Afghanistan has emerald, ruby, and sapphire deposits. Mining those deposits could generate an estimated 300 million dollars in income each year -- but only if the gems are mined properly. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Gary Bowersox, an American 'gem hunter' who is training Afghans to mine and cut precious stones properly.
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MARCO WERMAN: The battle between the Pakistani Army and the Taliban is of vital importance for American objectives in Afghanistan. President Obama's policy in the region calls for stabilizing the two neighboring countries -- and that's not just from a military standpoint. Economically, Afghanistan could use new sources of legal revenue. Mining for precious stones could do the trick. Gary Bowersox is an American gem expert who's in Afghanistan right now. He's there to train Afghans to properly mine and cut precious stones. Mr. Bowersox is in Kabul. First of all, what kind of gems are we talking about and how much could they be worth, Mr. Bowersox?
GARY BOWERSOX: Well, basically we're saying with three to five years of political situations being correct, military situations being correct, that they could produce $300 to 500 million dollars in gem production alone. And they have emeralds, rubies, sapphires, kunzite, tourmaline, aquamarine, laphous and several others.
WERMAN: A lot of stones there I've never even heard of. Now, you're training Afghans to mine emeralds specifically correctly. What are they not doing right?
BOWERSOX: Without any training, they're blasting with old hand grenades and dynamite and blowing up some crystals. They don't know how to extract the minerals from the mines -- they need certain equipment to do this. And then they're having trouble with geology, as far as finding the veins of the material within the mountain and how to follow the veins of the material within the mountain.
WERMAN: As you say, precious stones could bring Afghanistan close to $300 million dollars a year. That's a lot of money. What is your own objective in helping the Afghans to mine specifically the emeralds? What's in it for you?
BOWERSOX: I've been in this business 40 years, and I really want to help these people. And the great majority of them I'm working with right now I've known between 20 and 30 years. And I really want to try to help them out.
WERMAN: On the other hand, the Taliban now controls the emerald mines in the Swat Valley, and the sales of those emeralds are funding their insurgency. I mean, in a way, if you're teaching Afghans how to properly mine and use the right technology and know-how to mine emeralds, I mean, you're kind of passing that technology on to the Taliban.
BOWERSOX: That's not true at all. I argue with you there. First of all, the Taliban just took over the mines what, two months ago. And the mines in Pakistan are nowhere near the quality of the Afghan emeralds, and I project that maybe the Taliban would pick up $270,000 dollars a year with 2 million dollars of mining and their costs. And last I heard, they were giving the local people who were willing to mine – and these were not the old miners who knew how to do it – about 70 percent of the production for themselves. So if it does come down to $270,000 dollars, how many cruise missiles can you buy with that? About 1/4th of one. So it's not, in my mind, significant to help them finance their operations whatsoever.
WERMAN: I'm wondering if you speak regularly with the US military or NATO forces there and what they think about your -- ‘cause in a way, it kind of feels like you're freelancing outside of the orbit of US foreign policy? What do they –
BOWERSOX: I don't believe I'm out at all. They're here. They want civilians to come over, and I just was at West Point – excuse me, not West Point – Guanaco – to a conference with different ambassadors and many generals and I'm doing exactly what they want to do. They want to send more civilians over here and get more help, and put the Afghans in a point where they really do appreciate the American support both from the military and the civilian.
WERMAN: But doesn't the US government and the US military want right now kind of basic subsistence assistance? For example, agriculture, food, water? It seems that emeralds and precious stones are kind of maybe something to think about a few years down the road when the country's stable?
BOWERSOX: I don't think so. You can either teach people how to fish or you can give them fish, and all those other things you mentioned are just putting on line and helping them out a little bit. But what are they going to do for income? How are they going to get an economy? You're sitting there at a mic. You need a job. You need money to support your family, and that's what we're teaching them to do.
WERMAN: So how do you respond –
BOWERSOX: I'm not trying to be argumentative with you. But just agree to disagree.
WERMAN: No, I understand. But I am wondering, you know, I mean, precious stones were kind of a flashpoint in West African civil wars, and I'm just wondering if you might be helping to set up a situation that might not be sustainable in the future?
BOWERSOX: No, it would be. They -- to prove that, the Lapis mines have been in operation for over 7,000 years. The Spinel mines go back to 101 BC. And none of these mines are deep because they haven't had the technology or the equipment to operate them.
WERMAN: Gary Bowersox is an American gem hunter based in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thanks very much for speaking with us.
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