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How much of that land is being destroyed now? One of the biggest investments is the protection of those poppy fields, that's a big part of the reason we've been there for the last 16 and counting years. The only other reasons are the rare earth metals and the other natural resources. The idea behind the "war" in Afghanistan isn't to keep the people safe or the terrorist out, it's to occupy the land.

one more point - also to make a war on Russia borders and create a jumping-off place in the region