Utterly bizarre

This story in the NYT yesterday has been sent over by four people already. It starts like this:

WASHINGTON — 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. continues here

It's just the most bizarre thing I've read in ages. Just imagine that superduper discovery moment, folks, cos it's straight out of Catch 22....

Grunt: "Oh look what I found here, Sir!"

General: "What's that, soldier?"

Grunt: "Look Sir! A trillion dollars worth of minerals Sir!"

General: "Good work, soldier. I'll tell the President immediately."

So the NYT today informs on some strange discovery that neither the US (nor Russia before it) had any idea about? They just kinda started digging around after entering Afghanistan and found all this stuff by accident and had no inkling of its existence before? My stars, you gringos make me laugh.

UPDATE: Via mail, reader 'MP' chimes in with, "Is that 43-101 compliant?".