US finds 1Mt rare earths deposit in Afghanistan

[Schmoff]

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/us-finds-1mt-rare-earth-deposit-in-afghanistan-2011-09-15

By: Matthew Hill
15th September 2011
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TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Wednesday it estimated there were at least one-million tons of rare-earth elements contained in resources in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand province.

According to the USGS, the carbonatite deposit hosts mainly light rare-earth elements, namely lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium, which it says are comparable to those found at Molycorp’s Mountain Pass mine in California.

“The international mining community is beginning to realize Afghanistan's extraordinary mineral potential,” The US Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations acting director Regina Dubey said in a statement.

Companies from India, Iran and Canada are currently bidding to develop the massive Hajigak iron-ore deposit in the country.

The Khanneshin rare earths evaluation is documented in a new USGS report and will be also be included as part of a larger report by the USGS to be released later in 2011.

This will include an updated evaluation of Afghanistan’s main deposits of gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, zinc, phosphorus and uranium.

The Pentagon said in June last year untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan may be worth more than $1-trillion.
 

[Natural Man]

Too bad the afghans are for the most part too backward to exploit their ressources themsleves. Looks like we ll have to educate and civilize them first so they can contribute to mankind doing something useful other than killing themselves and killing others in the name of the pedoprophet moamad.

[Game Time]

Maybe the States can get some ROI out of that shit hole lol

[MikMaq]

That's not really that extreme, it's a relatively large country, that hasn't aloud any economic action in the last 6000 years. Problem is 1 trillion amounts to about 50 billion(that's about 600 bucks a person) a year in production, and there's very little trickle down to the economy because the gov will push development long before the massive amount of corruption in the country is removed.

The same shit happens in africa on a daily basis, they have massive amounts of natural resource for there population, but they are too stupid to know better.

[Parker]

In come the Chinese...

That's not really that extreme, it's a relatively large country, that hasn't aloud any economic action in the last 6000 years. Problem is 1 trillion amounts to about 50 billion(that's about 600 bucks a person) a year in production, and there's very little trickle down to the economy because the gov will push development long before the massive amount of corruption in the country is removed.

The same shit happens in africa on a daily basis, they have massive amounts of natural resource for there population, but they are too stupid to know better.

The Africans are not too stupid, it's the leader's of some those countries are too busy trying to either hold onto "power", and aren't thinkig of the big picture, or too busy blaming Euros and begging for money from China, or that the countries lack a infracture---or they make it difficult for business to be done (Ghana).

[MikMaq]

In come the Chinese...The Africans are not too stupid, it's the leader's of some those countries are too busy trying to either hold onto "power", and aren't thinkig of the big picture, or too busy blaming Euros and begging for money from China, or that the countries lack a infracture---or they make it difficult for business to be done (Ghana).

It's not just the leaders, it filters down to every level of society. Whether it's the engineer who hires a friend instead of someone with education, the goverment official that bribes the professor to get his kid into the local school, or whether it's the kid, using his dad's connections to get on the sports team.

Seriously as westerners you have no idea, what the word bribe, inside deal, favortism, skeeming, etc mean.

[Schmoff]

In come the Chinese...The Africans are not too stupid, it's the leader's of some those countries are too busy trying to either hold onto "power", and aren't thinkig of the big picture, or too busy blaming Euros and begging for money from China, or that the countries lack a infracture---or they make it difficult for business to be done (Ghana).

that doesn't prove they are lazy?