A trillion $ of minerals found in Afghanistan

NYT reported that this may be the largest mineral find ever and it may dramatically change the course of the war.

Not sure why, but my immediate thought to this: BP "found" oil at the bottom of the Gulf, too! What a mess, both places!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world ... erals.html

"The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like Lithium"

China has a corner on the rare earth metals used in electric car motors too.

The US has some Lithium and rare earth resources too, but they will probably never be developed.

I can hear it already "war for minerals" It was a conspiracy all along!

U.S: "Hold on oil-rich Iraq. Afghanistan is suddenly better looking and we haven't been paying her enough attention."

The Economist had an article a year ago about this. While China is quietly mining Afghanistan, we are protecting their ass(ets). It would be nice to see mining pump up the standard of living there. Too bad the Chinese model seems to be to run the mine with Chinese only, so wages don't go to the locals, or even use local suppliers for equipment.