Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "Afghanistan: What are the Taliban's sources of income? | DW News" video.

  1.  @JaayTea2595  And why exactly would China succeed now considering they've consistently failed before? You need a modicum of peace to exploit your mineral rights, and that's even less forthcoming now.
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  2. The Taliban won't have a government. A failed state doesn't need one.
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  3.  @veganpotterthevegan  It's a foregone conclusion that the Taliban will split into warring factions now that the "Crusaders" have been vanquished. Eventually they'll reach an understanding of how the warlords get to divvy up the country, but by then the fiercest of their erstwhile enemies, the Northern Alliance, will be fighting fit again. There's plenty of violence in store, and it remains to be seen if China has the stomach for it.
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  4.  @veganpotterthevegan  For ten years or so, the Chinese concession holders have been blaming the security situation and the lack of infrastructure for reneging on their promises to start mining operations. There's no improvement in sight for either problem. I'm sure the Chinese aren't too concerned about Afghans killing Afghans, but when their people can't work and their return on investment is in doubt, it's a no-go.
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  5. ​ @PavelZaitsev  You picked the wrong comment for your reply.
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  6.  @thecallow2381  China will appear magically to do what? In the past, they've had the chance to bid for Afghan mineral rights, and they've won some, too. The results are just very meagre.
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  7. Don't you wish yours had at least warned Beijing? It seems they, too, were caught with their pants around their ankles.
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  8.  @pineapplesareyummy6352  Come off it, there's no denying that China has extensive business interest in Afghanistan. Not only is China the largest foreign investor in Afghanistan, but also, China is Afghanistan's biggest trading partner. China and Russia most definitely backed the NATO-led mission to Afghanistan at the UN, and repeatedly at that. The Taliban are particularly wary of Russia, which provided military assistance to the Northern Alliance, their biggest domestic rival. The Northern Alliance was instrumental in sending the Taliban packing in 2001. Russia also donated weapons to the newly-ousted Afghan government -- weapons that really put the hurt on the Taliban. Come to think of, I don't think the Taliban harbour fond memories of the Soviet-Afghan War either.
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