Gold, copper, lithium … American Geologists have discovered in the basement Afghan huge mineral reserves, which they evaluated the value of one trillion dollars, reported Monday the New York Times.
The discovery was made by a small team of geologists and Pentagon officials. According to the U.S. daily, they relied on maps and data collected by the Russian mining experts during the Soviet occupation of the 1980s. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, the Afghan geologists had concealed these documents do show that after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
To believe the U.S. administration officials cited by the newspaper, these deposits across the country, would be sufficient to make one of the world's leading exporters of minerals.For example, its own reserves of lithium – a highly sought component, used batteries for phones and laptops – would put Afghanistan at Bolivia, for the first time holder of world reserves. An internal memo from the Pentagon even mentions a "Saudi Arabia of lithium. Kabul might also become a world leader in the production of iron and copper. Among other discoveries, large deposits of niobium – a metal used to produce steel superconductor -, gold and cobalt.
"A lot of ifs"
"This will become the backbone of the Afghan economy," said Jalil Jumriany, adviser to the Afghan Ministry of Mines."There's potential there amazing," exclaimed the other hand the U.S. General David Petraeus, chief of general staff, but added that "there are of course many 'ifs'" No Fax Pay day loans. The first of these is the ability to exploit these riches. Ravaged by war, Afghanistan does not yet mining and industrial infrastructure needed. According to U.S. officials, it will take decades for them to be put fully in place.
Second mortgage on the mining potential: the desires it arouses. Within the borders of Afghanistan on the one hand, where the resistance of rebel groups in south and east could well be exacerbated by the prospect of holding such veins.This, on the other hand, the regional powers – China and India, or Russia – which may well become more involved in the already complex geopolitics of Afghanistan. Two Chinese companies have already committed to invest four billion dollars in the Aynak copper mine, south of Kabul, is the largest foreign investment to date calendar in the country.
Finally, in a country already ravaged by corruption, the discovery of such a nest egg sounds like a challenge. Afghanistan will make great progress in governance for not being a victim, like so many before him, the "raw materials curse" and that they are actually a factor of development. President Hamid Karzai, who has recently been informed of these findings by a U.S. official has food on the plate.