The Mineral Miracle? Or a Massive Information Operation? – Politics – The Atlantic.
Marc Ambinder has some doubts about the motives of what looks like a coordinated effort to get the world to pay attention to 20 year old information about mineral wealth in Afghanistan. The NY Times today reports:
The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.
So the real question here is who’s attention are they trying to get? Wavering NATO allies? China? Russia seems obvious, but I think they found out all they need to know about Afghanistan during their ill fated invasion in the 80s. I don’t think it was really directed at the American public, we already got a close look at a war that supposed to pay for itself. It didn’t work out so well from a fiscal standpoint (or nearly any other) did it?
Then there’s this little gem in the NYT story: “The Ministry of Mines is not ready to handle this,” Mr. Brinkley said. “We are trying to help them get ready.” By all means, send the US Minerals Management Service to Afghanistan. Their work with the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico has worked out sooooo well.
