Is Afghanistan the Next Saudi Arabia?

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “U.S. Identifies Mineral Riches in Afghanistan,” represents one of the few times this newspaper has actually uncovered a surprise story. Its facts go beyond a few deposits here and there as they convey an amazing amount and variety of riches that could actually transform the country.

Geologists have described the results as truly amazing with huge veins of copoper, iron, gold and lithium scattered throughout the country. The amount of iron and copper alone are described as so huge that they would make Afghanistan a “major world producer of both.”

How did all this go undiscovered for so long? Well, apparently the Soviet Union conducted preliminary research while they were occupying the country, then Afghan geologists hid the maps during the Taliban’s reign. In 2006, the United States Geological Survey conducted its own aerial survey, and they were so impressed that they flew over the country to conduct three-dimensional imaging.

Experts say that the amount of deposits would easily dwarf the country’s current reliance on narcotics and that international bidding on the mineral rights could take place very soon. Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to set up the internal infrastructure so Afghanistan can manage the situation.

Imagine Afghanistan as a rich country with modern facilities and a prosperous citenzry. Truly, many of the last shall be first.