Hmmm.... Pamir....
China to Build Observation Station to Protect Pamir Plateau
5/5/2017, 5:52:09 PM · by nickcarraway · 2 replies
Outlook India ^
China will build an observation station in the country’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to improve the ecology of Pamir Plateau, a busy passage once for traders traveling along the ancient Silk Road. The station to be built in Taxkorgan County will be used by researchers concerned with water resources, biodiversity, grassland productivity, climate change and disaster warning and forecasting, said Lei Jiaqiang, director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Field observation could also help the local community improve agriculture and livestock production efficiency and support the construction of the China-pakistan Economic...
U.S. Identifies Vast Mineral Riches in Afghanistan ($1 Trillion in Assets)
6/16/2010, 2:42:51 PM · by nickcarraway · 11 replies · 347+ views
New York Times ^ | June 13, 2010 | JAMES RISEN
The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials. The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe. An internal Pentagon memo,...
Guess that explains the Chinese going after Uygurs.
And old speculative Indian article from before the raid on OBL’s safehouse in Pakistan mentions the Wakhan region :
Refuge of Osama Bin Laden in China Afghan border
India Daily ^ | 1/17/2005 | Sonia Chopra, Special Correspondent
Posted on 1/16/2005, 11:52:31 PM by pikecountyrepublican
Where is the safest area for Bin Laden to survive? Well you may think it will be the Pakistan Afghan border. But that is really most unsafe because that is where people think he is and American forces are looking for him.
You may then think it has to be Pakistan itself. Well that cannot be true with Musharraf fighting the Al-Queda every day.
Some say it is Kashmir then. Well at anytime both, India and Pakistan may decide to comb all of Kashmir and even allow the American Special Forces to join them.
Then where is it that he can hide so well and occasionally stir the world with some audiotapes?
There are places in Afghan and Pakistan that borders with China. That is one area where no one is really looking. It is a small strip of land between Tajikistan and Pakistan and the land terrain such that is difficult to find any one. The Wakhan Corridor from Afghanistan to China is an ideal place for Osama Bin Laden to hide specially within Chinese territory.
There are rumors in the Kashgar market that China may have struck a deal with Osama. In exchange of safe refuge in Wakhan Corridore in China,
Al-Queda will never strike China. China categorically denies any such rumor.
Strategically it may be the ideal place of hiding because the American forces will definitely not venture into Chinese territory without advanced notice to China. Also, the terrain is worse than Afghanistan itself.
China has a sizable Islamic population in that area. The policy Beijing followed before nine eleven terrorism was to have a good relationship with Al-Queda and Talibans. In late 2001, the policy changed with Pakistan making a U-turn on relations with the Taliban and Al-Queda.
China is always very worried about Islamic and Jehadist insurgencies these areas. They used to work with Pakistan, Taliban and Al-Queda to keep their Muslim population happy. But now interestingly, the terror attacks in China are comparatively negligible while they are on rise in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere. It cannot be true that all of a sudden the Chinese territory became so calm and quiet.
One possible interpretation is that Osama Bin Laden received a safe refuge with Chinese knowledge. China may not be providing the refuge. They are just keeping quiet knowing very well he is in Wakhan Corridor.
It is also possible that Pakistan Military including Musharraf knows that he is there and is keeping quiet about it.
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Note that a terrorist cell unravelled in Seattle or Portland involved three or more guys traveling to China in order to join the war in Afghanistan. One of them worked in the Portland or Seattle mayor’s office or some such thing.