I've been awake and up since 4am, but that's because I went to bed at 9.30 pm last night. Obviously the swim had a greater impact on my body than expected! I don't remember anything after placing my head on the pillow. I was slightly amused and a little disturbed last night by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (ABC2), which addressed the fact that iron, copper, cobalt, lithium, gold and other highly sought after metals have been identified in Afghanistan's rugged plains and that America's 'war on terror' and invasion may have little to do with a fear of terrorist attacks and more to do with getting in at ground level for the estimated $1 trillion dollars worth of metals to be had. Jon Stewart's comment to Afghani's ~ if this is what the war is like when America isn't interested, think what it's going to be like when it is - you're fucked ~ you're never NOT going to know war ~ is either slightly off centre or right on the mark.
China's $3 billion project to mine copper in Logar province near Kabul may provide thousands of jobs for Afghani's in the next decade, however, according to McClatchy newspaper ~ March 2009, part of the rationale behind America's attempt to defeat the Taliban is because they have taken up a strong hold in the southern part of Kabul, restricting China's access. Richard Weitz states:
Multiple paradoxes pervade China’s policies toward Afghanistan. The leaders of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) perceive unprecedented commercial opportunities in Afghanistan, but lack the means to pursue them without the support of other national governments that might prefer to limit China’s influence there. While PRC policymakers oppose a long-term Western military presence in China’s backyard, they fear that an abrupt NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan would endanger important Chinese commercial and security interests. In addition, Beijing fears that the growing strength of Islamist extremists in Afghanistan is increasing the terrorist threat to China itself as well as its close ally Pakistan. But PRC leaders worry that supporting the anti-Taliban coalition militarily would make China a more likely target states: for terrorism and alienate Beijing from Afghanistan’s future government. Given these contradictions, the Obama administration will find it extremely difficult to establish a major strategic partnership with Beijing in Afghanistan. (China Security ~ A Journal of China's Strategic Development, #16,2010).
But really, who is going to work in these mines? Half of the Afghani 23 million population is not of working age (43% under 15 and 3% over 65 years old) and many are nomadic. There are an estimated 10 million land mines in Afghanistan that will be causing damage to unsuspecting individuals for decades to come. Approximately 750,000 men and women have already been damaged by exploding land-mines (loss of hands, feet, hearing and loss of eye sight), often resulting in amputation of limbs, rendering these individuals unable to work, and, as disabled they are treated as outsiders in their own communities adding a double injustice to their life of poverty. According to the IMF, The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world:
When the Taliban regime was replaced in 2001, Afghanistan’s infrastructure and institutions were in disarray, the result of years of conflict and erratic policies. Half of the country’s 1979 population was dead, crippled, or exiled, and many of those who survived were living in abject poverty. The most pressing economic tasks involved restoring economic stability and beginning to rebuild the country’s institutions. The challenge was even greater because of the inherently unstable security situation and an ingrained culture of corruption. (June 9, 2010)
Perhaps Afghanistan's mineral rich landscape will help Afghani's in the future, or perhaps not. In the meantime people keep fighting and dying!
China's $3 billion project to mine copper in Logar province near Kabul may provide thousands of jobs for Afghani's in the next decade, however, according to McClatchy newspaper ~ March 2009, part of the rationale behind America's attempt to defeat the Taliban is because they have taken up a strong hold in the southern part of Kabul, restricting China's access. Richard Weitz states:
Multiple paradoxes pervade China’s policies toward Afghanistan. The leaders of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) perceive unprecedented commercial opportunities in Afghanistan, but lack the means to pursue them without the support of other national governments that might prefer to limit China’s influence there. While PRC policymakers oppose a long-term Western military presence in China’s backyard, they fear that an abrupt NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan would endanger important Chinese commercial and security interests. In addition, Beijing fears that the growing strength of Islamist extremists in Afghanistan is increasing the terrorist threat to China itself as well as its close ally Pakistan. But PRC leaders worry that supporting the anti-Taliban coalition militarily would make China a more likely target states: for terrorism and alienate Beijing from Afghanistan’s future government. Given these contradictions, the Obama administration will find it extremely difficult to establish a major strategic partnership with Beijing in Afghanistan. (China Security ~ A Journal of China's Strategic Development, #16,2010).
But really, who is going to work in these mines? Half of the Afghani 23 million population is not of working age (43% under 15 and 3% over 65 years old) and many are nomadic. There are an estimated 10 million land mines in Afghanistan that will be causing damage to unsuspecting individuals for decades to come. Approximately 750,000 men and women have already been damaged by exploding land-mines (loss of hands, feet, hearing and loss of eye sight), often resulting in amputation of limbs, rendering these individuals unable to work, and, as disabled they are treated as outsiders in their own communities adding a double injustice to their life of poverty. According to the IMF, The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world:
When the Taliban regime was replaced in 2001, Afghanistan’s infrastructure and institutions were in disarray, the result of years of conflict and erratic policies. Half of the country’s 1979 population was dead, crippled, or exiled, and many of those who survived were living in abject poverty. The most pressing economic tasks involved restoring economic stability and beginning to rebuild the country’s institutions. The challenge was even greater because of the inherently unstable security situation and an ingrained culture of corruption. (June 9, 2010)
Perhaps Afghanistan's mineral rich landscape will help Afghani's in the future, or perhaps not. In the meantime people keep fighting and dying!
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