Afghanistan is sitting on a trillion-dollars worth of untapped minerals that have not yet been exploited. Copper, gold, industrial metals like lithium, gemstones, iron ore, and cobalt are waiting to be extracted. Industrial metals like lithium, used for batteries for electric cars, electric tools and thousands of other appliances are now in great demand as the world tries to transition to clean energy as it battles climate change. Endless wars have prevented Afghanistan from exploiting its rich reserves of resources. Instead, Afghan warlords as well as the Taliban had relied on the drug trade for finance. There are also undisclosed funds flowing in from orthodox Islamic billionaires from the Gulf.