that the Arizona GOP governor is a terror threat

- that by taking over private industry they will save private industry

 

I'll believe it when the Afghans mine it and sell a few $hundred billion$ off to reimburse the US for the cost of the war.

[Argyle58]

So, where are the protesters with signs reading "NO MORE WAR FOR LITHIUM"?

[Guest AnneV]

And we'll stand back and watch as the Chinese and the Arabs suck those resources right from under our feet....just as we're doing with our own, off-shore oil...yes!

By the time we get there, it will all be gone because the loony left will find a reason, any reason, why we shouldn't benefit from the find and/or help the Afghans to use it to their benefit....to bring them out of the 8th century and garner better relationships between our two countries

 

Happy day