With Afghanistan in complete turmoil as the Taliban takes power, one thing to keep your eye on is the mineral deposits that are sitting underground, and scattered throughout the country.
$1 trillion worth of minerals that the Taliban now has control of.
And these aren’t just any type of minerals either. On top of gold, iron and copper deposits are rare earth minerals, including lithium, which is one of the most essential components needed for rechargeable batteries and other important technology.
Back in 2010, U.S. military officials and geologists we sent there discovered the minerals. Experts believe the lithium deposits in Afghanistan might even rival what’s located in Bolivia, which is accepted to be the home of the world’s biggest known reserves of lithium, which is a needed component for electric cars.
With the Taliban in control, the country will continue to lack the infrastructure and ability to extract the minerals by themselves for the near future, but with help, these resources could transform the country from being the poorest country in the region, where 90% of people live below the poverty line, to one of the wealthiest.
One of Afghanistan’s neighbors is very interested in the minerals located there, though, and hey have the money and motivation to do what it takes to get their hands on it.
China is the world leader in mining these type of minerals, and in a CNN story a quote attributed to the Chinese government said that the Red Nation has”Maintained contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban.”
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