U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan

[geauxtohell]

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.

How about we use that $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits to fundamentally alter the US economy by paying down our national debt.

And if the Afghanis don't like it, fuck 'em. We rid them of the Taliban what more do they want?

The money would be better spent letting the government build up the Army and police force so we don't have to keep losing money by having troops there.

 

[Mr Natural]

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.

How about we use that $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits to fundamentally alter the US economy by paying down our national debt.

And if the Afghanis don't like it, fuck 'em. We rid them of the Taliban what more do they want?

The money would be better spent letting the government build up the Army and police force so we don't have to keep losing money by having troops there.

Whose government, the Afghanis? They're about as crooked as they come. They'll be lining their pockets and securing their personal fortunes before the citizenry sees any benefit.

 

[geauxtohell]

How about we use that $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits to fundamentally alter the US economy by paying down our national debt.

And if the Afghanis don't like it, fuck 'em. We rid them of the Taliban what more do they want?

The money would be better spent letting the government build up the Army and police force so we don't have to keep losing money by having troops there.

Whose government, the Afghanis? They're about as crooked as they come. They'll be lining their pockets and securing their personal fortunes before the citizenry sees any benefit.

Of course they will. They can't steal it all though. Especially when other countries (like China) get involved.

 

[CurveLight]

Those CTers are more respectable than the CTers who claim we went because of 9E. Anyone who thinks we went there for anything other than strategic military placement and control of resources has never really studied the issue.

Well, it obviously wasn't the minerals since we just found them.

So let me guess: the oil pipeline?

We won't see a cent out of that deal. Lame.

Chalk me up to one of those people that "has never really studied the issue" though I've read more books and spent a year of my life in Afghanistan.

We went in when the Taliban refused to give up Al Queda. After three thousands Americans were killed by Al Queda, we were entirely justified to go in and, in fact, if Bush wouldn't have gone in, I suspect the American people would have demanded it.

I'll never dispute that going into Iraq was a diversion and I might even buy that there was a conspiracy afoot to get us there.

However, Afghanistan? No way.

We "just found out" about them?

USGS Release: Significant Potential for Undiscovered Resources in Afghanistan (11/13/2007 10:00:00 AM)

 

[geauxtohell]

Those CTers are more respectable than the CTers who claim we went because of 9E. Anyone who thinks we went there for anything other than strategic military placement and control of resources has never really studied the issue.

Well, it obviously wasn't the minerals since we just found them.

So let me guess: the oil pipeline?

We won't see a cent out of that deal. Lame.

Chalk me up to one of those people that "has never really studied the issue" though I've read more books and spent a year of my life in Afghanistan.

We went in when the Taliban refused to give up Al Queda. After three thousands Americans were killed by Al Queda, we were entirely justified to go in and, in fact, if Bush wouldn't have gone in, I suspect the American people would have demanded it.

I'll never dispute that going into Iraq was a diversion and I might even buy that there was a conspiracy afoot to get us there.

However, Afghanistan? No way.

We "just found out" about them?

USGS Release: Significant Potential for Undiscovered Resources in Afghanistan (11/13/2007 10:00:00 AM)

Yes. We just found them. The USGS had an inkling they might be there (hence the term "potential") and we just now have figured out where they are and have a rough estimate about how much minerals might be available.

BTW, if you are going to argue causation for the invasion, then it would help your case if the evidence you are presenting was a known fact prior to our invasion.

You know, simple logic like that.

 

[xsited1]

U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com
...

So that's what Bush was after. And I thought he was dumb. Silly me.

This is priceless...ha ha ha.

How do you suppose Bush knew those deposits were there since they were only just recently discovered?

Bush knew. You know he did.

 

[CurveLight]

Those CTers are more respectable than the CTers who claim we went because of 9E. Anyone who thinks we went there for anything other than strategic military placement and control of resources has never really studied the issue.

Well, it obviously wasn't the minerals since we just found them.

So let me guess: the oil pipeline?

We won't see a cent out of that deal. Lame.

