US discovers a trillion dollars worth of minerals in Afghanistan

It's a find that geologists must dream about. And it just might change the tide in Afghanistan, now discovered to be a very rich mineral owner.

Minerals in Afghanistan? Yes, say American geologists who have discovered what they say is over $1 trillion US dollars in untapped mineral deposits. The find exceeds all expectations. The Indian Express reports that Senior U.S. officials are saying that a find like this might transform the Afghan economy and change the direction of the war. The New York Times reports on an internal Pentagon memo that reveals that with the potential of these minerals, Afghanistan could become the

"Saudi Arabia of lithium"

Lithium is a key raw material for the manufacture of laptop batteries and blackberries. Officials admit that setting up a mining industry in Afghanistan could take some time but they note that the vast reserves are expected to attract huge investments even before mines become profitable, which could lead to large creation of jobs and fundamentally change the direction of the war. General David H. Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command said in an interview on Saturday,

“There is stunning potential here. There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant.”