According to one by the U.S. military and the U.S. Geological Survey, the launching of the report, contains the current value to 1 trillion U.S. dollars in Afghanistan’s mineral resources, many of them of iron, copper, cobalt, gold, and used to make notebook computers and mobile phone batteries lithium ore, with its reserves of the rich, is likely to become the next Afghanistan, the world’s mining center. However, Afghanistan’s huge mineral deposits found in the Western media have expressed concern that the new finding was that as a “double-edged sword”: it brought about radical changes in wealth in Afghanistan, but also may make Afghanistan become the new competition for resources battlefield.
Hidden treasures
Someone made a calculation: if the value of one trillion U.S. dollars in Afghanistan deposits equally, then the 29 million Afghans will bring at least 30,000 U.S. dollars per person return.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman said that this is best news in recent years in Afghanistan. “Over the years, the Afghan government has been actively seeking and exploring its mineral deposits, we have the Ministry of Commerce and other government departments will strive to develop mining industry to benefit from the benefit of the people of Afghanistan.”
War products
Afghanistan’s recent history has been subjected to the torture of war, the discovery of mineral resources in Afghanistan is a product of war.
“70s of last century, when I lived in the Afghan capital, Kabul, when the then Soviet Union, the World Bank, United Nations, there are other countries and organizations Kaishi highly concerned about the country’s mineral resources,” said a retired U.S. Guanyuan memories . Despite the country’s mineral resources attracted the concern of many countries, but the war continued year after year, exploration work has been neglected, the specific reserves are not an accurate assessment.
In 2004, a group of geologists were sent to the U.S. post-war reconstruction of Afghanistan, they are occasionally in the capital Kabul, the Geological Survey library, found a group of old charts and data. This set of data, some areas of Afghanistan are likely to contain the mineral.
Moreover, geologists have also found that 80 of the last century the Soviet Union into Afghanistan, this set of data mining has caused the Soviet Union experts attention, but after the Soviet Union in 1989 to nothing. Until the 90′s, Afghanistan plunged into civil war quagmire, to avoid the destruction of war, several of Afghanistan’s geologists to these data carefully hidden in their own homes. 2001 United States launched the war in Afghanistan, they will return to the Afghanistan data Geological Survey.
“These data are mostly drawn map, but as long as 30 years of war in Afghanistan, many of the contents of the map have not been updated,” Engineer Ahmed recalls his 70 years in the last century has been working in Afghanistan, Bureau of Mines.
Great treasure
Inspired in the old data, the U.S. Geological Survey, decided in 2006 started a new round of investigation. This time, they chose to air measurement. Take a group of geologists U.S. P-3 Orion antisubmarine patrol aircraft, use the world’s most advanced detection systems for gravity and magnetic measurements, during which spans nearly 70% of Afghan territory.
Aerial survey results are very optimistic about 2007, the geologists decided to launch a more sophisticated measurement. They will be equipped with new equipment in the old British bomber in it to help them describe the three-dimensional surface deposit map of Afghanistan. This is also the most complex history of Afghanistan Geological Survey. According to the U.S. geologists say, and found surprising, they believed, Afghanistan rich in minerals.
Nevertheless, the measured data only after gathering dust for two years by the United States and the Afghan Government. In 2009, the Pentagon’s post-war Iraq is responsible for the development of a task force was transferred to Afghanistan. They got this set of geological data and expressed an interest. So far, the efforts of several generations of geologists really be a cause for concern, behind the commercial value of the data began to be assessed.
Soon, this Task Group on the United States to bring a team of mining experts, who went to Afghanistan to areas for further exploration. They then reported the results of the exploration to the U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
According to U.S. experts said, so far, the largest found in Afghanistan from the iron ore and copper, its grade high enough to Afghanistan as the two mining producers. Other surprising findings, including substantial reserves of niobium ore, the metal in the superconducting material and medical material has a very wide range of applications. In addition, geologists are still in southern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, the Pashtun areas found significant reserves of rare earth ore and gold.
June 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. geologists again to further exploration in eastern Afghanistan’s mineral resources in salt lake. They believe that, here also contains a large amount of lithium ore. Defense Department officials said the present analysis, in Ghazni province, lithium ore reserves almost the world’s largest lithium mine one of Bolivia’s considerable reserves.
Lithium battery mine is an important raw material, often used in notebook computers and mobile phone battery manufacturing. In this regard, a memorandum from the Pentagon that Afghanistan is likely to become a “lithium mining sector in Saudi Arabia.”
