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| Mes Aynak highlights Afghanistan's dilemma over protecting heritage | Mes Aynak highlights Afghanistan's dilemma over protecting heritage |
| (3 months later) | |
| The ruins of Mes Aynak straddle a copper deposit so rich that many of the rocks are brilliant green with oxidised ore from a seam of metal first exploited 5,000 years ago. | The ruins of Mes Aynak straddle a copper deposit so rich that many of the rocks are brilliant green with oxidised ore from a seam of metal first exploited 5,000 years ago. |
| The remaining copper cannot be extracted without destroying not just the ruins but the entire hill they perch on, and efforts to develop the mine have often been cast as a battle between the heartless miners and valiant archaeologists, racing against time to save their heritage. | The remaining copper cannot be extracted without destroying not just the ruins but the entire hill they perch on, and efforts to develop the mine have often been cast as a battle between the heartless miners and valiant archaeologists, racing against time to save their heritage. |
| The Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (Arch), a US non-profit organisation, has led a publicity campaign to prevent the mine, as currently envisaged, from going ahead. It has been so successful that the World Bank office in Kabul faces an internal investigation for supporting the dig and the mine development. | The Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (Arch), a US non-profit organisation, has led a publicity campaign to prevent the mine, as currently envisaged, from going ahead. It has been so successful that the World Bank office in Kabul faces an internal investigation for supporting the dig and the mine development. |
| But none of Arch's four directors has a background in cultural heritage, and several have connections to a US energy company interested in Afghan contracts which are managed by the same ministry that manages mine contracts. They are Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Afghanistan, his wife, his business associate in the lobbying firm Gryphon Partners, and a well-travelled restaurateur. | But none of Arch's four directors has a background in cultural heritage, and several have connections to a US energy company interested in Afghan contracts which are managed by the same ministry that manages mine contracts. They are Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Afghanistan, his wife, his business associate in the lobbying firm Gryphon Partners, and a well-travelled restaurateur. |
| Khalilzad has been openly critical of China's mining companies and a bidding system that he argues favours them in Afghanistan, the country where he was born and later returned as the first US ambassador after the fall of the Taliban. "The performance of Chinese companies is improving but they have a long way to go," he wrote in a 2011 opinion article for Foreign Policy entitled How many ways can we lose in Afghanistan, which criticised Chinese firms on issues including protection of cultural heritage. "It is certainly ironic that Chinese firms are at an advantage over western companies due to defence department procedures," he wrote, before ending on a slightly less gloomy note: "It is not inevitable that Afghanistan's valuable resources fall into the hands of the Chinese." | Khalilzad has been openly critical of China's mining companies and a bidding system that he argues favours them in Afghanistan, the country where he was born and later returned as the first US ambassador after the fall of the Taliban. "The performance of Chinese companies is improving but they have a long way to go," he wrote in a 2011 opinion article for Foreign Policy entitled How many ways can we lose in Afghanistan, which criticised Chinese firms on issues including protection of cultural heritage. "It is certainly ironic that Chinese firms are at an advantage over western companies due to defence department procedures," he wrote, before ending on a slightly less gloomy note: "It is not inevitable that Afghanistan's valuable resources fall into the hands of the Chinese." |
| Afghan archeologists and experts working on mining have a more complex view of the mine's impact than Arch. Abdul Qadir Temori, head of the Afghan Institute of Archeology, who has committed his entire team of more than 30 graduate archaeologists to Mes Aynak, says the site is so complex and fascinating that experts could easily spend two decades picking over it. | Afghan archeologists and experts working on mining have a more complex view of the mine's impact than Arch. Abdul Qadir Temori, head of the Afghan Institute of Archeology, who has committed his entire team of more than 30 graduate archaeologists to Mes Aynak, says the site is so complex and fascinating that experts could easily spend two decades picking over it. |
| In an ideal world that would be the case, he says. But Afghanistan is desperately poor and has suffered 30 years of violence, which means leaving artefacts in the ground offers little guarantee of preservation. Desperation and lawlessness have fuelled a ruthlessly efficient looting industry, and before the mining guards sealed off the site, looters stripped Mes Aynak of treasures that had been buried untouched for centuries, and destroyed beautiful buildings and crucial archeological evidence in the process. Just a few dozen miles away is Kharwar, another ancient site that may be even richer in remains, but has been described by the UN as "in danger of complete destruction". Without security or funds for excavation, only looters are picking through its treasures. | In an ideal world that would be the case, he says. But Afghanistan is desperately poor and has suffered 30 years of violence, which means leaving artefacts in the ground offers little guarantee of preservation. Desperation and lawlessness have fuelled a ruthlessly efficient looting industry, and before the mining guards sealed off the site, looters stripped Mes Aynak of treasures that had been buried untouched for centuries, and destroyed beautiful buildings and crucial archeological evidence in the process. Just a few dozen miles away is Kharwar, another ancient site that may be even richer in remains, but has been described by the UN as "in danger of complete destruction". Without security or funds for excavation, only looters are picking through its treasures. |
