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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums$1 Trillion Trove of Rare Minerals Revealed Under Afghanistan
http://www.livescience.com/47682-rare-earth-minerals-found-under-afghanistan.html?1409831359
Rare Earths, clockwise from top center: praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium and gadolinium.
Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture / Peggy Greb
Despite being one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan may be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world, valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to U.S. scientists.
Afghanistan, a country nearly the size of Texas, is loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began inspecting what mineral resources Afghanistan had after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004. As it turns out, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff had kept Soviet geological maps and reports up to 50 years old or more that hinted at a geological gold mine.
In 2006, U.S. researchers flew airborne missions to conduct magnetic, gravity and hyperspectral surveys over Afghanistan. The magnetic surveys probed for iron-bearing minerals up to 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface, while the gravity surveys tried to identify sediment-filled basins potentially rich in oil and gas. The hyperspectral survey looked at the spectrum of light reflected off rocks to identify the light signatures unique to each mineral. More than 70 percent of the country was mapped in just two months. [Facts About Rare Earth Minerals (Infographic)]
The surveys verified all the major Soviet finds. Afghanistan may hold 60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billion tons of iron ore, 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, and lodes of aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, mercury and lithium. For instance, the Khanneshin carbonatite deposit in Afghanistan's Helmand province is valued at $89 billion, full as it is with rare earth elements.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)On behalf of the sundry greedheads who wanted North America for their own, Uncle Sam made war to make the Native Americans move, first to inhospitable land and from there to reservations.
The Native Americans got to stay on their reservations until the whites found gold in them. Then the native peoples were forced to smaller, even more inhospitable lands where they stayed until the whites found oil in them...
Yeah. Afghanis are going to love their new-found wealth -- after they've paid for their occupation, of course.
And Ukraine? They should know what they're in for. They also have Twitter.
suffragette
(12,232 posts)And no pesky environmental concerns from conquered people either. Just go in and strip the land bare.
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)Someone pointed out Afghanistan's mineral wealth on a message board a couple three years ago, but I no longer remember if it was on DU or another board.
theHandpuppet
(19,964 posts)And Faygo Kid posted about this back in 2010:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4425487
merrily
(45,251 posts)theHandpuppet
(19,964 posts)Last edited Thu Sep 4, 2014, 10:38 AM - Edit history (1)
Fact is, the major powers have known about Afghanistan's untapped mineral wealth for decades. They know exactly where these deposits are and how much they're worth.
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)I just revisited the Ministry of Mines web page for the first time in over a year. There have been major changes in everything but the corruption, I have no doubt.
FOLLOW THE MONEY
merrily
(45,251 posts)emsimon33
(3,128 posts)Hotler
(11,445 posts)and to put money in someone's pocket not to protect us.
Romulox
(25,960 posts)Of course, a private concern will be handling the extraction contracts.
VScott
(774 posts)Only one I've heard of before.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)Draw attention to the fate of this remarkable archeological site which gave the dig precious time and helped documentarian Brent Huffman during the making of his film about the site.
Here is some recent drone footage of the site:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24rl65_un-drone-explore-le-site-archeologique-de-mes-aynak_tech
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)though at that point they probably hadn't mapped out the extent of the REE available. China was locking down most of the known REE deposits, and finding more was considered highly important on the geopolitical future of countries worldwide.
I think a physicist buddy of mine might have pointed me to an article about it when we both were doinking around in the stock market and looking at REE mining company stocks. (That's why I think it was a lot farther back - I haven't had the money to invest in a looong time.)
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)China uses its control over rare earth minerals to freak out the US and Europe regularly. That's why we can never leave Afghanistan: gotta get the minerals. Why the hell were we even there? Minerals. They are even more important than oil at this point because you can't build computer chips and other parts without them.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11657982
It's the reason why we don't go into war torn countries that don't have resources. ISIS is bad, but what about Rwanda and Sudan? The US didn't bat an eyelash and it wasn't on the news 24/7. The list goes on, but anyone who thinks our military is ever deployed for humanitarian reasons is incredibly naive.
