U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

[groovedaddy]

(The plot thickens...)

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.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html?th&emc=th

[Orrex]

1. I think we need about fifteen more threads about this, and maybe one on the top of DU's entry page!

:evilgrin:

[panader0]

2. This earlier:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8553637

[classysassy]

3. We will never leave

until we have secured those minerals for Chaney and his cronies.

[BobTheSubgenius]

4. Come for the heroin....

...stay for the minerals.

[bemildred]

5. Right.

Would these guys lie to us????

Why yes, yes they would.

[choie]

6. Do we think that the

NY Times did any investigation prior to writing this piece - like, how long we've known about these minerals, etc. Why do I have the feeling that the pentagon just spoon-fed this story to the Times and the Times, as usual, ate it.