Link to article: https://thediplomat.com/2025/01/afghanistan-continues-to-refine-its-extraction-strategy/
With the Taliban’s increased effort to crack down on NGOs and women’s rights in the country, they have started to invest more in resource extraction. This is because they know that they won’t be popular with Western countries, leading to sanctions and pressure. In November, they announced 3 large deals with firms worth over 1.2 billion dollars along with 167 smaller deals with firms from a multitude of other nations, including Turkiye, Turkmenistan, and China. This is part of an Afghani effort to increase business in the Mining and Petroleum industry and improve competitiveness in the markets as well as provide jobs for its citizens. However, there have been some issues along the road. At the Mes Aynak Copper Mine, there was supposed to be a 400-megawatt generating plant and smelter. Neither have shown up yet. These components are necessary for the mine to function efficiently. Their efforts have not led to self-sufficiency yet, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Looks like the Taliban is hopping on the oil train. It makes sense considering their geography. Everyone to their west is getting rich from the stuff. Although alternative energy sources are on their way in and making oil and petroleum irrelevant, I don’t think the Taliban should be worried unless they have plans to stay a while in Afghanistan. They obviously do, but based on the instability of Afghani governments in recent decades, it won’t be long before someone else takes the helm. It does help their chances that they’re giving a decent effort. However, forgetting a smelter at a copper mine seems like a huge miscue. I’d like to know how that happened.
This relates to class because the Taliban is trying to build up their power and influence in the region, possibly in an effort to become a regional hegemon. Regional hegemons exert their power on their region. In Afghanistan’s case, they would want power over Central Asia and possibly the Middle East. However, it is likely just an effort to increase their hard power, which is power that can be physically exerted.