ABSTRACT
In June 2010, a team of officials from the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Agency for International Development announced that Afghanistan has considerable reserves of iron, cobalt, gold, copper, and lithium, with an estimated value of US$900 billion, buried in its soil ( BBC News 2010). Remarkably, this news was greeted as yet another challenge in the country’s painful transition to peace, rather than as an opportunity to diversify the economy, create jobs, bring in foreign currency, and ensure long-term development. Experts have stated, in resounding concert, that the mineral wealth may not be good for Afghanistan and may lead to more conflict in the future. 1
