It has been estimated that the lithium deposits are worth one trillion US dollars and if the government of Afghanistan starts utilizing its deposits then there is a possibility of cent percent that it will become as rich a nation as is Saudi Arabia because of its oil wells. President Barack Obama is taking the matter very seriously and he is planning on how to make an entry on business and economic grounds in Afghanistan. He wishes to make manufacturing companies in Afghanistan which use lithium as their principle product. For this purpose, he has sent thirty thousand militants of the US Army to safeguard the area because he fears that the Taliban will seize the mineral deposits and will oppose any installation of factories in the country.
Lithium is a mineral which falls in the first period of the periodic table of chemical elements, after hydrogen and shares some similar chemical and physical properties with the following member, Sodium. It is silvery white in appearance. It is a soft alkali metal which can be easily cut into pieces using a knife. It is used to treat diseases such as gout, depression and hypertension. High quality batteries are prepared using the metal which is extensively used as essential components in the manufacturing of laptops, cars and mobile phones.