BOLD MOVE BY MEXICO

MEXICAN President Vicente Fox is willing to have U.S. agents investigate
whether Mexican police and intelligence officers are involved in drugs, a
major concession.

The undeniable truth is that some of Mexico's top cops have also been drug
smugglers. Allowing U.S. intelligence officials to do their own probes of
Mexican officials has not been advocated by Mexican leaders, however,
because it could be embarrassing.

According to The Washington Post, Fox wants to work out an understanding
with the U.S. Justice Department about joint security checks.

The importance of such an agreement goes beyond the question of drug
smuggling, for Mexico is important to this country for many reasons: the
thousands of undocumented workers who cross over every year; air pollution
that knows no borders and the possibilities of mutually advantageous
arrangements concerning water, energy and trade.

What is necessary now is for the United States to look to itself to see
what we can do. The big thing the United States must do, though, is to
treat Mexico as a partner we respect in all our policies.

Scripps Howard News Service, Editorial