Thus America has not only thrown a big challenge to Kofi Annan's reforms programme, it has also invited, indirectly of course, all the member states of the UN to throw their hats in the ring to meet the challenge. These are the two sides of a triangular fight and the third side is the allegations brought against Kofi Annan's involvement in financial mismanagement of the 'food-for-oil' programme in which his son Kojo is alleged to have embezzled millions of dollars.

Kofi Annan's proposals
Presenting his 63-page wide-ranging UN reforms programme, which he calls 'reforms package,' Kofi Annan urged the world leaders to adopt his proposals to give the moribund world body a new life, "fully in line with to-day's realities." His proposals include, among other things, an expanded Security Council, either adding six new members to its present five permanent members or adding a third tier of semi-permanent members; and setting of guidelines to determine when military action can be authorised, that is, nations could go to war under UN banner, against an aggressive nation, an issue which has been haunting the world body since America invaded Iraq without Security Council authorisation. Annan had urged the world leaders that the major and vital changes, proposed by him, should be adopted at the summit of world leaders at UN Headquarters in New York in September next which will mark the 60th anniversary of the world body, as a 'package' and "not as an a-la-carte menu."

US rejection
America, which wants to have its last say and get a walk-over in every game, has reacted sharply, rejecting some of the key issues for which Annan had proposed reforms. Moreover, while Annan had emphasised that the reforms proposals should be adopted as a 'package,' Bush Administration had quickly decided to go Annan's opposite direction, saying that there should not be "artificial deadlines," and that it would be "unrealistic" to adopt "a package approach." It is quite understandable that America had been beaten by Annan's dubbing of the US-led war against Iraq as "a fork in the road" of the UN. It would, therefore, be not surprising that America would now consider Annan as a 'poisonous thorn' on America's way of doing things through the UN. Naturally, America would try to remove the 'thorn' before it is too late. Perhaps that is why we had started hearing from American leadership of Annan's resignation and attempts to get him involved in criminal activities like embezzlement by his son. Annan had been cleared off the allegation, no doubt, by a UN enquiry committee. He now stands there to face the storm to carry on his reform package to a successful end.

His former friends in the White House won't spare him so easily perhaps. Their ultimate aim will now be to give a decent burial to his reforms package by derailing it at any cost. Bush had already mounted two 'missiles' at right places and at right time to achieve this end. One of these 'missiles' recently picked by Bush Administration is hawkish Bolton, a firey preacher against recent UN activities, as US Ambassador to UN, with the main purpose of regaining America's lost glory and leadership in the world body. Bush has put another of his hawkish adviser, Mr. 'Wolf' (read Wolfowitz), at the helm of affairs of the US-controlled World Bank to 'shepherd' the 'lambs' (read the poor nations) world over. Strangely enough, none of the powerful permanent members had raised their fingers against it. Perhaps they are busy in collecting their share of the booty. One country is to have proposed to make its citizen chief of the IMF, another wants the post of deputy chief of the World Bank and yet another wants to be the chief of the UNDP, so on so forth. It has once again proved beyond any doubt that "honey catches more flies than vinegar."

Ghali and Annan: Fall from US grace
In this context, I think it won't be out of place to mention that Kofi Annan's predecessor Boutros Ghali also from Africa -- from Egypt -- fell from the grace of America, as a result of which Ghali had to miss his much-desired second term as Secretary-General. Ghali served as SG from Jan 1992 to Dec 1996, with full support of America and was expected to run his second-term for another five years. But whatever might have been other reasons, a great rift was visible when Ghali took a strong stand on the two "No-fly" zones. Naturally it sent a wrong signal in US Administration which started looking for a fresh candidate, ditching Ghali for good. But perhaps the biggest blunder on the part of Annan, who was supposed to work as "the ears and eyes" of the world body, was showing glaring lapses. One such instance was the mysterious silence when then foreign minister of Saddam regime sent him a letter to do something, through the Security Council, to stop unabated joint Anglo-US air action on the so-called "no-fly" zones in north and south of Iraq, on false pleas, killing innocent Iraqi people.

Perhaps as a reward Annan received big pats and great applause from US Administration when he had announced his decision to run for his second term, although it was supposed to be Asia's turn to push for their candidate as the new SG, because the ten-year period for the African region was shared between Ghali and Annan. But America preferred to install Annan instead of an Asian candidate. It was, however, no problem for America as a mighty country in the UN, whether Asia lost its turn after waiting for some three decades since U Thant of Burma (now Myanmar) served as SG from 1962 to 1971, as the third SG of the UN, and whether Africa enjoyed a fifteen-year term, breaking the traditional schedule of ten years. Thus it once again proved that whether it is a UN issue, or non-UN issue, the last laugh lies with America.

Annan turns the table
But there is always a new chapter opening on a new angle of vision. So it happened with Annan when he started showing his neutrality as the UN Sec Gen. He was now singing a new song to describe US-led war against Iraq as a "fork in the road" of UN. The situation with America further deteriorated with the recent submission of the new "reforms package" by Annan at a recent special session of the UN General Assembly of 192 members, urging world leaders to adopt the "package" at the up-coming summit session of the Assembly when it would celebrate UN's 60th anniversary. It will not be surprising at all if America goes to the extreme to sabotage Annan's move, by derailing the whole process. Perhaps Annan's recent actions that is not liked by Bush Administration tantamount to biting the hands that fed him.

The ball is now in the court of the 192-member countries of the world body. Now they can make it, or mar it. Some undesirable forces had already created a vicious circle around Kofi Annan and his latest reforms proposals, creating a smokescreen of confusion among member states. Therefore, it is time to show political will and maturity on the part of the member states at the forthcoming September Summit of the General Assembly to save the UN from any disaster. Any wrong step on their part may allow the hanging sword to fall on their necks.

A M M Shahabuddin is a retired UN official.