With eye to China investment, Taliban now preserve Buddhas

By SAMYA KULLAB
Associated Press

MES AYNAK, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are working to protect ancient Buddha statues in caves carved into cliffsides outside Kabul. One reason: They are hoping they can win Chinese investment to develop the site, believed to hold the world’s largest deposit of copper. It is a stark contrast to two decades ago, when the Taliban outraged the world by blowing up gigantic Buddhas in another part of the country. The turnaround shows the allure of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, long untapped because of its war and turmoil. China is interested, though it is treading cautiously with the Taliban under international sanctions.