US Discovers Nearly $1 Tln in Afghan Mineral Deposits - NYT
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
The U.S. has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and that could make the country one of the world's most important mining centers, the New York Times reported on its website Sunday, citing unnamed senior U.S. government officials. The deposits of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium are so big that Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium," an internal Pentagon memo said, according to the newspaper. Lithium is a key raw material for batteries for laptops and smart phones. The discoveries were made by a small team of Pentagon officials and U.S. geologists, U.S. officials said, adding that the Afghan government and President Hamid Karzai were recently briefed on the findings, the newspaper reported. Officials and industry executives believe that the reserves could attract heavy investment even before the mines are profitable, creating jobs that could distract from generations of war, the newspaper said.
Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html?pagewanted=2&emc=na
