WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Dave Loebsack says he is “very cautiously optimistic” about the direction Afghanistan is headed after making a visit to the war-torn nation earlier this month.

“It’s changing, there’s no doubt about it,” Loebsack said.

The trip was Loebsack’s fourth to Afghanistan. He has also made several visits to Iraq during his three years in Congress as Iowa’s 2nd District representative. Loebsack, a Democrat, rose to office in part because of his criticism of how former President George Bush handled America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Progress in Afghanistan has waxed and waned in the past several years. Taliban fighters and some tribal groups have been able to retake ground they were ejected from after the U.S. invaded in 2001. That invasion came after the Taliban failed to evict Osama bin Laden in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Stabilizing Afghanistan requires progress on several fronts. Military progress is only part of it. The Taliban derives income from the sale of opium poppies that produce heroin and uses that profit to purchase weapons. So the U.S. must end poppy production to squeeze the Taliban’s finances.

But ending poppy farming also means ending income the farmers depend on to survive. Turning a farmer into a starving pauper will not improve his view of the U.S. or the U.S.-backed government. So American workers must find ways to replace his income. That explains why there are employees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the country.

Wheat is a possible replacement crop for poppies. American forces are trying to teach Afghan farmers how to profitably grow it and other crops.

“Clearly, the USDA has a role to play in this as far as teaching and educating the Afghans about crops,” Loebsack said.

The farmers take a risk when they quit growing poppies. The Taliban will not willingly give up its income. So the American military must provide a sense of security for farmers who make the switch.

That leads back to U.S. military power and international cooperation. American troops can hammer the Taliban and their allies, but it makes little difference if the Taliban can simply step across the border into Pakistan to rest, recruit and recover.

Loebsack said there is progress on that front as well. Pakistan’s military has pushed hard to make life difficult for extremists on their side of the border.

“There’s a lot of cooperation occurring military-to-military,” he said. “But clearly there is a very significant challenge.”

The good news for the U.S. is that the Afghan people seem to have little stomach for renewed Taliban rule. Even their progress into new areas over the past year is the result of fear more than outright support.

“The Taliban continues to have very little support from the people of Afghanistan,” Loebsack said. “They terrorized the population. They count on the population being terrorized into submitting to the Taliban.”

While Loebsack stopped well short of saying when U.S. forces might be able to leave, he said the increase in troops and increasing stability should improve the situation both for the military and the people of Afghanistan.