Ayad Allawi was our guest last week. At great personal risk he had returned from comfortable exile to take up secure residence in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone as America’s designated Interim Iraqi Prime Minister of the interim Iraqi Government. At great personal risk he accepted the invitation of his fellow head of state, President Bush and traveled from his tranquil home in Baghdad to the more dangerous environments of New York and Washington D.C. How rude it was for Senator Kerry, in the narrow interests of partisan advantage, to suggest that the picture the Prime Minister painted for the U.S. Congress was a bit overoptimistic, given the facts on he ground! That is why the Vice-President rightly called for Kerry to apologize to the Prime Minister. After all, the Prime Minister has been able to create a peaceful, tranquil Baghdad in just 20 days. We might consider that a real miracle.

It was only 20 days ago that 26 year old Sgt. Shauna Morrison was working at her desk in the headquarters of the 1544th Transportation Company of the Illinois National Guard in Baghdad came under mortar attack. Her mother will be awarded a Gold Star today in ceremonies at the Soldier Field Memorial Wall. Specialist Charles Lamb died that same day in that same attack. His mother, along with 42 others will get her Star as well. But the streets of Baghdad are safe now. The Prime Minister told us Thursday and it would be rude of Senator Kerry not to apologize for questioning his perception.

With President Bush standing by his side and echoing his remarks Prime Minister (Interim) Allawi told us that Iraq is well on the road to peace and stability. Only in three or four of the country’s 18 provinces are things so insecure as to interfere with elections; “14 to 15 are completely safe. There are no problems”, he said. Only in Downtown Fallujah are the streets unsafe according to the Prime Minister. There have been significant attacks against US and Interim Iraqi forces in Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala, Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Nineveh provinces just this month. American soldiers are dying at the average daily rate of three. The toll among Iraqis seeking positions in the police and Iraqi National Guard is far higher. Of course it is extremely rude to remind our guest of those facts.

We should, as a nation, apologize to Prime Minister Allawi for doubting his perception and since, by his lights Iraq is safe and secure, accept his assessment of the situation. Illinois National Guard Troops really are not needed to protect a safe and secure Iraq. With our apology we can bring them home and Illinois can make do with the 58 Gold Stars it has already awarded. To do otherwise is quite rude to our guest.