While in Afghanistan, the development of mining Jiang is a long and arduous task, but experts believe, this place has great potential, can attract Daliang of Touzi and Jiuye opportunities, so Xiayi Dai from the troubled war.
U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, senior commanders Peeters General (David Petraeus) said in an interview: “Maybe there are many uncertain future, but I believe Afghanistan’s mineral potential is unlimited.” While the local Ministry of Mining Consultants diari that the rich mineral resources is likely to become the cornerstone of the Afghan economy.
Gold Force
1 trillion U.S. dollars – the geographers U.S. officials and the value of Afghanistan’s latest assessment of mineral deposits.
According to “The New York Times” reports, this result is likely to change the trend in Afghanistan’s economy and even the war, but for now stretched to the Obama administration in Afghanistan, this news is unusually significant.
It is learned that the report by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Geological Survey to launch the. Excluding the United States Department of Defense and the Afghan government support, the U.S. Geological Survey contributed to the entire report.
Pentagon in action
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), under the U.S. Department of Interior, Ministry of the Interior U.S. Bureau of only eight of scientific information and research institutions. In the past 75 years, the Geological Survey has more than 100 countries and cooperation related to the geological survey carried out. 50,60 In the last century and early 70′s, the U.S. Geological Survey, once cooperation with Afghanistan, the exploration of Afghanistan’s mineral, water and other energy sources. Moreover, the Geological Survey is also responsible for training local geologist.
According to USGS to provide information, at present, U.S. Geological Survey’s program in Afghanistan is divided into two parts: the first phase takes about 24 months, mainly through the Afghan government agencies, and the World Bank, the British Geological Survey, etc. sector, the share of existing geological information; the second part of the program takes about 24-36 months, the focus of collecting new data and information. According to the plan, USGS through satellite systems, drilling equipment, sample checks, etc. to get the new Afghanistan, the local geological information, the investigation of mineral deposits, are included.
Throughout the exploration process, USGS’s work has also been great support the U.S. Department of Defense. They may take military reconnaissance aircraft, bombers, aerial measurements, you can also use the latest equipment for three-dimensional graphics.
The report is published in the minerals throughout Afghanistan, including the southern and eastern areas near the Pakistani border, where U.S. forces and Taliban forces are most intense areas of contention.
Published delicate time
However, according to BBC reports, the outside world for this report there are still some doubts. For example it’s published. In fact, in 2007, USGS had already released the information related to mineral deposits, but not until December 2009, the real feasibility report only came out, and until June 14 this year, worth one trillion U.S. dollars of the assessment report before the final release.
It is said that the report is deliberately put out of the Pentagon, NATO countries continue to attract troops in Afghanistan, while lobbying for U.S. domestic public opinion, but the fundamental purpose is to integrate and control of resources and economic structure of Central Asia to grasp the initiative in their own hands.
Currently, the Pentagon has already begun to prepare to help Afghanistan to submit a new mining developments. A number of international accounting firms have begun to conduct asset valuation of mineral Afghanistan, and soon, these related technical data will be submitted to the mining companies, and potential foreign investors.
Moreover, cooperation between the United States Department of Defense other than mineral exploration, oil and gas assessment project in Afghanistan have been in Kabul and Sheberghan two places to start, and received the support of local agencies and the military.
In addition to USGS geologist who, and some special work for the Department of Defense geologist. At least two American geologists as the Pentagon engaged in activities related to geological exploration, Bonita Chamberlin is one of them, she spent 25 years working in Afghanistan.
“I have found in Afghanistan, 91 species of local minerals, metals and precious stones, in addition, there are 1407 mining point,” In 2001, she told the “Los Angeles Times” interview. Since then, she was also because of geological exploration work in Afghanistan, has written a book entitled “Afghanistan’s gem.”
In these areas in Afghanistan surveys the work of the geologists who, though ready to face some danger, but once the discovery, but also bring them huge benefits. “For me, it is well worth the risk,” a geologist, said, “In fact, some feel wonderful.”
U.S. set cover?
The Afghan people, trillions of dollars worth of minerals, is indeed a heartening news. However, the exploitation of these deposits, Afghans will face numerous challenges.
“This is a no mining-cultural country,” U.S. Geological Survey expert Jack Medlin said, “They have a number of small mines, but in the future may be very large mines, a shovel is not enough alone.”
Although geologists have passion, but the infrastructure behind, making Afghanistan when a large-scale exploitation of these mineral resources can, it is still unknown.
