Can America pull off a triple play? Is it possible for the beleaguered nations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan to become beacons of success with the help of U.S. foreign intervention?

IRAQ, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan are three very distinct countries operating under different and difficult--circumstances. During a recent visit, we bad the opportunity to see their local markets and many food and agriculture projects that finally are under way. We met with professors at the College of Agriculture in Baghdad and learned about their efforts to rebuild an institution that has been left without much support over the last 30 years. We also spoke with farmers in Northern Iraq to hear firsthand their issues and concerns.

Moreover, we looked into a variety of projects designed to assist women in these countries, including programs that use U.S. food aid in Afghan bakeries to help provide employment as well as low-cost food for impoverished families. We visited a health center that was teaching women basic skills in health care and child-rearing. Most important, we saw how things have changed for the better since Afghanistan has been liberated.

Overall, we found that citizens in all of these countries are tired of conflict, abuse, repression, insecurity, and neglect. They are eager to build better lives for themselves and thankful for the opportunity for stability and normalcy.

Agricultural importance

If there is one common theme we took away from this trip, it is that agriculture plays an extremely vital role in the economic and social lives of a majority of these people. However, several sectors are suffering not only from hostilities, but serious neglect, whether it is underinvestment, ineffective policies, or exploitation. Enormous potential exists for improvement. Everything is needed, but careful selection of assistance is advised. The end result could pay huge dividends, as American efforts to instill democratic principles and market economies are making headway.

The horrendous conditions found in these countries were a long time in the making and cannot be changed overnight, although efforts are progressing. These are three nations undergoing massive transition, each in vastly different ways and from varying starting points, but all headed to a common point of a pluralistic society with a market driven economy.

Uzbekistan begins from long decades of repression and economic mismanagement, but with a decent infrastructure and an educated population. New technology, capital investment, and improved economic policies are its challenges.

Afghanistan is ravaged from decades of Soviet repression and exploitation, factional fighting, and Taliban terror. It begins with very little infrastructure, literacy, or economic policy base; yet, the people are enterprising and committed. The task of those in the donor community is enormous. I think it was most telling to see so many people in Afghanistan show so much appreciation for the U.S. presence there and for all that America has done for them. "Please don't leave," was a plea we heard often.

Iraq, too, is a very special case. It is well endowed with resources. The country certainly has a better infrastructure than Afghanistan, but it desperately requires upgrading. Moreover, in general, Iraq boasts a well-educated society. One person we met described the nation as a rusty factory that merely is in need of some polishing and repair. Major initiatives include instilling democratic principles in a society with little such tradition, as well as developing appropriate market policies where central direction has come to be the norm. There are enormous possibilities here, and, under the proper circumstances, the timeline to reach a myriad of goals could be streamlined.

Squandering potential

One is struck by the squander of enormous potential of human and natural resources in Iraq. However, there are opportunities for gainful interaction with neighbors and the international community at large. There should be no doubt that Iraq has the ability to provide a good living standard and a higher quality of life for its 28,000,000 occupants.

Iraq has a long agricultural tradition and already was cultivating wheat well before the time of Christ. Today, though, it suffers from decades of isolation and neglect. For example, former dictator Saddam Hussein often cut off water supplies destined for some of the most productive agricultural areas. Efforts to upgrade the yields of crops mad livestock are a must, a,s are enhanced technology and education. Rebuilding the agricultural sector vastly will improve rural and urban incomes. Iraq once was a significant commercial market for U.S. farm products, with sales approaching $1,000,000,000 in the 1980s. Those days can return.

It is useful to contrast Iraq with Afghanistan. We found Iraq to have far more resources, a sounder infrastructure, and a better-educated and -trained population. In certain regions of Iraq, we saw four-lane roads busy with truck traffic moving goods. In a number of sections of Afghanistan, there were no roads at all.

A huge advantage in Iraq emanates from the north, where Saddam's regime had much less control. The progress there is more accommodating to a business environment. There are lessons to be learned in that region, especially concerning agriculture. Many of the things that have changed in the north now should be applied to the south.