The End Of The Afghanistan War??
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Updated… The New York Times article reporting that Afghanistan lies atop nearly $1 trillion in untapped minerals has become one of the most commented New York Times’ pieces of the year, with more than 900 published comments and still counting. The discovery, which could make Afghanistan the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” according to an internal Pentagon memo, aroused considerable suspicion from Times readers. For most who commented on the article, trust for American motives in the Middle East appears frayed by the Iraq war and mixed results in Afghanistan.
“Why would a ‘Pentagon team’ be prospecting for minerals in Afghanistan? Isn’t the role of the Pentagon to close with and destroy the enemy? …asks John Paul.
The most recommended reader comment combines distrust for American foreign policy with a jab at the government agency overseeing oil wells like the damaged Deepwater Horizon, which is now spewing oil in the Gulf of Mexico. “What Afghanistan needs now is a good Minerals Management Service like we have,” Jake Linco from Media, Pa., wrote. “Something tells me that we aren’t going to be leaving Afghanistan for a long, long time.“
Others, like SKV in New York, were more direct: “God help them. It’s never good for a country to have raw materials the USA wants.”
Most readers who commented were pessimistic that the riches under Afghans’ feet would be used to improve their lives.
“How quickly I went from elation to despair reading this article,” dmcinnis in Springfield, Ohio, wrote. In a better developed country, with better infrastructure, less corrupt government, stronger (or any) gender equality and a decent educational system, this would be the boon of a lifetime. But alas…”
“Yeah, check out the Congo, Nigeria and other ‘resource-rich’ countries to find out what the future holds for a country with negligible social structure,” Cristo in Berkeley added.
“‘Saudi Arabia of lithium?’ How long before we hear ‘No blood for BlackBerries?’” ecs in New York wrote.
John Paul in Tuscaloosa, Ala., asked many of the questions on the minds of other readers: “Why would a “Pentagon team” be prospecting for minerals in Afghanistan? Isn’t the role of the Pentagon to close with and destroy the enemy? Are there other interested parties waiting in the wings to exploit the vast mineral resources? Should taxpayer-funded wars selectively benefit the favored few? Is this our nation’s “payback” for investing lives and treasure in the Graveyard of Empires?”
Some readers, wary of a missed opportunity in Afghanistan as there have been in the Middle East, offered ideas.
“Gather together as many capable young Afghans as are willing and bring them to this country for education at American mining and business schools,” GiGi in Montana wrote. “Crash degree programs, year round, completely paid for by a combination of U.S. government and industry aid. Make it possible for the operation of the mines to be in the hands of young Afghans.”
Of course, some of those who commented rejected all talk of sinister motives. Even before comments had been published on The New York Times, senior offered a rebuttal:
“And no, the U.S. did not venture into this country because of minerals, but certainly people will assume such an agenda. If possible, it would be interesting to engage multi-national not-for-profit organizations that can oversee and better guarantee that such resources are utilized to benefit the most people.”
For the optimistic few, the discovery of these minerals offered the sort of unbridled hope that has been lacking in the headlines of late.
“President Obama finally caught a break! This could alter everything and give Afghanistan the foundation for an economy that is resilient and can grow.” Lynn Valerie in Great Falls, Va., wrote. “The various tribes of Afghanistan now have a reason to unify to protect their bounty. Their potential wealth will be the glue that transforms them into a nation.”
From Teeluck…Ta Daaa, there’s our reason to stay in Afghanistan…just in case you wanted us to. Many are now suggesting that Bush went in there for their riches…I am not so sure. To think that suggests that he is operating with some version of a brain, albeit without the upgrades and updates. The fact remains that the soviets found these mineral deposits and everything was known since then. Thom Hartmann asks “Can we expect to see Karzai assassinated and replaced with one of our stoolies?”It could be a way to stop the war, save the country and the people by rebuilding Afghanistan and it could prove to be quite lucrative for America…we will see…
Original story in the New York Times.com
Related articles:
- Afghanistan Mineral Deposit Discovery: Afghan Economy, War Could Be Altered By Nearly $1 Trillion In Iron, Copper, Cobalt, Gold, Lithium (huffingtonpost.com)
- Insane Mineral Reserves Found In Afghanistan (oliverwillis.com)
- The Vast Riches of Afghanistan (powerlineblog.com)
- Biz Brief: Afghanistan Harbors $1 Trillion in Mineral Wealth (dailyfinance.com)
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If I repeated ‘as long as it’s lucrative’ would that be too sarcastic?…;-)
Nah, lucrative has many meanings to many different people. The US is sure to profit…the natives?…nah
Teeluck you get the feeling we’ve seen this movie before? Like in Kenya,Nigeria,Ecuador where the leaders (dictators) and his minions make off with the wealth while the rest of the country starves.
Yes we have…and right now this is an opportunity to turn the war into something else, it ends good for the US but almost always end badly for the natives. I heard the Chinese secured the mineral rights long ago too.