Development of considerable difficulty
It was reported from north to south Afghanistan, only one national highway. This road is a north-south artery ran through Afghanistan, but it was said this “lifeline” they can only accommodate two cars at the same time passage, and in some mountainous sections of the case also often destroyed. Most to the headache that most sections of this road through the Taliban-controlled areas. Afghan government and coalition forces often on the road vehicle bomb attacks by the Taliban, car crash commonplace.
Afghanistan’s external environment is not optimistic. Because it is a landlocked country, Afghanistan is not the sea. In the past half century, any international trade in Afghanistan have to go through Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, which neighbors.
“9.11″, Afghanistan’s international environmental degradation. Afghanistan, Iran closed the road leading to the majority in Iran; and border areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan is under Taliban control it will be transporting minerals out little hope; and Turkmenistan are at the road connecting northern Afghanistan and the control of warlords below.
Despite facing such adverse circumstances, but analysts believe that the U.S. will eventually lead mining industry in Afghanistan. The U.S. has dispatched a team of experts began to assist Afghanistan to establish a system dealing with mineral development.
As we all know, by the United States initiated this war in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly 9 years, but the security situation in Afghanistan is still tense. The American public strongly question the war is there reason to continue.
Afghanistan news release mineral Americans seem to change the view.
U.S. Department of Defense has repeatedly pointed out that the United States in Afghanistan are engaged in the war on terrorism, not to compete for its mineral resources. But this argument is clearly induced a strong, and it give people the impression that the United States, the United States in Afghanistan found a huge underground mineral deposits, as in Iraq, as have the oil. The United States fight the war in Iraq to protect the world’s energy, but now the U.S. presence in Afghanistan is aimed at protecting the world’s mineral resources.
Propaganda against the United States, there are analysts argued that the United States and Afghanistan wantonly thrown in this time of mineral resources reserves in Afghanistan is obviously “ulterior motives”, main purpose is to “persuade the American public to support the war in Afghanistan” to quell the growing American strong anti-war sentiment, and hope “in the November mid-term election for the Democratic Party Dora some votes.”
Induce China
Intended for the U.S., the Chinese National Defense Strategic Institute Professor Jin Yinan pointed out that the U.S. is clearly twofold: on the one hand to lift the American public support for the war, on the other hand, the announcement or other countries “a bait.” He said the U.S. side has repeatedly Wakhan corridor to China to open up problems also asked South Korea, Japan more into the battlefield in Afghanistan, but have not received a positive response. Therefore, the United States has been felt in Afghanistan are weak, so they “throw a huge economic bait” and hopes to Japan and South Korea and other countries agreed to the request of the United States.
American Brookings Institution senior fellow Bruce Riedel also believe that the U.S. actually hopes to have more countries join the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan, but has been suffering from no reason, “but different now, because the United States claim itself as the protection of these resources, then other countries to join the natural conditions. ”
Although the United States has been hoping other countries to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan affairs, to also wary. According to “The New York Times” reports, U.S. officials said the United States worried that China’s thirst for resources also will fight in Afghanistan and the United States the mineral.
“This is a gesture, the United States will share to create a ‘cake’ of the posture in the hope that China and India and other neighboring countries involved in Afghanistan as soon as possible”, nader said. In his view, “This is the United States and neighboring countries of Afghanistan as a means to an end game.”
Indian media fan the flames were. According to India’s “Business Standard” magazine, with the mineral was found in Afghanistan, China may be following Russia and the United States and become the other superpower in Afghanistan. The newspaper also vivid descriptions, said: “In the deposits of the transport issue, the Chinese than the Western companies dominate, in both countries there is a 400 km long between the Wakhan Corridor, China will no doubt try to open the corridor to address the transportation problem . ”
Institute of International Relations at Fudan University’s Dr. Cheng Chongren seems that Americans “ulterior motives”, in fact, a major purpose of the United States, China agreed to U.S. terms is to induce open Wakhan Corridor. “In order to eliminate the terrorist base camp, the United States will strongly lobby the Chinese of course, to the Chinese to agree these are the United States ‘stakeholder’ in the area.”
Mei Xinyu, an associate research fellow of China Academy of the Ministry of Commerce also believes that participation in the international development of China’s power, others can not stop nature. However, he also believes that the sharing of “cake” at the same time, “I’m afraid we need to beware of the resources used for the bait or Uncle Sam – inducing us into the quagmire of war in Afghanistan, for their Huozhongquli attempt.”
