Thirty Years Over Afghanistan

Will American Soldiers Protect Chinese Copper Miners in Afghanistan

By ROBERT WELLER

As always, look to history when your government does something that makes no sense: like sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan.

The United States’ population was probably as surprised that we had been able to bomb Tokyo within four months of Pearl Harbor as they (we) are now that President Obama is going to send thousands more troops into the abyss known as Afghanistan.

Of course “the 30 seconds over Toyko” mission had been kept secret, and had to be kept one. When President Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt was asked where the B-25s had launched from he replied: “Shangri La.”

Look in the same direction for at least one reason to keep the war going. China needs copper. Afghanistan has it.

Demand is so high that thefts of copper began even in the United States several years ago with it being pulled even from church air conditioners. People trying to remove copper from electric and communications’ wires have been killed around the world. Prices keep breaking records with Asian demand nearly impossible to satisfy.

The biggest potential site for a new copper mine is guess where? Near Kabul.

Mineweb.com, which tracks the industry, alleges that a report found that Afghanistan’s Mines Minister took bribes of $20 million or more to give the $2.9 billion contract for the Aynak mine to China’s Metallurgical Group.

The Web site says China also is the No. 1 bidder for an iron ore mine also near Kabul. Its information is based on a report by a former consultant to the Aghan mines’ ministry, James Yeager of Tucson. He said American, Russian, Australian and other producers had bid for the mine.

The real question is who will protect these miners, whether they are Chinese or Afghans or both? China has an active army of 2.25 million, and there should be guarantees that they will provide their own security. Their frontier is only 500 miles away.

Not one of the members of the latest U.S. surge should be assigned there. Up to now the 10th Mountain Division has been guarding the mine area, said Yeager.