COLUMBIA, MEXICO DON'T LIVE UP TO PARTNERSHIP

We've had the annual ritual of the leader of the United States certifying
this country's two biggest suppliers of illicit drugs as fully cooperating
and reliable partners in the war against drugs.

We've also had the annual ritual of our own State Department documenting
all of the abysmal failures of these two countries to even pretend to be
cooperative and reliable partners to the United States in its fight against
drugs.

Finally, we've had the blatant hypocrisy of an administration presenting
high praise for its fully certified partners without even acknowledging
that a government report exists that is totally contradictory.

Each year, the president certifies - or refuses to certify - a long
list of nations as either friend or foe of the U.S. fight against illicit
drugs. Each year, Mexico and Colombia are fully certified - the highest
rating available - as nations that are cooperating partners with the United
States in every aspect of the fight against drugs.

Meanwhile, here's what our own State Department says about these two
nations in its annual report on the illicit drug trade worldwide:

Mexico:

- - The country faces a broad array of drug-related problems, from production
and transshipment of illicit drugs to growing consumption.

- - While the government's counter-narcotics effort made some progress in
1999 against the production, traffic and abuse of illicit drugs, it still
faces daunting challenges.

- - The cartels that control production and shipments of drugs, and related
money-laundering and organized crime activities, are powerful and
well-organized and have made a concerted effort to corrupt and intimidate
public officials responsible for combatting them.

Colombia:

- - Colombia produces and distributes more cocaine than any other country in
the world and is also an important supplier of heroin.

- - Colombia's coca production increased by 20 percent last year.

- - Colombia also produces an estimated 6 tons of heroin annually, virtually
all of which is destined for the U.S. market.

Colombian and Mexican drug lords are also fully cooperative partners in
another area - moving cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into the United
States.

American officials say about 90 percent of the cocaine that enters the
United States comes via the Colombia-Mexico pipeline.

This annual ritual of certifying as partners in the war against drugs two
countries that, together, account for most of the illicit drugs entering
this country, should be flatly rejected by an indignant Congress.