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)Afghanistan has amazing amounts of mineral wealth but the people are their true treasure.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021405116
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)Jun 5, 2012
http://m.
One of the world's biggest copper mines is located in Afghanistan, only 40 kilometers south of Kabul.
Preliminary investigations showed that the mine has nearly 14 billion tonnes of copper which will play a major role in the economic growth of the country.
gtar100
(4,192 posts)a few rich mother fuckers while the remaining population of Afghanistan lives in dirt poor poverty as they do the actual work of tearing up their country to extract the minerals and suffer through all the pollution caused by lack of environmental regulations."
Or something like that. It's the general trend of things throughout the world where natural resources are being exploited by private capitalists.
Very sad indeed. That it is even considered viable to outside interests is the height of human arrogance and greed.
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)
A new era in the study of Afghanistan's geology and mineral resources began when the Government of Afghanistan inaugurated the National Geological Survey in July 1955. This marked the initiation of organized surveys of the geological and mineral resources of this country, which continued through the next 25 years. This period was characterized by extensive mapping operations and, subsequently, by geological surveys and the prospecting of mineral occurrences and a more detailed evaluation of selected prospects.
The Afghanistan Geological Survey (AGS) under the Ministry of Mines and Industries conducted this work in cooperation with German, Italian, French and Soviet geologists, as well as nominal support from the United Nations.
German, Italian and French geological missions were present in Afghanistan between 1959 and 1967. Their assistance helped in the creation of maps and documentation of mineral deposits working in parallel with existing Soviet interests, who finalized and published a compendium of international studies. This eventually led to the establishment of the Department of Geology and Mines and later the Department of Geological and Mineral Survey.
This period represented the most important phase of mineral exploration to date; and resulted in the production of a large number of reports and materials on mineral occurrences, resources and prospects
http://mom.gov.af/en/page/1378
panader0
(25,816 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)It hasnever been about freedom, democracy or anything like that - always follow the money
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)It's been pretty open for years. But their masters told them to sell the idea of patriotic "freedom" wars so Americans never question. It's always the same perpetual freedom war against brown people in far off places that most people couldn't point to on a map; I doubt anyone even notices.
littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)That is what love feels like.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)has been slaughtering the people of Afghanistan since 2001.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)*could* lead to stability...people with jobs, earning incomes, less likely to fall in with the boogeymen Al Qaeda groups as many do now as what other course can they take?
bhikkhu
(10,724 posts)I wouldn't jump to conclusions about the Afghan war based on them having some deposits; we have plenty here.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)is that the ores always contain radioactive elements (particularly thorium) that are difficult to process and dispose of. Rare earths have not been mined to any extent in the US for at least 40 years.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,019 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)I miss funk and disco.
And The Clash.
I miss The Clash?!
Thanks for your post. That's a great tune and I enjoy funky music.
~littlemissmartypants🙆
gordianot
(15,243 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)Feb 3, 2012
The Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage ("ARCH" International, Inc. is laying the groundwork for a major public campaign to prevent the decimation of ancient Buddhist temples and Bronze Age metal foundries at Mes Aynak, a major site on the ancient Silk Road that is endangered by a current plan to mine copper from this historic location. We understand that Afghanistan is in great need of the funds that would flow from this projected mineral extraction, so we are working with engineers and other experts to find the means of balancing new methods of copper mining with the careful preservation of our priceless cultural heritage.
CrispyQ
(36,509 posts)I'd post but it has a commercial.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Something TPTB and the MIC want to lay their hands on is in Afghanistan. Whoda thunk?
niyad
(113,552 posts)not surprising?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I read about this several years ago, and estimates then ranged as high as over $4-trillion, though Wikipedia's page on Afghanistan's mining pegs it at $3-trillion. Even so, that's more than enough to implicate just who wanted that war and why.