Almost $1 trillion in mineral deposits -- much more than previously believed -- have been discovered in Afghanistan, The New York Times reported.
U.S. officials said the vast amount of metals could turn the war-ravaged country into a world mining center, shape the economy and possibly affect the Afghan war, the newspaper reported Monday.
Some mining officials say the discovery could bring heavy investment before mines become profitable and jobs could provide an alternative to fighting wars in a country with a gross domestic product of only about $12 billion.
"This will become the backbone of the Afghan economy," said Jalil Jumriany, an adviser to the Afghan minister of mines.
The deposits include iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium. The Times said an internal Pentagon memo stated Afghanistan could become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium," which is a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys.
"There is stunning potential here," Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, told the Times. "There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant."
But the minerals also could lead the Taliban to fight harder for control of the country, the Times said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and government officials have been briefed on the deposits, U.S. officials said.