I have to tell you. I just spent a couple hours researching the China Afghanistan Border along with the railroad and China's considerable interest in Afghanistan. During Afghanistan's war with Russia China cooperated with the US and was sending arms and supplies to the Mujaheden. They have a small border with Afghanistan and a crossing that was closed in 2001 because we attacked Afghanistan.
Reading up on it finds that there really is no road in Afghanistan to the border and access in China is very rudimentary. Reopening the border has been proposed as has even extending the railroad into China by Afghanistan. Of course the future of any kind of mining depends on the security of the country let alone extending a railroad into China.
I would love to see it but I do not see the Taliban allowing it to happen though up to now they have not interfered with the building of the railroad which has been heavily guarded by Uzbeks. Up to now we have been defending China's interests but I firmly believe it should be up to China to defend the railroad not us. I do think it is a winning idea because there is no way I can envision the Taliban or Al Qaeda wanting Chinese troops in Afghanistan.
I understand China has sent peace keepers around the world in the past but never a military defensive force. It is time! I understand they may but will only do so under a UN mandate. Well what are we waiting for? Get that mandate as China's military should be helping too and the Taliban could keep their military out by stopping their efforts to keep out foreigners. Afghan Railroad
I have to reiterate what we already discussed as this really puts their mineral wealth in a new perspective at least for me!
Afghanistan the Saudi Arabia of Lithium The China of Capitalism, success or failure of tribalism is up to them, Afghanistan the curse of natural resources! As you know, US geologists found $1 trillion of mineral reserves in Afghanistan, the deposits, which include large veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium are so large they could alter the Afghan economy, American geologists said after discovering the resources.
Plans were announced to start mining copper in the Aynak valley, southwest of Kabul, which holds one of the world’s biggest untapped copper deposits, estimated to be worth up to $88_billion (£44 billion) – more than double Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007.
In November, 2008 a 30-year lease was sold to the China Metallurgical Group for $3 billion, making it the biggest foreign investment and private business venture in Afghanistan’s history.
However despite the latest finds, with no mining industry in place it would take decades to develop an infrastructure to exploit the vast mineral reserves which are scattered throughout the country including along the border with Pakistan where some of the most intense fighting has taken place. US geologists find $1 to $3 trillion of mineral reserves in Afghanistan
China‘s involvement in Afghanistan is more than overdue! US troops providing security for China’s monstrous copper mine
China is mining what may be the largest deposit of copper on the planet. They stand to make tens of Billions and we are defending their interests.
For now this is justified as we have to be in the area anyway but once China builds a railroad in order to move the copper to port that better come to an end. You can bet every inch of that railroad and port is going to need 24/7 security. It will be a major target as the Taliban seek to keep what is Afghanistan’s theirs!
China should have her troops there providing her own security at the very least. If they were helping in Afghanistan as they should they would be less inclined to be trying to gum up the works for us everywhere else. We must make this a world effort if we are to succeed. I am happy to see we are moving in that direction.
In closing there are 1 to 3 trillion dollars worth of mineral resources alone. Enough to make them a power house if they could only come together in some manner and had someone in control of the country that knew how to capitalize from it. They are throughout Afghanistan including the Afghan Pakistan border which is significant to me.
There is enough lithium alone to power laptops computers Ipads Ipods everything you can think of in the age of lithium batteries, the 21st century. The heck with copper mines pipelines and oil and gas this could force the Taliban into being the China of Afghanistan allowing Capitalism to facilitate their preferred lifestyle of tribalism as the Chinese have used it to further communism.
Good luck trying to reach those riches and getting them to market!
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
10 comments:
With the technology we have now I'm sure it wouldn't take long to tap those resources if they wanted. I don't see China sending in military. Why would they need to if we're doing the job for them? And they know we'll be there for a while.
As for developing the resources I believe they'll wait until the country is more stable. The Taliban wanting to be the grand capitalists of the world? I think not. Remember they were the ones who wanted to take the country back to the 12th century when they were in power.
They said they would consider sending military if the UN asked and we should right now! It would be a game changer. Definitely it would screw up the Taliban or whoever!
The Taliban will act as the security guards for the railroad, as well as the mines. Do not forget that most of this action is in S/E/ Afghanistan where the Taliban have their strong holds. And where the Pashtuns rule the land. This has as more to do with Gwadar and Baluchistan than anything else.
Count on it.
India will want to get in on this action also.
This is what worries the Paks the most. More so than the Pak/Taliban.
Afghanistan is also a buffer/proxy war between Pakistan and India.
It goes right through Taliban country, they let them build it but there is no way I see them letting them use it. China says they want security improved then FU get in and do it
They said they will think about using their military if the UN issued a mandate then do it. Things would be different for sure!
Why should China or any one else for that matter risk their blood sweat and tears if a deal can be made with the Taliban. They control 80% of the country already any way.
What happened to lets make a deal?
We tried making a deal with them under the Clinton regime.
Remember the Unocal deal? But then we decided that we wanted it all. And that the Taliban were not good enough on womens rights. Along came 9/11. And the attack was on and justified. Sending in more military will not solve the situation and China knows it. They are influencing, promoting, investing, building, while we are digging our graves deeper and deeper.
It is the policy that is out of wack.
Now the big O says "No adjustments needed".
Who wrote this Cheney?
So we do the dirty work and China steps into the prize. Is that how this will play out?
General Smedley D. Butler covered it all in his pamphlet "War is a Racket"
Our military are/have been mercenaries for our Global Corporations.
Corporations, and Banksters run this country. Not its citizens. We are their ant farm.
RZ You are right about China but if they are going to get the minerals and riches they should provide the security as they are immediate neighbors.
Yeah Cheney Bush and Condi did all this. I discussed it ad nauseum and I have to get things together to go down to the VA and that takes most of a day but that is why Afghanistan became known as Pipestan.
Everyone forgets but remember the secret White House meetings with the so called energy Czars?
They haf meetings with the Taliban in the WH and in Crawford. After the Taliban said no to Bush putting an oil pipeline through Afghanistan Bush threatened to attack them and what a surprise, 9/11 was allowed to happen and we did.
This is well worth a quick read at least after the Kennedy stuff but did you ever read we do not have clean hands in Afghanistan
No that is not how it should play out Tim! We never should have gone there and should get the hell out but we aren't that smart. If China can make a deal with the Taliban to rape Afghanistan more power to them and I seriously happily doubt it.
This is another small part of this entire total package mess that is barely beginning. I was glad to hear Shazad say that at his trial but the stupid idiots in charge hear just laugh it off and dismiss it as the talk of frustration. They don't have a frigging clue!
The Taliban, Al Qaeda, Islamists, terrorists, whatever you want to label them are playing. This is fun to them, this is what they want to do for a living, kill the infidel. This is the End of days fight they have long called for and right where they want it.
I gave you the link before and have to run but remember the Taliban get their first wish
It is sadly all old news RZ and most of us know it but we do not matter.
As you point out this is a corporatocracy not a Democracy, sadly that only became obvious to me under the scums Cheney and Bush.
Democracy is only a facade so they can take what they want. Those around the world criticizing us I hate to say are right.
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