Kofi Annan, Man of the World

Mountains to be Moved
In his nine years in office, Annan tackled a variety of challenges. His first large task involved a plan to streamline the sprawling U.N. bureaucracy (the alleged inefficiencies of which led America to withhold dues totaling some $1 billion). He then moved broker a fragile agreement between America and Iraq whereby Saddam Hussein would allow weapons inspectors into the country in return for a looser oil embargo. Later, he successfully urged intervention in the ongoing conflict between Serb and ethnic Albanian forces in Kosovo.