As a Pennsylvania taxpayer I received an invitation from Sen. John Heinz to a public meeting today in State College to discuss what should be done to bring Saddam Hussein to justice. I react strongly against what seems to be self-serving attempts by politicians to wrap themselves in the flag.

We are informed that Sen. Heinz has introduced legislation that calls for "war criminals like Saddam to be hunted down, tried and punished, just as with Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg." We are not informed about the specifics of the legislation but are given a simplistic choice of agreeing, and being patriotic, or disagreeing, and letting the Iraqi people decide Saddam's future. Nor are we told who else may be on this list of "war criminals like Saddam."

If, as Sen. Heinz claims, Saddam Hussein has violated international law and human decency, and there are certainly grounds for this case, there are well-established guidelines under international law for such action. Any independent action at this stage on the part of the U.S., or even with coalition help, would change a war into a witch-hunt.

The basis of the coalition action in the Gulf was laid out in 12 U.N. Security Council resolutions between August and December of last year; two of which are of interest. Resolution 674, includes the requirement to "restore peace and stability to the region." Resolution 678, which established the Jan. 15 deadline, called on allies to use "all necessary means" to uphold the resolutions.

These two vague resolutions could be interpreted to justify the pursuit of "Hussein and his cohorts." In the opinion ballot attached to the Heinz invitation there is an arrogant assumption that the United States and its coalition partners would engage willingly in the witch-hunt. Does Sen. Heinz really believe that some of the Arab members of the coalition would endorse this course of action?

Since the official reason for coalition intervention in the Gulf was sanctioned by the United Nations, and not by President Bush's private desire to remove Hussein from power, it is only fitting that the United Nations should be the proper body to call for the prosecution of Saddam Hussein. Any attempt by the United States, or any group of coalition members to "hunt down" Hussein will split the coalition as well as undermine the position of the United Nations.

It is too soon after the war, with patriotism running rampant, to be objective about the war. The conduct of the coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm might also come under scrutiny if Heinz, and others push the international legal angle. As the true extent of the horrific damage to Iraq becomes evident, the coaltion may open itself up to legal counterclaims.

If, as Sen. Heinz suggests, Saddam is "hunted down" does this then automatically restore peace and stability to the region, as U.N. Secuity Council Resolution 678 requires? Surely, the way to do so is not to wrap yourself in the flag and claim moral superiority. It is to examine how the coaltion members collectively contributed to instability in the region, manily by arms sales.

Now is the time for the United States to exercise restraint and let the appropriate body, the United Nations, decide on the fate of Saddam Hussein and his cohorts.

Maybe, at the public meeting, someone would like to ask Sen. Heinz how many times he voted for military assistance to Iraq, before the war.