This article considered how knowledge of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth has framed US policy.
It is estimated that there are $1 trillion in mineral deposits hidden beneath Afghanistan’s soil, that includes the world’s largest deposit of lithium, 60 million metric tons of copper, and 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements (REEs). Knowledge of Afghanistan’s mineral deposits has influenced the United States’ intervention ever since we entered the country in 2001. What was once a background player in the conflict has since snatched the leading role.
