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Perry Visits Texas Troops in Iraq

Talk turns to Texas during governor's overseas visit

Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 | Updated 3:13 PM CST

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry (Photo by Taylor Jones/Getty Images)

Gov. Rick Perry, traveling in Iraq on a U.S. Defense Department trip, said Tuesday it's important for Texas' leader to see the state's troops in action and to thank them for their service.

But in a conference call from Iraq with home-state reporters, questions about the coming legislative session and the scaling back of Perry's highway construction plans dominated. The Legislature convenes Jan. 13, and Perry has indicated he'll take a high-profile role as he plots a re-election bid for a third term in 2010.

Perry traveled to Iraq on Monday with New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire. Perry's office announced Tuesday that he'd arrived in the country. For security reasons, the trip was kept secret until the group got there. Perry traveled to Iraq once before as governor in 2006.

There currently are 3,800 Texas National Guard and Texas reserve forces serving in Iraq, Perry said. He said he believes service members appreciate his visit, which he called an opportunity "to see Texans at work defending our freedom."

"I think it does matter to these men and women," he said. "I'm the commander in chief of the Texas state forces. ... It's appropriate and it's the right thing to do."

Last week, Perry issued a statement on the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. Perry said Tuesday he's long been a supporter of Israel, and he defended his outspokenness on Middle East issues.

"The governor of Texas matters," he said in response to a reporter's question.

Perry and his spokespeople gave few details of his whereabouts in the country. Perry told of briefings with Iraqi and American officials there. Corzine's office said they visited U.S. troops at Camp Bucca, a prison camp maintained by the U.S. military. Perry said the U.S. troop surge has helped improve conditions in Iraq.

"What we've seen is a great change in this country since I was here before," he said.

Perry said his message to troops is that "Texas is in good shape economically," and that it will be so when they return home.

Earlier Tuesday, the Texas Department of Transportation announced what Perry's aides have been foreshadowing for weeks -- that his much-heralded Trans-Texas Corridor toll road network would not be built in the vast manner originally proposed by Perry. Instead there will be segments of highways built in narrower corridors.

Perry said his office will continue to work with legislative leaders on building more highways. Transportation is expected to be a major issue in the coming session.