Afghanistan selling its Heritage to China while we die for them. Enough!

Afghanistan, China sign first oil contract : Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani says the initial value of the project is $690 million. But the total value could be ten times that if more reserves are found and developed, and if international oil prices remain at today's levels.It allows the Chinese firm to work oil blocks in the northeastern provinces of Sari Pul and Faryab.

A few years ago I 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.

For whatever reason the Taliban allowed it to happen and did not interfere 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. Am I wrong?

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 understand the railroad is complete and ready to move China's copper.

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. I would expect China will get those too.

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 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: The U.S. Department of Defense earlier said Afghanistan's reserves of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and other prized minerals could be worth $1 trillion. Shahrani says that's conservative. Afghanistan is working with international "partners. I am sure that means China.

China‘s involvement in Afghanistan militarily 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 now they get the oil. Oil we fought for? WTF?.

Up to now us defending China's interests might have been justified as we have to be in the area anyway but once China built 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 thus 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! It is time for the United States to pull out of Afghanistan and let China defend her interests in copper oil, natural gas, and mineral resources. That alone will keep China more than busy. Good frigging luck!




James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com