U.S. CERTIFIES MEXICO AS ALLY IN ANTI-DRUG WAR

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Clinton administration on Friday approved
Mexico as an ally in the drugs war despite a decline in seizures of cocaine,
an increase in opium poppy cultivation and persistent corruption in the
judicial system.

The decision saves the Mexican government from a suspension of all U.S. aid
except for counter-narcotics work and from U.S. opposition to lending to
Mexico by multilateral institutions.

It is part of an annual report to Congress on the major countries where
drugs are produced or trafficked, detailing what governments are doing to
put an end to the illicit trade.

Mexico, which shares a 2,000-mile (3,000 km) border with the United States,
is a major player. It is the principal transit route to the United States
for cocaine produced in South America, including 60 percent of the Colombian
cocaine.

President Bill Clinton had already sent signals that Mexico would escape
"decertification" this year. He visited Mexico in mid-February and said that
anti-drugs cooperation had improved under Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.

The State Department, which prepares the report, had emphasised positive
aspects of Mexico's anti-drugs performance and said it would judge by effort
rather than just by results.

The 11-page section on Mexico was a mixed bag of successes and failures by
the Mexican government, which is hamstrung in its campaign against the
lucrative drugs trade by budget constraints and institutional weakness.

It said that the number of drug-related arrests and the amounts of heroin
and marijuana seized in 1998 were little changed from 1998, while the amount
of cocaine seized fell to 22.6 tonnes from 34.9 tonnes.

U.S. analysts estimate that Mexican farmers grew about 37,500 acres (15,000
hectares) of opium poppy in 1998, up from 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) in
1997, while cannabis cultivation fell to 35,200 acres (14,100 hectares) from
38,250 acres (15,300 hectares), it said.

"The increase in poppy cultivation is particularly worrisome as it led to a
net increase in heroin production despite a massive eradication effort," it
added.

The report notes the Mexican government's efforts to stamp out police
corruption, which had penetrated even to the specially vetted Organised
Crime Units.

But it adds: "To date, successive reorganizations and announcements of new
programmes have only brushed the surface of corruption in Mexico. Combating
corruption is a long-term challenge that requires sustained effort at all
levels of government and society."

Another U.S. grievance against Mexico is the difficulty obtaining the
extradition of drug traffickers, despite an extradition treaty which dates
back to 1978.

In some cases Mexican courts have ruled that Mexicans wanted for crimes
committed abroad should face trial in Mexico, regardless of the treaty. In
other cases they have refused to extradite people who might face life
imprisonment.

The annual review is deeply resented by the countries under scrutiny, who
argue that the certification process does little to stem the voracious
demand for drugs in the United States, where narcotics consumption is the
highest in the world.

It has also come under criticism in Congress and among some foreign policy
analysts, who argue that it has done little to stem the flow of narcotics
into the United States and that the administration interprets the data to
fit in with policy.