Madeleine Albright is worried by nature. But Kofi Annan is sitting on the 38th floor of the United Nations Building pursuing the logic of his position. His persistence in following a rational course of action confirms that he is a man in total control of his emotions. It is impossible to imagine him losing either temper or nerve. He is not, despite his general air of certainty, absolutely sure that his peace mission will produce the desired event.
Logic prevents any such happy conclusions.
No other agreement was ever negotiated with the president himself. Peer pressure is very important. And so, Kofi Annan believes, is the short-term presence in the Gulf of American and British forces. There is no paradox in his position. He has already expressed his admiration for the way in which the Allies used the threat of force to guarantee the peace.