U.S. Discovers Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


Amen brother. I'm with Grady on this one.

I think it is good news for the afghan gov't and people. Now they can hopefully govern a country that has something to export/offer other than poppy crop.

If the Afghan gov't can exploit this and get the economy going, hopefully they'll have more money to buy some weapons from us and pay their own security forces well so we can bring our troops home.

[edit on 13-6-2010 by Scramjet76]

reply to post by ModernAcademia


I'm afraid that China will take it all, just like in Iraq.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Somehow this doesn't surprise me.
Outside of the poppy fields and oil pipeline routs there had to be something that was more valuable in the region. I'm surprised they released this info. I doubt that this is actually a new discovery. It was probably known for years.

This isn't new news. Well maybe the trillion dollar part is, but we have known Afghanistan has massive untapped deposits of minerals, metals, and precious stones.

I can remember a mountain stream we came aross while operating there and it was full of gold dust. The water and the sand were full of it.

In another place we were at one of our officers purchased a number rough precious stones and had them sent back to the states for analysis. The Afganis selling the stuff had no idea what it was worth and sold it for barely anything.

reply to post by Chevalerous


here's a link to show people what afghanistan was like in the 50's and 60's.

Once upon a time in Afghanistan

Originally posted by MikeboydUS

This isn't new news. Well maybe the trillion dollar part is, but we have known Afghanistan has massive untapped deposits of minerals, metals, and precious stones.

Of course we didnt know about the rich resources in Afghanistan. What are you talking about? We just HAPPEN to keep having wars in these places with rich resources and forces that are hostile to western corporations plundering it. Its totally coincidental.

I'm just thinking of the poor Afghanistani people who will never be free of their invaders.

They're screwed.

Maybe those minerals will give off some weird type of radiation and people who want to exploit it will be exposed to it?


And by "people exploiting it" I don't mean Afghanis.


[edit on 6/14/2010 by haika]

reply to post by haika


Oh they will be free someday. Once all the resources are gone, they will be left to pursue what ever sort of government they so desire. As long as they dont try to build any weapons that might allow them to try anything funny, like payback.

reply to post by haika


The worst thing will be the warlords, the same ones exporting opium.

They already treat the poppy farmers like feudal serfs. Imagine what is going to happen when the warlords figure out they can make more money off the deposits than they can from opium?

As long as the provincial governor and the Afghan National Police get their cut of the profits, they'll turn a blind eye.

Corruption there will hurt them the most in the long run.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


and the penny drops.. been waiting for this for a long time.. shoulda know it was for minerals..

reply to post by ghostsoldier

And you don't think it will be US multinationals that own these deposits? They'll pay a pittance in royalty fees and most of the jobs will be outsourced to foreigners. It wont do squat for the economy - Afghanistan is massively in debt and will be for a long time.

These deposits don't get 'owned' by foreign nations - the rights are leased. Take Saudia Arabia, for example.

As for Afghan debt, just watch those debts being forgiven in exchange for the rights to mine the minerals.

Lithium ey? - China has the worlds biggest deposits of Lithium - a key component in electric car batteries...

Nix nix...Bolivia currently holds most of the world's lithium, used in many laptops, etc. batteries.

I wonder how long ago all this was known.

Well, since it was all kicked off by the discovery of some old Russian maps dated from the '80's, we can say at least since then.

Originally posted by mishigas

These deposits don't get 'owned' by foreign nations - the rights are leased. Take Saudia Arabia, for example.

Of course not, that would make it all too obvious. Plus, this profit isnt about "nations." The nations supplying the weapons, the manpower, tax dollars, etc., are also being plundered. For those aforementioned things.

The leases will be granted by a puppet government, much like our own, who will use the proceeds of those leases to do as little as possible for the Afghan people, just enough, in fact, to prevent outright civil war. And they will siphon off the rest of that lease money to their friends, family, and selves to the degree they can. The wealth going OUT of the country will be divided among the CEO's of the mining companies, majority stock owners, and the politicians (by various methods) that plundered their own country military might to secure those resources.

It isnt about nations. Nations are receptacles for resources. Governments are necessary middle men who siphon off wealth but who make the whole thing look just legit enough to the people of those nations to prevent outright war.

Just my cheery version.

The afghani people must get the due share of the profits that will be raked in once the new mineral resources are explored and used. The nation of Afghanistan has already suffered a lot because of "the great game" played by the likes of zbigniew brzezinski.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


"I'm surprised they released this info. I doubt that this is actually a new discovery. It was probably known for years."

first thing about this anouncement is its source U.S. Geologist, and the Pentagon...wtf , since when has the Pentagon been tasked with geological exploration in a war torn country where the death rate is higher than the employment rate. How stupid is the American public to be led into popular support of O'Bama's war machine ..wasnt he the alternative to warmogering presidental candiates, the only change we got was name and skin color ..nothing else.
Weapons of Mass Distruction ..nope thats been used, threat to US Security ..in what way (its never been made clear to the American Public), and no Bin Laden is not living there (althrough he was for a time). Well look at all the riches...you mean like all the Iraqi Oil revenues that the US has Never seen repayment for the multi-billions that we have spent there and that the American taxpayer has to payoff. When is enough ..enough how much BS can be shoved down the throats of a gullible public. Anyone know that the President of Afghanistan is on the American Payroll, thats right your tax dollars pays his salary and those of many AFghani and Iraqi polictical figures.. What you think al this is free ..no we pay foreign..governement officals American tax dollars to be pro-american.. doesnt this bother anyone?

could this be a modern day gold rush can a person own a claim there
all the people without jobs can go there and mine gold

i guess war is over now lets all mine gold

how long has the war been going on there now 7 years
its time to quit moving lead and start moving gold

[edit on 14-6-2010 by dean007]

reply to post by ModernAcademia


So this was this whole "war" was about... nice!

Minerals from Afghanistan + Iraq Oil + Gold from both countries = happy businesses

Afghanistan will now be officially privatized by 'multi-national' corporations and exploited until there is nothing left.

Viva la democracia!

Originally posted by toreishi
reply to post by Chevalerous

 

here's a link to show people what afghanistan was like in the 50's and 60's.

Once upon a time in Afghanistan

Wow! thanks for posting that interesting link - great read and photos!

That was awsome to see, makes you wonder about where and what they should have been now today, if it wasn't because of all these tragical conflicts and wars.

So sad really!

Shame very little of the riches this will bring will reach the afghan people who need it, its obvious the US corporations will move in, paying off the Afghan government and their cronies while the people get almost nothing. Hooray for the coalition of the free and willing!

Originally posted by bonnieprince
Shame very little of the riches this will bring will reach the afghan people who need it, its obvious the US corporations will move in, paying off the Afghan government and their cronies while the people get almost nothing. Hooray for the coalition of the free and willing!

exactly...

it's amazing how some people here think this is a good thing and the afghan will prosper...

what a joke

reply to post by ANNED


Good post, that's exactly what I thought of, that quote - I remember the article, explaining how China was (quietly) winning the bid against the USA and others to extract and export the (largest) mineral reserves (esp. copper) from Afghanistan, while the USA is caught up expending it's money and resources in the very same country, mind-boggling and I wish I could understand it?

The article seemed to suggest the Chinese welcomed the efforts of the USA to stabilise the region (so they can get on with mineral extraction presumably), in fact it seemed almost as if the Chinese were slightly miffed that the USA had stirred up a fight in the region at all...yet now it was happening they wanted the islamic fundamentalists out of the way so they can get on without needing to use force themselves...far better for their future trading relations with the country if that could happen?