Howard N. Meyer: Kofi Annan

Nadine Gordimer's letter today expresses just appreciation for services performed by Kofi Annan during his term at the United Nations.

Concurring heartily with the letter's general terms, this writer suggests that a single one of his many actions as SecretaryGeneral of the U.N. was his expression of the opinion -- before threatened Bush invasion of Iraq began -- that the use of force against Iraq would violate the Charter of the U.N. a multilateral treaty that our country agreed should bind it, and for which we played a major part in drafting and winning ratification.

His acceptance of the risk of doing his duty showed admirable courage; so too was his agreement with a U.K. reporter that the action, if taken, would violate International Law.

That his warning -- expressing a position with which almost all of the world and the majority of members of the American Society of International Law agreed -- was not heeded, does not at all detract from the gratitude, that in circumstances summarized in the Baker Hamilton report, thinking and loyal Americans owe to the recent Secretary General.

Howard N Meyer, retired attorney and member of the American Society of International Law.