Report: U.S. Discovers Huge Afghan Mineral Wealth - AP

Americans discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, including iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium, according to the report.

The Times quoted a Pentagon memo as saying Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium,'' a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and cell phones.

Geologists have known for decades that Afghanistan contained substantial mineral resources, including copper, gold and cobalt. But the resources have never been fully exploited because of decades of armed conflict and poor infrastructure. The Times said huge lithium deposits were found in Ghazni province — much of which is effectively under Taliban control.

During a visit last month to Washington, D.C., Karzai said his nation's untapped mineral deposits could be even higher — perhaps as much as $3 trillion. The mineral resources are a "massive opportunity,'' Karzai said at a May 13 event with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held at the U.S. Institute of Peace. - Report: U.S. Discovers Huge Afghan Mineral Wealth AP

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