Title: Donald Trump eyes Afghanistan's $1 trillion mineral reserves to pay for reconstruction after 16 years of war | The Independent | The Independent
Headings: Donald Trump eyes Afghanistan's $1 trillion mineral reserves to pay for reconstruction after 16 years of war
Donald Trump eyes Afghanistan's $1 trillion mineral reserves to pay for reconstruction after 16 years of war
Country's rich deposits of gold, silver, platinum, iron ore and copper could represent path to economic independence but experts call plan to tap into them 'a pipe dream'
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Content: US officials have told Reuters that Trump argued at a White House meeting with advisors in July that the United States should demand a share of Afghanistan's mineral wealth in exchange for its assistance to the Afghan government. US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday that Trump has made a decision on the United States' strategy for Afghanistan after a review with national security advisors, but did not give any details. It is easy to see why the mining sector has aroused so much interest in Afghanistan, a landlocked country with an economy worth about $20 billion a year - roughly half the size of Wyoming, the least populous US state. But private investors are wary, says Fogelman, and there is no quick fix. “In the case of large, public sector investment, the situation would be different - however, there would still be the problem of building up logistics and export links,” he said. “ I reckon it would still likely take years to get a meaningful large-scale operation going.” Even if private armies could be hired to defend the mines against insurgent attack, the cost of moving minerals out would likely be prohibitive until the entire country was secure - which could take many years. One longtime mining expert formerly based in Kabul recounted his conversation with a top mining firm. “They said: ' Don't worry, we can bring our own security detail and do the mining operation'.