According to a recent study by the United States Geological Survey, Afghanistan has nearly one trillion dollars in mineral deposits. The study claimed to have found previously unknown reserves of lithium, gold, cobalt and other minerals.
According to the New York Times: “An internal Pentagon memo … states that Afghanistan could become the ‘Saudi Arabia of lithium’, a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys.”
“There is stunning potential here,” said General David H. Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command. “There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant.”
Potential for who? Unfortunately we can't ask the millions of Afghans who have been violently killed since the US-led invasion of their country. I'm not sure how excited they'd be about this “hugely significant” discovery.
It's beyond offensive, but not surprising, for the US military to get excited about this. While they are “discovering” the next goldmine for the corporate elite, the people of Afghanistan are fighting a life-and-death struggle for their land and independence.
We need to pressure our own government to immediately withdraw troops from Afghanistan and protect the Afghan people’s right to self-determination, including control over their own natural resources.
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