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Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:51 am
by Col Hogan
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.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world ... terstitial" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Now, someone will start saying we went in there for the minerals...
The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.
An internal Pentagon memo, for example, states that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys.
The vast scale of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth was discovered by a small team of Pentagon officials and American geologists. The Afghan government and President Hamid Karzai were recently briefed, American officials said.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:53 am
by Ivytalk
How long will it take lithium to outstrip opium as the biggest Afghan export?
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:54 am
by dbackjon
Interesting. Now, who gets the minerals first - US, China or Russia?
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:57 am
by travelinman67
copied from the "Deficit Hawks" thread...
travelinman67 wrote:OL FU wrote:New plan for deficit reduction, we build a wall around the newly discovered mineral deposit in Afghanistan, call it Americanistan, use the riches for ourselves and let the rest of the Talibanistanis shoot each other off their horses
out side the wall
Spot on.
And interestingly, the announcement comes on the heels of Australian PM Rudd's fiasco proposal of a 40% mining tax which has prompted multinationals Xstrata, Billiton and Rio Tinto to either shut down or begin drafting shut down/relocation proposals for their Au operations.
And with China and India chomping at the bit for resources...
...this is a magnificient opportunity for the Afghans to redirect their historical legacy.
Can't wait 'til those Taliban middle-managers get the corporate handbook section on sexual harrassment in the workplace.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:01 am
by travelinman67
Col Hogan wrote:Now, someone will start saying we went in there for the minerals...
Mebbe not...
..."Big Niobium" just doesn't have a ring to it.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 8:16 am
by YoUDeeMan
The article is more than a bit misleading. The Russians knew about some of the other deposits +30 years ago and other deposits have been noted for many years. Heck, they've been setting up plans for the distribution of mineral rights for quite some time.
Tough spot for the Americans. We can't compete geographically with China/India.
Obama and Co. are betting/hoping that the Afghans will suddenly become legit businessmen.
And you know they are hoping the Affy's lean towards engaging American companies in return for all of the help we gave them. That worked out so well in Iraq.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:20 am
by AZGrizFan
Well, that seals it.
We ain't EVER gettin' out of that country now.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:45 am
by mainejeff
Nice of us to once again empower another f'd up country with a crazy religion.
USA! USA! USA!
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:50 am
by 89Hen
Col Hogan wrote:Now, someone will start saying we went in there for the minerals...
Hello? Why do you think Obama kept saying that Afghanistan was the place the US needed to be?
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:28 am
by GannonFan
AZGrizFan wrote:Well, that seals it.
We ain't EVER gettin' out of that country now.
Well, Big Lithium is a pretty persuasive lobbying entity.
Re: Afghanistan - The Saudi Arabia of lithium
Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:14 pm
by AZGrizFan
GannonFan wrote:AZGrizFan wrote:Well, that seals it.
We ain't EVER gettin' out of that country now.
Well, Big Lithium is a pretty persuasive lobbying entity.
For $1 Trillion, it soon WILL be.
