As Kabul has fallen to the Taliban, the world watches and wonders why people have been making such a fuss for so long about a country that, on face value, is of little import in the grand scheme of things.
How wrong they are. Right now, China will be making plans and India will be feeling more than a bit nervous. Because, with the fall of Kabul, we may be witnessing the fall of America as the world leader.
Enter the Dragon and he is about to collect his IOUs.
The fall of Kabul is one of the most important moments in world history.
It goes beyond the scope of this article to speak of the fall of Saigon but most people old enough would see similarities and weep for the loss of life in a fight that ended on such a tragic note. So many lives lost... for what?
In order to understand the present we must look to the past.
Back in 2007 the United States Geological Service survey discovered nearly $1 trillion in mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself.
The previously unknown deposits — including massive veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — were so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centres in the world. Lithium is used to manufacture batteries and solar panels. laptops, cellphones, and electric cars as well as in ceramics and glass.
This is a list of countries by lithium mine production in 2019.[1]
| Rank | Country | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia |
58,800 | 42,000 |
| 2 |  Chile |
17,000 | 18,000 |
| 3 |  China |
7,100 | 7,500 |
| 4 |  Argentina |
6,400 | 6,400 |
| 5 |  Zimbabwe |
1,600 | 1,600 |
| 6 |  Portugal |
800 | 1,200 |
| 7 |  Brazil |
300 | 300 |
| 8 |  Namibia |
500 |
Afghanistan has previously been mired by war and the lack of infrastructure to take advantage of its mineral deposits. However, with China now prepared to acknowledge the Taliban as the rightful government in Afghanistan, you don't have to be Einstein to work out that there is a very keen interest in both countries allying to mutual benefit.
Resource-hungry China will try to dominate Afghanistan’s mineral wealth development, which would upset the United States, given its heavy investment in the region. After winning the bid for its Aynak copper mine in Logar Province, China clearly wants more. With virtually no mining industry or infrastructure in place today, it would take decades for Afghanistan to exploit its mineral wealth fully. This is where China comes in.
Help us cover our monthly costs
The other thing to be mindful of is Afghanistan's geographical position. Afghanistan is located at the heart of the ancient Silk Route.It has borders with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan in the north, Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south- east, and China in the remote east. The strategic geographical location of Afghanistan has made the country a most vulnerable state in terms of hosting the great game of politics among the super and atomic powers like America, China Russia, India, Pakistan and Iran.
China wants to control a trade route from China to Europe, but they hit a chokepoint due to the Caspian Sea. They’re forced to either go through Russia (a geopolitical competitor) or Iran. Iran is the preferable alternative for the Chinese. With Afghanistan onside, the route is a clear run through.
With tensions between Pakistan and India, any alliance between China and Afghanistan has far-reaching implications for India. Both Pakistan and China have stood firmly side by side in their hostility towards India so the " capture " of Afghanistan to become a friendly force is of great consequence. Should China win a trade alliance and a military alliance with China, the dynamic of the entire region could change in a heartbeat..
With the canceling of the pipeline in America, the military is now dependent on Russian oil ..... hardly a good start. India is also reliant on imports.
Trump applauded India’s Sovereign borders policy and talked of the Islamic threat. No doubt referencing the Pakistan Islamic militancy and the August revocation of Article 370 . in relation to Kashmir, a much disputed area important to Pakistan, India and China. It seems that Trump was implying support for India in this decision.
India and Pakistan have been playing silly buggers over Kashmir since 1949. Kashmir is the geographical and political lifeline of Pakistan, flow of trade to China and water to Pakistan.
Pakistan and India are at flashpoint over Kashmir and, without the military might of China, Pakistan would be easily overcome by the Indian military. An economic victory might be a better solution to a nuclear one and be more palatable to the global community.When former cricketer Imran Khan became Leader of Pakistan, he led his nation to bankruptcy due to the massive indebtedness to China.
