The discovery of great mineral wealth in Afghanistan: is the war only against terrorism?

The United States has justified its war efforts in Afghanistan time and again in terms of terrorism, but there appears to be much more at stake. Quoting senior U.S. government officiales, New York Times reporter James Risen revealed on June 13^th that “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.”

 The mineral deposits include huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium--all essential for modern industry--and the amount potentially available is so great that the impoverished country could turn into one of the most important mining centers in the world, according to the sources.

 Significantly, the vast scale of Afghan mineral wealth was discovered by a small team of Pentagon officials and U.S. geologists. “There is stunning potential here,” commented Gen David H. Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command. The Times report did not indicate when the mineral deposits were found. Did the Pentagon or other top echelons in Washington know about the potential mineral wealth in Afghanistan at the time of the invasion in response to the attack against the Twin Towers, or more recently when the decision was taken to step up military actions in the country? Often knowledge about strategic mineral resources is gathered and retained until an appropriate moment, when the information is leaked out.

 It is therefore clear that the much proclaimed war against terrorism is far from the only interest of Washington in Afghanistan, whose domestic product is barely $12 billion, a lot of its income deriving from…opium.

 The fact that the invasion of Afghanistan by U.S. and its allies was likely motivated by the possibility of getting needed minerals to feed giant corporations is far from constituting unexpected news. The invasion of Irak likewise was not only aimed at overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but at obtaining a favorable position in the world’s number two oil producer.

 Countless other conflicts throughout history--though couched in ideological terms--have been motivated by the search for gold, silver, minerals and raw materials needed to feed the mineral hungry free enterprize system dominated by Europe and the United States. Previous to the industrial revolution Spain conquered Latin America from its indigenous inhabitants and sent gold and silver back to decorate its pallaces and churches. The advent industrialization with its trains, oil driven vehicles and smoke belching factories in Europe and the U.S. likewise motivated the search for “black gold,” and proved to be a behind-the-scenes factor in many of history’s modern military confrontations.

 Washington’s interest not only in Afghanistan but in a number of potentially mineral rich neighboring countries which formerly belonged to the Soviet block clearly reflects its geopolitical master plan. The Soviets failed in their attempt to bring Afghanistan into their orbit. In the context of the present war in Afghanistan it is clear that the U.S.wants to prevent both Russia and China from obtaining sufficient political and economic advantages in the area so as to nab the country's alleged mineral wealth. The world’s fastest growing economy, in China, obviously needs to secure mineral resources for its own industrial machine…

.Yet the newly discovered mineral deposits in Afghanistan’s war-bedraggled economy might well have a double-edged impact: it is reasonable to suppose that it could lead to an increased power struggle among the waring Afghan provincial tribal leaders, not to mention the struggles and corruption that might appear within the timidly pro U.S. government of President Karzai. Not supprisingly, he has lately been playing cat and mouse with Washington. If there are skirmishes now, the news about the minerals could worsen rather than pacify the current unrest in the country, in the context of the virtual civil war with the Taliban.

The Times report also adds a significant bit of information concerning the possible discovery of great mineral wealth in the country:Afghanistan's present mining law was written…with the help of advisers from the World Bank. Might that not be a hint that the deposits are headed for a tug-of-war among powerful Western mining corporations in?

An additional complication: the deposits are allegedly spread around the country, some close to the Pakistan border,  others to Iran, and still others to Afghanistan’s northern neighbors…

 

　

　

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