US finds $1 trillion of resources in Afghanistan
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
NEW YORK, June 14 (Bloomberg): The United States government found almost $1 trillion of mineral deposits, including iron ore, copper and lithium, in Afghanistan, the New York Times said, citing Pentagon documents and General David Petraeus.
The Pentagon business development task force brought in American mining experts to validate findings from a survey, according to the report. The survey found deposits of niobium, rare earths, and gold, and the lithium deposits may be as big as those in Bolivia, which has the world's largest known reserves, the newspaper said, citing unidentified Pentagon officials.
The deposits are scattered throughout the country, including the southern and eastern regions along the border with Pakistan, where intense fighting had taken place with the Taliban, and may take many years to develop, the paper said.
The Pentagon business development task force brought in American mining experts to validate findings from a survey, according to the report. The survey found deposits of niobium, rare earths, and gold, and the lithium deposits may be as big as those in Bolivia, which has the world's largest known reserves, the newspaper said, citing unidentified Pentagon officials.
The deposits are scattered throughout the country, including the southern and eastern regions along the border with Pakistan, where intense fighting had taken place with the Taliban, and may take many years to develop, the paper said.