Many have wondered why the United States has so much interest in Afghanistan and the middle east in general, but we may have just discovered the reasoning with the unearthing of rare minerals in the country. According to US scientist, a treasure trove of rare minerals have been discovered in Afghanistan worth nearly $1 trillion dollars.

The rare minerals are those of praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium and more. The value and potential for much more exist which could be one of the reasons the US was so determined to attack the country in the first place. If you recall, the threat was suppose to have come from Iraq, but then quickly shifted to Afghanistan and we needed to invade them as well.

Apparently, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff maintained control of Soviet geological maps and reports that hinted there could be a geological home run in the area. The maps were 50 years old.

In 2010, the USGS data attracted the attention of the U.

S. Department of Defense’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO),

“Afghanistan is a country that is very, very rich in mineral resources,” Jack Medlin, a geologist and program manager of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Afghanistan project, told Live Science. “We’ve identified the potential for at least 24 world-class mineral deposits.” The scientists’ work was detailed in the Aug. 15 issue of the journal Science.

In 2010, the USGS data attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), which is entrusted with rebuilding Afghanistan. The task force valued Afghanistan’s mineral resources at $908 billion, while the Afghan government’s estimate is $3 trillion.

Source: Yahoo News

Many in the United States believes this is cause for the US to return to Afghanistan, but they are mistaken. The United States never left the country and more than likely never will.

It is never been US policy to evacuate a country completely. Afghanistan is no different and now we know a little bit more of the reason why.