Donald Trump’s Afghanistan Plan: Fewer Soldiers, More Mineral Mining

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President Donald Trump is reluctant to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to fight the war on terror — so he’s reportedly mulling with another idea: Mine the country’s resources and share in the wealth.

President Donald Trump sees validity in mining in Afghanistan, where resources are estimated to be worth trillions of dollars.

According to some estimates, Afghanistan is home to about $1 trillion worth of minerals and elements. And the Pentagon is intrigued at the idea of tapping into those resources.

Trump, meanwhile, has express skeptisicm at the notion of sending in more troops to control the spread of terrorism in Afghanistan, and to help the ailing country rebuilt.

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His idea, to plow for wealth and share the booty with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, would usher in a substantial shift in foreign policy.

Breitbart reports:

The U.S. president has discussed the prospect of extracting the material with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who has promoted mining as an economic opportunity for his country, one of the poorest in the world, reports the New York Times (NYT), adding:

Mr. Trump, who is deeply skeptical about sending more American troops to Afghanistan, has suggested that this could be one justification for the United States to stay engaged in the country. To explore the possibilities, the White House is considering sending an envoy to Afghanistan to meet with mining officials.

While the United States has invested billions in nation building in Afghanistan, neighboring China has been tapping into what is believed to be one of the richest troves of minerals in the world.

President Trump is trying to change that equation and ensure the United States benefits from its multi-year investment.

“Officials said Mr. Trump was determined not to spend American lives and treasure in Afghanistan only to watch China lock up its rare-earth deposits, which are used to make products from wind turbines to computer chips,” points out the Times.

Members of the Trump administration reportedly met with chemical executive Michael N. Silver last week to discuss the potential of mining the minerals.

American Elements, Silver’s company, specializes in the minerals found in Afghanistan, which are used in a range of high-tech products, notes the Times:

Stephen A. Feinberg, a billionaire financier who is informally advising Mr. Trump on Afghanistan, is also looking into ways to exploit the country’s minerals, according to a person who has briefed him. Mr. Feinberg owns a large military contracting firm, DynCorp International, which could play a role in guarding mines — a major concern, given that some of Afghanistan’s richest deposits are in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Through aerial surveys conducted in 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has determined that Afghanistan may hold millions of tons of useful minerals that the U.S. Department of Defense’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations estimated in 2010 to be worth $908 billion.

Afghan’s government estimates the country’s mineral resources to be worth $3 trillion, though.

Again, from Breitbart:

Afghanistan holds at least “60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billion tons of iron ore, 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, and lodes of aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, mercury and lithium,” reported NBC News, citing the USGS.

A state-owned Chinese mining company has already reached a 30-year, $3 billion contract with the Afghan government to exploit the country’s copper deposit.

The Taliban has reportedly reached an agreement with China that allows Beijing to mine Afghanistan without worrying about the safety of its workers.

Most of the mineral deposits are believed to be in Taliban-stronghold Helmand province, located along the Pakistan border.

“There are undoubtedly minerals to be exploited in Afghanistan, which could help provide economic stability to the country in the future,” Daniel Feldman, a former special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan told NYT. “But given all the obstacles, it could be many years before mining yields dividends for the Afghan people.”

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Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago

Better to put afghans to work at home then bring them them to the west to be welfare parasites.

KitteeK
KitteeK
6 years ago
Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

Good point. One Muslim country sorted out, hopefully .hmm how many to go ?

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago
Reply to  KitteeK

56, plus western europe.

Voytek Gagalka
Voytek Gagalka
6 years ago

Why bother with backward Afghanistan? Better take over Saudi and Qatari oil fields and all terrorism will drop to near zero, hijra no longer will be attractive as they will all starve from lack of funds. Problem solved.

KitteeK
KitteeK
6 years ago
Reply to  Voytek Gagalka

Yes true, and we wish….but don’t forget the Afghan poppy industry, also generates billions….illegal drug trade….and one reason for the war.
Nobody wins warring against Aghans, the Russians didn’t either also because of it’s geography

pandainc
pandainc
6 years ago
Reply to  Voytek Gagalka

Hint. They have rare earth elements that are hard, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. Sort’ve like the ragheads sitting on a grunch of oil.
Let me simplify. They got it. We need it. We don’t have it.

Sunflower
Sunflower
6 years ago

He’s very clever. Instead of sending men all over to chase ISIS this would draw the enemy in to specific areas in order to attack the mining operations. Easier to annihilate them this way.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
6 years ago

What a novel idea, “Make money not war.” Give those turncoat ragheads who turn on our troops a shovel instead of an IED or AK-47 and their hands and time will be used more constructively. Capitalism could go a long way in improving their country.

Ichabod Crain
Ichabod Crain
6 years ago

These rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium are in limited supply, and China already controls a large fraction of available deposits. These elements are essential to hi tech industry. Undoubtedly China is paying kickbacks to the Taliban, who buy arms with this money and turn around and attack Americans. The US should make a deal with the Afghanistanis so they get paid in these minerals for saving the country from the Taliban.

BigMG
BigMG
6 years ago

Afghanistan is exhibit A of the Muslim work ethic. With a trillion dollars worth of minerals just under their feet, why hasn’t someone already put their local population to work getting it?

Badger
Badger
6 years ago
Reply to  BigMG

They have abysmally low IQs.

It takes Europeans to run the world properly.

iprazhm
iprazhm
6 years ago

This is what businessmen do, they think about making a buck, no matter the moral or political ramifications.

Badger
Badger
6 years ago

“President Donald Trump is reluctant to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to fight the war on terror — so he’s reportedly mulling with another idea: Mine the country’s resources and share in the wealth.”

Well? Why not?

solange9
solange9
6 years ago

This was what the war was really about in the first place, resources, the ones mentioned here and heroin as well. When in doubt about the real cause of a war, check out the resources of its host country, and who’s fighting. Then, the why will become evident. A while back, we were at war in Liberia. Liberia!?! Why on Earth would we be at war in Liberia? I looked, and, sure enough, Goodyear had a rubber plantation there and wanted to protect it. And, so, we went to war.

pandainc
pandainc
6 years ago
Reply to  solange9

Always is about resources.

joe1429
joe1429
6 years ago

Leave it to Trump to come up with this excellent idea!! Go Trump!!!

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