Henry visits troops in Iraq

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Gov. Brad Henry visited Oklahoma soldiers in Iraq Friday and said their morale remains high in spite of the dangers they face. <br/><br/>``Our troops are literally putting their lives

Saturday, February 25th 2006, 11:25 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Gov. Brad Henry visited Oklahoma soldiers in Iraq Friday and said their morale remains high in spite of the dangers they face.

``Our troops are literally putting their lives on the line on a daily basis,'' Henry said from Kuwait City during a telephone conversation with journalists following his surprise visit to the war-torn region.

``They really are true heroes,'' the governor said.

Henry said he ``hopped all over Iraq'' and met as many as 200 Oklahoma soldiers in areas that have seen heavy combat.

``We weren't just seeing the cupcake areas,'' the governor said. ``It's serious business and there are really bad guys here.''

Henry said he came away from the visit convinced that the United States needs to continue efforts to fight terrorism and restore order in Iraq.

``We need to continue and get the job done,'' he said.

Henry and Colorado Gov. Bill Owens traveled to Iraq at the invitation of the Department of Defense and the State Department to get a firsthand look at conditions where troops from the state are serving.

``I am happy to report they are all in good spirits,'' Henry said. ``They believe in their mission.''

Henry said he landed in Kuwait late Thursday following a 22-hour military flight and flew to Iraq on Friday in a Black Hawk helicopter.

``It's been a grueling couple of days,'' he said. ``There was always a sense that this is a dangerous place to be.''

Henry had dinner with airmen at Camp Arifijhan and met with Oklahoma troops, including members of Oklahoma's 158th Field Artillery, stationed at Camp Victory and in Baghdad.

Henry also visited Ramadi, where he witnessed a demonstration of equipment used to clear roadways of potential explosive devices as well as a ``checkpoint'' demonstration by Iraqi security forces.

``Everywhere we went we had Oklahomans in prominent roles,'' the governor said.

Henry traveled to Iraq amid a wave of violence that has left 130 people dead and brought the nation to the brink of civil war. The unrest was triggered by the deadly bombing of a Shiite shrine by insurgents.

``It's a very difficult situation,'' he said. He said it is hard to speculate whether civil war will break out and what impact it will have on the U.S. presence in Iraq.

``It may make it more difficult,'' he said. ``This is a very, very challenging and difficult environment.''

In spite of the unrest, Henry said he never felt in any danger.

``I always felt secure,'' he said. ``I felt really glad with the Oklahoma troops guarding me.''

Henry attended classified briefings at the Pentagon and met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld earlier this week.

Both governors received a briefing from Gen. George Casey, commander of the multinational forces in Iraq.

Henry plans to return to Washington on Saturday. Henry's office said the trip was not announced in advance at the request of the Department of Defense.