Justin,
I heard that too -- supposedly $1 trillion worth of mineral deposits -- and I agree it could be a possible motivation. I wish I had more confidence that people living in Afghanistan would be better off without a NATO military presence in that country. But given that most of them apparently want the troops gone, not to mention that U.S. government military involvement there is unconstitutional since Congress never declared war, the whole thing is financed with dollars stolen from U.S. and European taxpayers, and the governments of Western countries are drowning in the results of years of overspending and fiscal mismanagement, I've come to support an immediate withdrawal.
If the Taliban resume power there after U.S. government forces leave, bring Al Qaeda back to use the country as a base of terrorist operations, and go back to even worse violations of human rights, especially those of women, than the current government allows, I guess it will just be tough shit for those people in Afghanistan who do appreciate freedom. Pretty much the same analysis applies to Iraq, except it will most likely be Shi'ite extremists backed by the Iranian regime, rather than Al Qaeda, and instead of terrorists using the country as their stomping ground, it will be a conflict with the Kurds in northern Iraq. Perhaps a more apt slogan would be "(Non-American) Blood, not Profits!"
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))