But a cloud of suspicion falls over its announcement
A “perfect storm” of mining-related conflict could be brewing in Afghanistan, if a recent report in the New York Times is to be credited. The newspaper stated that the US had “discovered” nearly a trillion dollars worth of minerals in the conflict-stricken country. Almost immediately, critics of NATO’s armed intervention in Afghanistan became suspicious. They conjectured that timing of the announcement was intended to lend further justification to the US maintaining military forces in the beleaguered country – if only to keep the Taliban from itself grabbing the riches.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10178.
See also: Afghan mining road show set for London on June 25, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16214852.htm.