Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. In the late 1940s,the Afghan government hired the American company Morrison Knudsen to reach to the country and use Afghanistan’s vast natural resources to turn it into a modern society. The thought focused on the Helmand River, constructing a massive dam to power the country, or much like Morrison Kndusen did with the Hoover Dam.
But issues with the soil,and lack of investment from the Afghan government, meant that the project was doomed from the start, or though much footage of the town known as “shrimp America” that popped up in Afghanistan in the '50s can be found online.
Now 70 years later,Afghanistans natural resources are back in the news. A report from our partners at The modern York Times finds that the Trump Administration is looking to develop Afghanistans trillion dollar mineral reserves as a reason to stay in the country after 16 years of war.
The Trump Administration has reportedly met with chemical executives to look into extractubg the minerals in cooperation with the Afghan government, which has been receptive to the thought.
Stephen Carter, and Afghanistan campaign leader at Global Witness,studies mining in Afghanistan, and discusses what it would mean for the Trump administration to advocate for mining in the country.This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
Source: thetakeaway.org