100th Monkey
New member
'In yet another move that could be seen coming from a mile away by even the most casual observer, a recently released statement from the Department of Defense is announcing that U.S. agencies are now “aiding” Afghanistan to locate and pinpoint the nation’s mineral wealth.
This “treasure mapping” of Afghanistan is being conducted in anticipation of the opening of the bidding process for private companies who are no doubt salivating as they wait in the wings for their opportunity to gobble up the natural wealth of the impoverished and war-torn nation and, subsequently, turn it into massive profits.'
Read more: U.S. To Start Carving Up Afghanistan's Vast Resources
http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/7...vast-resources
Source:
Afghanistan Is Not A Poor Country
Source:
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This is from the official Afghanistan Embassy website in Washington although does
not give the year ....
http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/...its-washington
Home
Delegation from the Afghan Ministry of Mines Visits Washington
An official delegation led by H.E. Wahidullah Shahrani, Minister of Mines, visited Washington from February 29 until March 3 to discuss the future of Afghanistan’s mineral resources industry with American officials and private investors.
During their visit, the delegation met with officials from the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The delegation participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) and Center for American Progress the prominent think tanks in Washington. Minister Shahrani, through various meetings and interviews with the media, expressed the potential of Afghanistan’s untapped mineral resources industry and encouraged private investment in the mining sector.
During a meeting, Minister Shahrani explained that, “There has been a tremendous amount of interest and activity in the Mining Sector in Afghanistan. U.S. Geological Survey data indicates that Afghanistan may hold unexplored mineral deposits worth as much as $1 trillion dollars. The government of Afghanistan has estimated the figure as high as $3 trillion dollars.”
The Government of Afghanistan looks forward to future cooperation between the U.S. Government and the Afghan Ministry of Mines. Furthermore, the Afghan Ministry of Mines is eager to continue its engagement with private sector investors in the U.S.
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This Article is from 2006 but I doubt if much has changed as in all aid assisted
third world countries the Rich get richer and the poor,poorer !
Not that it was better before , but when we the west spend trillions of tax payers
money to 'HELP' countries for whatever reason..Its always the elites and corporations
that exstort money and resources from all sides.....
Gap between rich and poor widens in Afghanistan
Some buy watches for $4,000, others heat homes with dung
Declan Walsh
http://www.rawa.org/gap.htm
•At least 6.5 million people out of a population of between 21 and 26 million are dependent on food aid, and there is a very real risk of famine.
•Afghanistan has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world - just 44.5 years.
•A fifth of children die before they reach the age of five.
•About two million Afghans are now living abroad, most of them in Iran and Pakistan.
•In Kabul, an estimated 500,000 people are homeless or living in makeshift accommodation.
•Only 40 per cent of Afghan children are vaccinated against major diseases, and just 25 per cent of the population has access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. There is just one doctor per 6,000 people, and one nurse per 2,500 people.
•Some 72,000 new cases of tuberculosis are reported every year. Women account for most TB deaths.
•Up to 100 people are killed or wounded by mines and unexploded ordnance every month
•Every year an estimated 400,000 Afghans are affected by natural disasters.
•Less then 6% of Afghans have access to electricity, that too partly.