Chalk me up to one of those people that "has never really studied the issue" though I've read more books and spent a year of my life in Afghanistan.

We went in when the Taliban refused to give up Al Queda. After three thousands Americans were killed by Al Queda, we were entirely justified to go in and, in fact, if Bush wouldn't have gone in, I suspect the American people would have demanded it.

I'll never dispute that going into Iraq was a diversion and I might even buy that there was a conspiracy afoot to get us there.

However, Afghanistan? No way.

Well, it obviously wasn't the minerals since we just found them.

So let me guess: the oil pipeline?

We won't see a cent out of that deal. Lame.

Chalk me up to one of those people that "has never really studied the issue" though I've read more books and spent a year of my life in Afghanistan.

We went in when the Taliban refused to give up Al Queda. After three thousands Americans were killed by Al Queda, we were entirely justified to go in and, in fact, if Bush wouldn't have gone in, I suspect the American people would have demanded it.

I'll never dispute that going into Iraq was a diversion and I might even buy that there was a conspiracy afoot to get us there.

However, Afghanistan? No way.

We "just found out" about them?

USGS Release: Significant Potential for Undiscovered Resources in Afghanistan (11/13/2007 10:00:00 AM)

Yes. We just found them. The USGS had an inkling they might be there (hence the term "potential") and we just now have figured out where they are and have a rough estimate about how much minerals might be available.

BTW, if you are going to argue causation for the invasion, then it would help your case if the evidence you are presenting was a known fact prior to our invasion.

You know, simple logic like that.

I never said we invaded for the minerals.

 

[geauxtohell]

Either way, our action in Afghanistan was justified and (if we would have stopped there) sent a powerful message about our foreign policy to nations that harbor terrorists which is this:

If you support terrorists that attack us, we are gong to come into your country and kick you out of power.

The problem with that message in Afghanistan, is that when you do that, you need a way out. This could be our way out.

 

[geauxtohell]

I never said we invaded for the minerals.

So the pipeline, huh?

 

[random3434]

Either way, our action in Afghanistan was justified and (if we would have stopped there) sent a powerful message about our foreign policy to nations that harbor terrorists which is this:

If you support terrorists that attack us, we are gong to come into your country and kick you out of power.

The problem with that message in Afghanistan, is that when you do that, you need a way out. This could be our way out.

So, and I'm asking you, since you have been to Afghanistan, and know how things work better than most on here, you don't think this "find" will result in more troops going over there, and longer time for the US to be there? You think this is a way 'out' to bring them home?

 

[xsited1]

Either way, our action in Afghanistan was justified and (if we would have stopped there) sent a powerful message about our foreign policy to nations that harbor terrorists which is this:

If you support terrorists that attack us, we are gong to come into your country and kick you out of power.

The problem with that message in Afghanistan, is that when you do that, you need a way out. This could be our way out.

We were justified in attacking Afghanistan? There are a lot of people who will disagree with you. The Taliban promised that if the United States could bring evidence that bin Laden was guilty, they would hand him over, stating that they had no evidence linking him to the September 11 attacks. That sounds like a reasonable request, right? The US did not provide evidence, but the bombs fell anyway. Nation building is always a bad idea. And we're right in the middle of it.

 

[CurveLight]

Those CTers are more respectable than the CTers who claim we went because of 9E. Anyone who thinks we went there for anything other than strategic military placement and control of resources has never really studied the issue.

Wow...a thousands posts of crap.....and then this!!!!

I might buy "strategic military placement" but "control of resources"?

Until this article: what fucking resources?

Drugs, energy resources, and apparently these minerals have been known for quite some time.

 

[xotoxi]

U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

Now we just need to invade a country with a large supply of vitamins, and we would be all set.

 

[Dr.House]

So that's what Bush was after. And I thought he was dumb. Silly me.

This is priceless...ha ha ha.

How do you suppose Bush knew those deposits were there since they were only just recently discovered?

Bush knew. You know he did.

