US discovers nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan!

[QUOTE="taj7575"]

[QUOTE="entropyecho"]Blood for minerals.

xhellcatx

Blood Minerals. Expect it to come out in theaters soon! Starring Leonardo DiCaprio!

It was a sad movie, and a very good movie too.

[QUOTE="Ultimas_Blade"]

I know it isn't the politically correct thing to say, but screw that. We have a hole to fill and we just found a pile of dirt, somebody get the dump truck. If we want to be fair, why not employ the Afghans to mine it for us? Everybody wins. I just don't want to see another country grab it.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="Ultimas_Blade"]

I know it isn't the politically correct thing to say, but screw that. We have a hole to fill and we just found a pile of dirt, somebody get the dump truck. If we want to be fair, why not employ the Afghans to mine it for us? Everybody wins. I just don't want to see another country grab it.

foxhound_fox

I hate to say it, but the money will go anywhere but Afghanistan, no matter who mines it.

THe thing is, who is going to mine it?

The Afghans? They make 12 billion a year, that is certainly not enough to finance a dig by themselves, and defend against domestic terrorism which will only increase due to the lucrative nature of this.

In the end, whoever wants to mine this is going to pay a small fee and get access. I just hope it is the US; we are already there, after all :P

"... and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy ..."

Yeah, right. :roll:

The resources will improve living standards for a few corrupt officials who will hand one development contract after another to companies based in NATO countries, while the majority of Afghans become poorer than ever.

That's the way it works in Africa.

That's the way it's started to work in Iraq.

And that's the way it will work in Afghanistan.

[QUOTE="xhellcatx"][QUOTE="taj7575"]

Blood Minerals. Expect it to come out in theaters soon! Starring Leonardo DiCaprio!

taj7575

It was a sad movie, and a very good movie too.

"... and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy ..."

Yeah, right. :roll:

The resources will improve living standards for a few corrupt officials who will hand one development contract after another to companies based in NATO countries, while the majority of Afghans become poorer than ever.

That's the way it works in Africa.

That's the way it's started to work in Iraq.

And that's the way it will work in Afghanistan.

Stesilaus

Thats how it will work in Afghanistan..If people come in with that mindset..

[...] The resources will improve living standards for a few corrupt officials who will hand one development contract after another to companies based in NATO countries, while the majority of Afghans become poorer than ever.[...] Stesilaus

I suddenly find this war entirely justified.

and yes, I am serious.

mrbojangles25

So it was difficult to pretend that it was justified when it was all about "finding Bin Laden" or "preventing another terrorist attack on America", but it's entirely justified now that it's about mining other people's resources?

Well, at least we have one honest person amongst the "Oorah" warmongers on OT.

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

I suddenly find this war entirely justified.

and yes, I am serious.

Stesilaus

So it was difficult to pretend that it was justified when it was all about "finding Bin Laden" or "preventing another terrorist attack on America", but it's entirely justified now that it's about mining other people's resources?

Well, at least we have one honest person amongst the "Oorah" warmongers on OT.

Thats not why the US is in Afghanistan, at all..

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

I suddenly find this war entirely justified.

and yes, I am serious.

Stesilaus

So it was difficult to pretend that it was justified when it was all about "finding Bin Laden" or "preventing another terrorist attack on America", but it's entirely justified now that it's about mining other people's resources?

Well, at least we have one honest person amongst the "Oorah" warmongers on OT.

ooooh I would not call myself a war monger.

But, you know...we are there, and when you factor in the few friends I have lost, the polarized environment of the US between liberals and conservatives, and the lost lives of Afghans and all others

Well, frankly, its kind of nice to have a real, tangible reason to continue fighting. I know how that sounds but its a helluva a lot better a reason than we did have.

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"][...] The resources will improve living standards for a few corrupt officials who will hand one development contract after another to companies based in NATO countries, while the majority of Afghans become poorer than ever.[...] foxhound_fox

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.

Its a lost cause, and we really have only two options:

1. get the hell out and let them tear eachother apart, and hope the victor is merciful to the losers and kind to the West (not likely...at all)

2. or get we need while at least trying to create some sort of stability or peace in trade.

Honestly I do not know what the better option is. People like to doubt the US and the West, and for good cause in some cases, but I'd like to think they would at least try to make it better

Or we could take a laissez faire attitude, dust our hands of this mess, and say the Afghans "its your mess now".

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"]

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

I suddenly find this war entirely justified.

and yes, I am serious.

mrbojangles25

So it was difficult to pretend that it was justified when it was all about "finding Bin Laden" or "preventing another terrorist attack on America", but it's entirely justified now that it's about mining other people's resources?

