It's a testing ground for weapons systems. I don't see how we can plan on staying there until they reform their ways and behave like we want them too.
They like being rock farmers, they like ******* their sheep and little boys. If they're not at war with us in the summer, they'll be at war with the next village. It's all they like to do. **** and fight.You can't have a modern country with infrastructure when you have people constantly trying to kill someone. I think even if you converted them to Christianity they'd still attack the "enemy " tribe every summer.
They do produce some of the finest emeralds on the cheap, as well as some other gemstones. There is a Chinese copper mine planned that will wipe out an ancient buddist city, but below it is apparently the second largest copper deposit on earth.