Monday, June 14, 2010
Nevermind routing out Taliban strongholds, this the real reason for the Afghanistan war.
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 arguably, the nine-year old Afghan war itself, according to senior American military and government officials, who could barely contain their glee.
Vast deposits of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world.
Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a critical raw material used in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys and nuclear weapons and the treatment of mental illness.
Gen. David Patraeus, commander of the United States Central Command, said in an interview on Saturday:
“There is stunning potential here. There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant.”
Patraeus’ remarks are more than a little curious. For nine years, the American people have stood idly by and watched two presidential administrations fight a war seemingly without end in Afghanistan and now we learn the Pentagon isn’t just in the business of fighting wars but, in mineral exploration.
Just as India was once Britain’s “jewel in the crown,” it would appear that Afghanistan is now poised to become the U.S.’s jewel in the crown.
From the Left 
I bet this will finance the war, too. [/sarcasm]
This is despicable to announce this. It’s almost as if the Obama administration has magically given the American people a good reason to be there for years to come.
I shutter to think what the USA will do to the water and air once we “help” Afghanistan establish a mining industry. Of course, the Afghans will likely only get a tiny portion of their mineral reserves and the USA taking at least 95%.
Our entire modern communications system requires Lithium for power.
Everything from IPods, to IPads, cellphones, notebooks, and even communications systems used on commercial airliners and ships.
Lithium is arguably more important than gold just because its applied applications is so enormous and it isn’t a common mineral.
I’m not surprised the Pentagon is salivating over this discovery. They understand Lithium’s role in our modern, defense system.
I don’t know what’s scarier? The presence of the U.S. military in Afghanistan or corporate America?
Ever heard the term “blood diamond?
Ever seen the film titled “Blood Diamond?”
The term and the movie refers to the relation to diamond trading, diamond mining in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army’s war efforts, or a warlord’s activity, usually in Africa.
I smell a repeat in Afghanistan once the U.S. and our corporate interests get their paws on these riches.
Bolivia, Brazil & Chile have the worlds highest reserves of Lithium, which is coveted because electric cars need lithium batteries.
Bolivia & Brazil know this resource is a “goldmine” & are not selling it cheap as the US had hoped.
On the bright side, at least the US is not going into the opium/heroin trade. In fact the troops pretty much ignore the opium crops…. unless they are ticked off, then they have no qualms about torching the poppy fields.
This “find” explains a lot.
The history of the world is all about the First World exploiting the Third World. It’s a brutal legacy and even though it’s 2010, it appears we’re headed down the same path in Afghanistan. Whether it’s oil or minerals, the US is accustomed to taking what isn’t ours to take and if you get in the way, we just kill you.
Well at least we know why we are there now..
No diss of the Afghan people but the fact is, much of the country is agrarian and hasn’t changed since the 12th century.
What better country for the United States to take over and commandeer than Afghanistan?
The pickings are easy, baby!
I had Diane Rehm on the radio at work this morning and her guest kept referring to “resource sharing” in Afghanistan.
Resource sharing? Ah, no, whatever resources are found by the U.S. military belong to the people of Afghanistan and not corporate America.
Personally, I hope the Afghanis rise up in protest over the notion of sharing anything with the U.S.
vicodaniel1987@yahoo.com
The best part of all is, American mining interests can hire local Afghans and pay them .10 cents a day with no health benefits to work in dangerous mines in a nation prone to earthquakes. But, maybe there’s a shiny outcome to this discovery? As unemployment remains in double digit territory, American workers can make the long flight to Kabul to work in the mines?
Third world labor is as American as hamburgers and fries on the 4th of July.
Now the Karzai brothers can oversee the operation from their palatial South of France homes living like the Sultan of Brunei and Bill Gates, respectively, with the US military providing muscle to the mining operation. Trust me, a century from now, we will still be in Afghanistan, “fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here.”
David wrote: “The Karzai brothers……..”
The Karzai brothers? How many are there?
I loathe Karzai because he keeps making sweetheart deals with the Taliban while American soldiers are fighting and dying ostensibly for that shit-hole-of-a-nation.
know I am going to be a mineralogist just to keep stupid Americans away from using us for our shit