The US Occupation and the Afghan Wealth

Prologue:

The East India Company, initiated as a trading company to pursue trading with the East Indies but ended up trading primarily with Indian sub-continent and China. It started its trading business in early 1600 and had sought after trading all the valuable natural resources of these lands from silk, cotton, indigo, dye, saltpetre, tee and even opium to the European lands up until 1757 when the Company Rule in India began. The company itself was dissolved in 1874 owing to the Indian Rebellion and the British Raj took over.

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"The United States has recently discovered untapped natural mineral deposits worth nearly $1 trillion", says a report by New York Times. The reserves are so vast that it could "fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and the war itself". So much so an internal Pentagon memo suggests that the Central Asian country could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a precious raw material used in the making of batteries for laptops and mobile phones.

The Russians were aware of this fact and they, along with some Afghan Geologist, during the 1960's had put in great effort to discover these natural resources. Alas, this finally puts in place the real motive of USSR's Afghan-War in 1979. They might have intended to forcefully occupy the poor and barren land to fill their monetary aims. However, a more resilient and rugged Afghan rebels had a fighting reply to their incursion.

Of course, one cannot omit the vast and generous clandestine support of the United States in driving the Soviets out of Afghan. They had poured in numerous weaponry along with financial aids to counter the Russian onslaught. And they had with them the 'ever-abiding' and truly loyal ally, Pakistan.

One ponders the extreme generosity exhibited by the Americans and Pakistanis towards an utterly poor, backwards and extreme stubborn nation like Afghanistan. What vested interest could they possibly have in rescuing them from the Soviets. Was it out of compassion and humanitarian ethics to save an oppressed nation at the hands of Soviets. Or was it out rivalry against the number 2 World Power. Or probably was it because the US had other, and better, plans for a war torn country.

After successfully ridding the Soviets out of Afghanistan, the US embarked on a similar yet more conspiring mission in the Central Asian country. Under the banner of 'War-on-Terror', the United States along with support from NATO barged into Afghanistan and upset the balance of power, overthrowing their only opponent - Talibans. The Taliban were the key in countering the Russian invasion and had gradually gained power as the dominant force in Afghanistan since the exit of the Russian forces. During their seven year rule in Afghanistan, they had enforced a 'Perfect' Shariah system. Though, many anti-Muslim critics have condemned their rule and bolstered enormous accusations against some of their policies, however, the facts were far from the truth.  

The US had sought the opportunity and yielded in. Of course, yet again, they could not have been successful in their campaign without the humming support of their closest and utterly disliked ally, Pakistan. The  current US occupation in Afghanistan is showing reminiscence of the colonization of the sub-continent by the East India Company.

Though, undeniably, the driving motive for the staunch US occupation in Afghanistan could be to evade the terror threat posed by Al-Qaeda. However, one cannot negate the fact that exploiting the 'Afghan Riches' would not have been possible with the Taliban sitting on top of them. They needed pro-US government and policies that would favor their stakes in the indigenous wealth of that country.

It has been nine years since the US military occupation started its devious efforts under the covert war, they have met more remorse than success. And since now it has become more evident that the wealthy Afghan soil is potent enough to emerge as one of the most influential mining centers of the world, the war will see a more difficult route ahead. Out-numbered and out-classed by a high tech  and sophisticated weaponry, the Afghans have always thought of the US occupation as an illegle incursion into their land but now it becomes a matter of personal prestige, pride and honor to secure the blessed Gift from God onto their land.