| "Kharwar is possibly more beautiful than Mes Aynak, almost the same age," said SM Raheen, the minister of culture and information. "Unfortunately looting is going on there, but no one pays any attention … I don't know why everybody cares just about Mes Aynak." | "Kharwar is possibly more beautiful than Mes Aynak, almost the same age," said SM Raheen, the minister of culture and information. "Unfortunately looting is going on there, but no one pays any attention … I don't know why everybody cares just about Mes Aynak." |
| The mine will ultimately destroy Mes Aynak, but it may also save it from leaving no record or legacy. The urgent need to salvage the site has brought an influx of funds for archaeologists, creating probably the biggest excavation project the country has seen and plans for a storage site for the treasures that are dug up, either in Kabul or near the mine. | The mine will ultimately destroy Mes Aynak, but it may also save it from leaving no record or legacy. The urgent need to salvage the site has brought an influx of funds for archaeologists, creating probably the biggest excavation project the country has seen and plans for a storage site for the treasures that are dug up, either in Kabul or near the mine. |
| The expensive, and extensive mine security has allowed work to go ahead in an area that would otherwise be largely controlled by the Taliban, more famous for blowing up the great Buddhas of Bamiyan than supporting cultural projects. | The expensive, and extensive mine security has allowed work to go ahead in an area that would otherwise be largely controlled by the Taliban, more famous for blowing up the great Buddhas of Bamiyan than supporting cultural projects. |
| Archaeologists working on the ancient Afghan town, and the spectacular Buddhist temples around the settlements and smelters, are quietly confident they can rescue the majority of its treasures before it vanishes. Experts discuss stabilising foam, steel reinforcements and the merits of plucking stupas out whole or painstakingly dismantling them stone by stone, then rebuilding them in a permanent museum. "When thieves target a site, they destroy 10 pieces to steal two pieces," Raheen added when asked about the mine and its impact. "This project has been helpful, to save the site. Otherwise it would face the same fate as Kharwar." | Archaeologists working on the ancient Afghan town, and the spectacular Buddhist temples around the settlements and smelters, are quietly confident they can rescue the majority of its treasures before it vanishes. Experts discuss stabilising foam, steel reinforcements and the merits of plucking stupas out whole or painstakingly dismantling them stone by stone, then rebuilding them in a permanent museum. "When thieves target a site, they destroy 10 pieces to steal two pieces," Raheen added when asked about the mine and its impact. "This project has been helpful, to save the site. Otherwise it would face the same fate as Kharwar." |
| • This article was amended on 28 June 2013. An earlier version said Arch's directors had connections to US mining companies. The connection is to a US energy company. In addition the following statement from Arch was appended: " Emma Graham-Harrison sketched a zero sum situation for this locale – beautiful yes, but standing in the way of Afghanistan's progress and thus tragically slated for inevitable destruction. She also described us, i.e. my organization, basically as placard-waving anti-mining activists who may or may not be in the pay of rival mining companies motivated by sour grapes because they did not get the contract. That's wrong on all counts. What really matters is that she is wrong about this being a zero sum game. | • This article was amended on 28 June 2013. An earlier version said Arch's directors had connections to US mining companies. The connection is to a US energy company. In addition the following statement from Arch was appended: " Emma Graham-Harrison sketched a zero sum situation for this locale – beautiful yes, but standing in the way of Afghanistan's progress and thus tragically slated for inevitable destruction. She also described us, i.e. my organization, basically as placard-waving anti-mining activists who may or may not be in the pay of rival mining companies motivated by sour grapes because they did not get the contract. That's wrong on all counts. What really matters is that she is wrong about this being a zero sum game. |
| Reasonable people understand that a poor country such as Afghanistan, in dire need of revenue, must jump at any available opportunity, in this case its mineral wealth. It behoves us to see if modern technology might offer new ways to mine with less destructive force in order to allow preservation of our history and culture. | Reasonable people understand that a poor country such as Afghanistan, in dire need of revenue, must jump at any available opportunity, in this case its mineral wealth. It behoves us to see if modern technology might offer new ways to mine with less destructive force in order to allow preservation of our history and culture. |
| Mes Aynak has the potential to be the Pompeii of Afghanistan, if properly preserved. Or, if mining proceeds recklessly, visitors and future generations of Afghans will instead be confronted with the legacy of poor planning, mismanagement, and corruption at Mes Aynak – and the only thing they will be able to view will be a gigantic open pit filled with toxic sludge. Mes Aynak has the potential to be a win-win situation for all involved, if the key actors can free themselves from their all-or-nothing mindset and embark on a frank and intelligent collaboration." | Mes Aynak has the potential to be the Pompeii of Afghanistan, if properly preserved. Or, if mining proceeds recklessly, visitors and future generations of Afghans will instead be confronted with the legacy of poor planning, mismanagement, and corruption at Mes Aynak – and the only thing they will be able to view will be a gigantic open pit filled with toxic sludge. Mes Aynak has the potential to be a win-win situation for all involved, if the key actors can free themselves from their all-or-nothing mindset and embark on a frank and intelligent collaboration." |
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