Well, at least we have one honest person amongst the "Oorah" warmongers on OT.

ooooh I would not call myself a war monger.

But, you know...we are there, and when you factor in the few friends I have lost, the polarized environment of the US between liberals and conservatives, and the lost lives of Afghans and all others

Well, frankly, its kind of nice to have a real, tangible reason to continue fighting. I know how that sounds but its a helluva a lot better a reason than we did have.

I find it very difficult to believe that this is really a recent discovery.

In all probability, the US has known about Afghanistan's mineral wealth for decades, and the Soviets knew about it when they launched their failed attempt to conquer the country.

At the very least, Afghanistan's mineral wealth was probably well known in Washington when the invasion was planned---months before the September 11 attacks.

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"][...] The resources will improve living standards for a few corrupt officials who will hand one development contract after another to companies based in NATO countries, while the majority of Afghans become poorer than ever.[...] mrbojangles25

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.

Its a lost cause, and we really have only two options:

1. get the hell out and let them tear eachother apart, and hope the victor is merciful to the losers and kind to the West (not likely...at all)

2. or get we need while at least trying to create some sort of stability or peace in trade.

Honestly I do not know what the better option is. People like to doubt the US and the West, and for good cause in some cases, but I'd like to think they would at least try to make it better

Or we could take a laissez faire attitude, dust our hands of this mess, and say the Afghans "its your mess now".

We can help them get set up with the drilling and mining to produce jobs..Better them working there and improving their economy then working at poppy fields.

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]
See... the problem is, Afghanistan is a tribal society, not a hierarchical one. They are ruled democratically by Hamid Karzai, but the real power lies with the Pashtun leaders (Karzai only really holds any power in Kabul), and none of them hold absolute power over choice, and they only make decisions through council. So there won't be "officials" to "corrupt" (outside of Kabul).

taj7575

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.

Its a lost cause, and we really have only two options:

1. get the hell out and let them tear eachother apart, and hope the victor is merciful to the losers and kind to the West (not likely...at all)

2. or get we need while at least trying to create some sort of stability or peace in trade.

Honestly I do not know what the better option is. People like to doubt the US and the West, and for good cause in some cases, but I'd like to think they would at least try to make it better

Or we could take a laissez faire attitude, dust our hands of this mess, and say the Afghans "its your mess now".

We can help them get set up with the drilling and mining to produce jobs..Better them working there and improving their economy then working at poppy fields.

somehow I doubt sending in corporations is going to be better than the current situation.

"Thank you for putting in 16 hours in mines today, here is your ten cents. Sorry about the cave collapse that killed your friend".

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

H_U_R_D

[QUOTE="H_U_R_D"]

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

xhellcatx

but...what if the country belongs to another country?

:P

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.mrbojangles25

[QUOTE="taj7575"]

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.

Its a lost cause, and we really have only two options:

1. get the hell out and let them tear eachother apart, and hope the victor is merciful to the losers and kind to the West (not likely...at all)

2. or get we need while at least trying to create some sort of stability or peace in trade.

Honestly I do not know what the better option is. People like to doubt the US and the West, and for good cause in some cases, but I'd like to think they would at least try to make it better

Or we could take a laissez faire attitude, dust our hands of this mess, and say the Afghans "its your mess now".

mrbojangles25

We can help them get set up with the drilling and mining to produce jobs..Better them working there and improving their economy then working at poppy fields.

somehow I doubt sending in corporations is going to be better than the current situation.

"Thank you for putting in 16 hours in mines today, here is your ten cents. Sorry about the cave collapse that killed your friend".

From the article:

"This will become the backbone of the Afghan economy," said Jalil Jumriany, an adviser to the Afghan minister of mines."

It seems if anything, they will start their own company with a little help from the west.

[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]

no, they'll just fight over it.

You cannot think of Afghanistan as a normalsociety. One tribe has different customs and laws than another; one might chop the hand off an 8 year old for stealing, while another will simply smack said child on the bottom and ground him for a week.foxhound_fox

I actually read into it a while back, and it is a fascantingly interesting culture.

[QUOTE="H_U_R_D"]

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

xhellcatx

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

[QUOTE="xhellcatx"][QUOTE="H_U_R_D"]

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

Stesilaus

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

No, that will never happen again :lol:

And from the article, it clearly points they will let the Afghans deal with this.

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"]

[QUOTE="xhellcatx"] It rightfully belongs to the country that its found in :|taj7575

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

No, that will never happen again :lol:

And from the article, it clearly points they will let the Afghans deal with this.

i dont see us just letting them have it

i figure the gov't will try to get a cut of the cash this generates

Bush went to Afghanistan for the MINERALS!!!!

