“U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html?no_interstitial

"There is stunning potential here." Gen. David H. Petraeus on Afghan mineral deposits.

This makes it sound like they just discovered those minerals. Don’t you think it’s safe to assume the U.S. has had its lustful eye on those minerals since before the occupation? “Terrorism” is the perennial convenient excuse, but the U.S has had an interest in that area long before 9/11 because it wanted to secure access to the Caspian Sea oil reserves it can’t get from Iran.