Eyes on Afghanistan as Next Lithium Motherlode
March 26th, 2014Via: oilprice.com
As American troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, the US has handed over prized mineral data to Kabul, which is hoping it can provide enough security to lure investors to key mineral deposits that could turn the country into the Saudi Arabia of Lithium in the best-case scenario, or another conflict minerals venue like Congo.
Earlier this month, the US Geological Survey handed Kabul highly advanced hyper-spectral imaging of mineral deposits covering about 70% of the countries territory, but security, infrastructure and legislation must be addressed before these deposits can be tapped into.
Joseph Catalino, acting director of the DOD task force, said the Defense Department’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO) was working with private-sector firms to encourage them to invest in Afghanistan’s mineral and hydrocarbon sectors.
“Big companies, small companies, even really small companies are all asking the same questions — what’s there, where do we look and where do we drill? That’s where this data comes into play,” Catalino was quoted as saying.
Lithium deposits there are worth $1 trillion according to the US, and $3 if you believe Kabul. The Soviets thought.is wasn’t worth ten years of war, but the US DoD apparently thought otherwise.
I suspect the superpower thing is about lithium-6 that makes nuclear “dial-a-yield” extendable into the multiple-megaton range. That’s what lit up Bikini Atoll in the Castle Bravo shot.
…a $3 trillion*
I’ve been following what the U.S. is doing re Rare Earths for awhile now. I think lithium is one of these items and it is used in so many of the “new energy” technologies: wind, solar, batteries etc.
I wonder how much the poppy in Afghanistan is worth versus the lithium?
In the long run, I think the lithium and other rare earth deposits are most likely worth a lot more.
The U.S. also just “won” a judgement against China from the WTO. Imagine that China says “we don’t want to rape and pillage our countries rare earth resources but conserve.” I think that is great that China said that. But no, I guess the WTO says, You, China, cough it all up now.
I’m watching. China can appeal. I hope they do.
It is transparent that the military industrial complex invasion of Afghanistan had much more on the brain than just people who didn’t like the US.
Once the military industrial complex sets their sites on your land, and the resources in your country, they are going to suck you dry of all your resources and bomb you to pieces if you give up a peep of protest about it.
I think that is the way these days, and it is nucking flucks!