ATLANTA - Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is in Iraq visiting with Georgia National Guard troops there and said conditions have improved since his last visit to the war zone in 2005.

"The violence has gone down significantly," Perdue said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday from Iraq's heavily fortified Green Zone.

"You see people driving around, lights are on in the shops and there's a sense of normalcy that ... is very apparent," he said.

Perdue arrived early Tuesday and was accompanied on the Pentagon-sponsored trip by governors from Mississippi, Wyoming and Oregon. The governors met with Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq.

The Georgia Republican reported that the mood of the forces on the ground is high.

"The spirit and morale of our troops is palpable," Perdue said. "They feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel and they feel like they've made a difference."

Perdue said he would get out into the Iraqi countryside on Wednesday to see forward operating bases.

Perdue also hinted that Afghanistan would be next on his itinerary. Asked if he would be visiting the other U.S. war zone Perdue paused, then said there was a "a gap" in his travel schedule before he arrives in Dubai for an economic development event. He refused to elaborate.

President Barack Obama is weighing whether to send additional troops into Afghanistan where Georgia's 48th Infantry Brigade is fighting.

"I would welcome a surge of troops in Afghanistan," Perdue said Tuesday. "Georgia's all in Afghanistan. We've sent all we've got."

Before leaving for Iraq, Perdue met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and visited with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, including a Georgia soldier who lost both legs after stepping on an improvised explosive device.

Perdue's office did not announce the trip overseas in advance.