The U.S. has not been the recipient of much of Afghanistan's mineral wealth.
"... a big chunk of the country’s mineral wealth is currently going toward warlords, armed militias and Taliban insurgents. According to a recent Global Witness report, “the revenue going to these strongmen (warlord and mafia) and the Taliban from just one small area of Badakhshan (province) rivals the government’s declared income from the entire Afghan natural resource sector.” Mineral resources are thought to be the Taliban’s second largest source of revenue.
Fortunately, Afghanistan’s current president Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank economist, is well aware of the value of mineral resources and the danger they pose to the country. He has spoken of the dangers of the resource curse with refreshing clarity. Shortly after assuming office, Ghani said that he will transform the Afghan economy through minerals. But little has been done regarding mineral sector so far, and mining remains untouched to greater extent."
