The Lithium Eggs

As the research shows, it seems that it was finally found in troubled Afghanistan: the goose that lays the golden eggs. Sure, the discoverers were not Afghans but American geologists and Pentagon officials, who have already announced its existence and importance. The bird has no feathers and is in the land of Afghanistan, which is occupied and at war, in the form of prominent untapped mineral deposits. The exact amount of wealth remains unconfirmed but is estimated at $ 1 trillion, according to information released by the New York Times.

Gold, copper, cobalt, iron and especially lithium would make the impoverished nation — so they say — into a mining power. Never mind that there is no infrastructure there now and that it will take years to exploit what they have trumpeted with a lot of fanfare. Anyway, the vultures have already sharpened their claws. Maybe that’s why they have been there since 2001.

The mere existence of lithium, which is indispensable in the development of new technologies and whose value has increased ten-fold in the past five years, makes it a coveted discovery. This mineral, as desired as it is scarce, allows batteries to store energy while simultaneously making it possible for them to be more compact and lightweight. So far, the largest reserves are in Bolivia, but according to reports, the Afghan deposit could be much higher. The great powers are after the mineral, and it is easy to guess for whom the now famous “eggs” will be laid.

The predictions about the discovery are interesting. Some claimed it is the upturn that the Afghan economy needs, now held by production and trade of opium. However, others, who are more realistic, say that the truth will be seen throughout the course of the war. Undoubtedly, both the U.S. and its NATO allies will seek out the greatest benefits. And we cannot rule out the possibility that the lithium-rich area will become currency in the midst of conflict.

Now it is a matter neither of trying to pacify the country nor attempting to defeat al Qaeda. Perhaps even the dead will weigh less on the occupants than the means by which they will end up with most of the booty, for which “strategic” plans probably already exist within companies ready to invest.

However, unfortunately for the powerful that operate in Afghanistan, the golden goose was located just south of the area where the Taliban has important feuds. It will not be easy to plunder and deplume the bird. But experience can attest that they will find the means to do it. Just look at the Congo in Africa. There you will find the largest reserves of coltan (columbite-tantalite), another essential mineral for cellular manufacturing. To obtain its control, as before with diamonds, the country has been the victim of wars and coups skillfully incited from outside of the country.

According to the scenario in the Central Asian nation, where the occupation shows daily signs of failure, the discovery of the site can become the cornerstone for more violence and war … as if nearly a decade were not enough.

The saddest part is that it will not be the Afghan people who will enjoy the fortune. Most of them were unaware of the story that circulated through the big international news media earlier this week, and they might possibly have one more concern from now on. Lithium and other minerals could be a source of wealth, but as history shows, it will probably become a new source of conflicts.

Nothing ensures that the coveted lithium eggs (or any of the other eggs, for that matter) will stay in Afghanistan’s nest. Too many vultures are there.