[QUOTE="xhellcatx"][QUOTE="H_U_R_D"]

i find it hard to believe they just stumbled upon this

why else would we be over there besides oil? the middle east is a mineralogical treasure trove

tho who gets the stuff is anyone's guess

Stesilaus

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

[QUOTE="taj7575"]

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"]

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

H_U_R_D

No, that will never happen again :lol:

And from the article, it clearly points they will let the Afghans deal with this.

i dont see us just letting them have it

i figure the gov't will try to get a cut of the cash this generates

The way I look at it: we will let them do it, as long as they don't go back to growing poppys.

[QUOTE="Stesilaus"]

[QUOTE="xhellcatx"] It rightfully belongs to the country that its found in :|xhellcatx

... until it's handed over by the government of that country.

And if the current government won't hand it over, the US will simply install another government, as they did with the Shah of Iran and, of course, the current government of Iraq.

It will just lead to a few people saying all the bad things the US has done in the 20th century. I'm hoping most people here already know those things.

Obama has even aknowledged Operation Ajax a few times..Yes, probably the biggest mistake of the 20th century for the US, but we just have to move on.. We all know the million stupid things the US did in the 20th century.

Bush went to Afghanistan for the MINERALS!!!!

akbar13

Bin Laden never existed!

[...]

Obama has even aknowledged Operation Ajax a few times

[...]

taj7575

Operation Ajax 1 is probably on Obama's mind because of the leading role he's currently playing in Operation Ajax 2.

Surely you don't think the sanctions against Iran really have anything to do with Iran's nuclear enrichment program?

I did now read the whole article but pretty much this means that Afghanistan will become the US's personal ore mine, just like Japan is the R&D and Saudi Arabia is the oil well.

I did now read the whole article but pretty much this means that Afghanistan will become the US's personal ore mine, just like Japan is the R&D and Saudi Arabia is the oil well.

SunofVich

[QUOTE="SunofVich"]

I did now read the whole article but pretty much this means that Afghanistan will become the US's personal ore mine, just like Japan is the R&D and Saudi Arabia is the oil well.

conistant

It's a good one, though.

It's probably closer to a conspiracy fact than a conspiracy theory. :|

[QUOTE="conistant"][QUOTE="SunofVich"]

I did now read the whole article but pretty much this means that Afghanistan will become the US's personal ore mine, just like Japan is the R&D and Saudi Arabia is the oil well.

Stesilaus

It's a good one, though.

It's probably closer to a conspiracy fact than a conspiracy theory. :|

:lol: He already has a follower.

I doubt this will be good for Afghanistan. In fact, I suspect it could very well be the opposite.

didn't i just watch a movie about this. what was it called? oh yeah it was Avatar :shock: minus the tall standing tree, and avatar bodies.

[QUOTE="majwill24"]

[QUOTE="l0ve"]tl;dr but seriously, what is the US going to do take Afghanistan's minerals? Will it at least pay for them?bobaban

Its unclear at the moment. I recall the Iraq oil contracts all going to non american companies, maybe these assets will follow the same path. The US government seems to want to avoid the impression that the wars are not about resources, but rather altruistic purposes.

[QUOTE="bobaban"][QUOTE="majwill24"]

Its unclear at the moment. I recall the Iraq oil contracts all going to non american companies, maybe these assets will follow the same path. The US government seems to want to avoid the impression that the wars are not about resources, but rather altruistic purposes.

UnknownSniper65

Western Imperialism FTW! :)

tl;dr but seriously, what is the US going to do take Afghanistan's minerals? Will it at least pay for them?l0ve

At a price extremely in the US governments favor.. Yes.. Everything the western powers have done in the Middle East has always beena bout economic reasons.

Sweet...another foreign country with resources that we can somehow get our hands on in clandestine and shady ways.

Unfortunately it's highly unlikely that Afghanistan will benefit from this. I dont think they have the money or the infrastructure to set up a decent mining industry so much like their copper reserves this will likely be turned over to another country like China. Ninja-Hippo

Are they just figuring this out now? i've know this forever. A country that is 75% mountaisn is bound to have mineral deposits. All i'm surpised at is its Trillions of $$$ worth not my estimated Billions of $$$.

[QUOTE="UnknownSniper65"][QUOTE="bobaban"] That's foolish and a waste of money. Harvest I say, harvest!MystikFollower

Western Imperialism FTW! :)

And yet much of the American public are clueless why many people within the region of the Middle East despise the west including the United States... Or make silly claims like "Its because of our freedoms!".