Of course - it's in the President's Book of Secrets...

 

[geauxtohell]

Drugs, energy resources, and apparently these minerals have been known for quite some time.

"Drugs" aren't a resource. Furthermore, there is nothing magical about Afghanistan that makes it integral to the poppy trade. The only reason it thrives there is the lawlessness. The demand for heroin will drive the Opium supply to simply move on to the next accommodating narco state.

What energy resources? We've been looking for those for a while with no leads. The last I heard the amount of natural gas in Afghanistan wasn't enough to bother with.

As for minerals, we've known about them (by virtue of your link) since 2007. That's five years after we were in Afghanistan.

So what resources?

 

[HUGGY]

Our track record in "exploiting" the natural resources of other countries is to carve up the rights..land leases...give international multinational the rights to mine for nothing..offer our chosen government protection...offer the indigent population next to nothing...bring in foreigners to do the work... provide no safety regulations... create an environment even more hostile ... make it even harder to leave. We were better off just having the Taliban protecting the poppy feilds.. Something like this will make us leaving Afgahnistan impossible and offer us nothing foe the trouble.

 

[geauxtohell]

We were justified in attacking Afghanistan? There are a lot of people who will disagree with you. The Taliban promised that if the United States could bring evidence that bin Laden was guilty, they would hand him over, stating that they had no evidence linking him to the September 11 attacks. That sounds like a reasonable request, right? The US did not provide evidence, but the bombs fell anyway. Nation building is always a bad idea. And we're right in the middle of it.

This is America. People are allowed to disagree.

The Taliban never had any intention on acting in good faith. They also had no intentions of handing Bin Laden over.

Once we enter a country, we inherit the task of "nation building". It's a reality that needs to be weighed by the American people in the run up to the war.

I thought it was worth it in Afghanistan, but not in Iraq. However, the task is much easier in Iraq due to oil.

 

[geauxtohell]

Our track record in "exploiting" the natural resources of other countries is to carve up the rights..land leases...give international multinational the rights to mine for nothing..offer our chosen government protection...offer the indigent population next to nothing...bring in foreigners to do the work... provide no safety regulations... create an environment even more hostile ... make it even harder to leave. We were better off just having the Taliban protecting the poppy feilds.. Something like this will make us leaving Afgahnistan impossible and offer us nothing foe the trouble.

The Afghani government gets no money from poppy.

It's in desperate need of a GNP/GDP that isn't black market based.

As for all the other ills, they are very low on the problem list when compared with the alternative.

 

[PatekPhilippe]

U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

Now we just need to invade a country with a large supply of vitamins, and we would be all set.

Invade AUSTRALIA FOR VITAMIN B

 

[geauxtohell]

Either way, our action in Afghanistan was justified and (if we would have stopped there) sent a powerful message about our foreign policy to nations that harbor terrorists which is this:

If you support terrorists that attack us, we are gong to come into your country and kick you out of power.

The problem with that message in Afghanistan, is that when you do that, you need a way out. This could be our way out.

So, and I'm asking you, since you have been to Afghanistan, and know how things work better than most on here, you don't think this "find" will result in more troops going over there, and longer time for the US to be there? You think this is a way 'out' to bring them home?

No. I think this find will result in a bridge that will allow us to leave the nation. Before I thought we should simply leave them in a lurch. Now at least their is the possibility for the government to derive revenue and build up the Army and police and protect itself against the Taliban.

It get's more nuanced than that. If there is an economy, there is stability. If there is stability, people are less inclined to run off and join the Taliban. If there is opportunity, then the 12th century mentality of the Taliban seems less promising to progress and education.

We won't need more troops to protect the mines or whatnot. The local warlords will ensure the Taliban leaves the mines alone as they will be taking a sufficient cut of the revenue and the local people will be bringing paychecks home from the ordeal.

I don't think it will make us stay longer either. I mean, basically, we have no exit strategy right now due to the dismal economics of the situation. Now things are looking a little better.

I don't know if this is a silver bullet, but it's promising.