Like so many Nations, Pakistan owes its soul to the company store, as the old song goes, and China stands like the drug dealer waving a cheque book full of drugs to the desperately addicted Nation.
Should Afghanistan ally itself to China, this would offer enormous aid to Pakistan in its claim over Kashmir. This is another potential powder keg and one that America now either ignores... or encourages.
But back to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. As Biden bid a hasty and ill planned retreat, America abandoned helicopters, munitions and vehicles for the Taliban to plunder. Was this by accident or intent? I wonder.
As one commenter said today on a forum I follow :
" China has mining rights in Afghanistan the UN gave them back in like 2011. China uses us ( USA ) as a police force so they can mine without being blown up. I was in Kandahar on deployment back then when I heard that the UN gave them the rights and we (USA) were all f##king pissed. "
The Taliban can sell abandoned military equipment to the Chinese (or anybody else for that matter). It removes competitive advantages that America may still have had in battlefield technology.
The other concern, with advanced equipment that might have cyber connectivity is that China might be able to reverse engineer that technology.... it might obliterate security on American UAV ( Drone ) networks, allow them to continue developing jamming technology, and so on.
Meanwhile, in waters closer to Australia, China has been flexing its muscles in the South China Sea and busily building “ atolls” – and claiming ownership of them. The hotly disputed area around the Spratly Islands challenges the central area which is International Waters and open for the passage of ships to and from the area. With China building airfields, troop accommodation, ports and other infrastructure on these man made atolls, they are claiming ownership of this area – which also has VAST oil and natural gas reserves.
So this brings me back to Australia. A country that is in the middle of a region that is being bought by China and it is in itself in danger of passing the point of no return when it comes to that drug dealers metaphoric cheque book.
With a weak America, Australia is up the proverbial without a paddle or a diesel submarine in sight.
So, in this brief overview of why is Afghanistan so important? Because of money and power. Always is and always will be.
So what will be the outcome?
With a weakened America, no one can rely on the aid of this once powerful force - which is fast becoming an impotent shadow of its former self.
Five Eyes has become a thing of the past, with Comrade Xindy and Comrade Boris worshipping at the altar of the CCP and the climate change gods. Canada is like Australia... too worried about military fairies and the alphabet people . America is being led by a man who can't find his way back to the Whitehouse after an afternoon stroll so I think that we can bend over and wave that ass goodbye.
Perhaps we will be sitting on the sidelines and air clapping from lockdown as China allows the Taliban to do their dirty work and then march in to claim their spoils once all resistance has been quashed. For I cannot see the Taliban holding power for too long once the CCP decide that it is time to take over.
To the victor go the spoils.
As long as the Taliban allow the Chinese to rape and plunder their COUNTRY in exchange for gold and the right to rape and plunder the PEOPLE, things will march on into never ending bloodshed and misery.
I must wonder if the Taliban have won this battle, but the victory will go to China in the long run. The minute the Taliban start trying to impose their will on the CCP, then they may feel the heavy hand that has crushed the Uighur in China.
The Taliban think that they have won.
Not so fast .
China still holds the purse strings. And let's face it, whoever holds the purse strings, holds the golden key.
Control of the money is control of the world. And right now, China has that golden key. Thanks to Soros, pharmaceutical companies, social media and weak kneed governments around the world who have sold their souls to the dragon in exchange for personal profit: much like The Taliban have done in Afghanistan. A short term win for a long term loss.
For the rest of us, I fear that, without a global trip down memory lane to 1776, China is going to conquer the entire planet without firing a single shot in a time of war. Because they bought their way into Absolute Power. And, as we all know, absolute power corrupts.
Too late when there is no opposition left.
Back then the Battle Cry was " We The People "
Today, it is " Covid - cower in fear. "
What have we done?
Covid was the CCP battle cry and now they are ready to come in to deliver the IOU.
Because, when you sell your soul to the devil, he always expects you to pay him back.
With interest.
The Taliban may be well be advised to remember that.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS
