VOUCHING FOR MEXICO IN DRUG WAR RANKLES HILL

HEARINGS LIKELY, BUT certification seen as unstoppable

President Clinton's certification of Mexico as a full partner in the war on
drugs is expected to win congressional approval, although there is growing
opposition from both Republicans and Democrats who doubt Mexico's will to
stop drug dealers there.

House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, Missouri Democrat, says he was
"compelled" to disagree with the president's decision last week to include
Mexico on his 1999 certification list, adding that Mexican government
officials had "not yet done enough to meet the requirements of our law."

Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman, New York Republican and chairman of the House
International Relations Committee, said the decision to certify Mexico "as
fully cooperating, despite its dismal record, cannot stand," and promised
hearings in the matter.

Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican and chairman of the House
subcommittee on drug policy, said he was "disgusted" Mr. Clinton would
"whitewash" Mexico's failure to stop the drug trade and promised "a
thorough review" by his panel.

Reps. Spencer Bachus, Alabama Republican, and E. Clay Shaw Jr., Florida
Republican, introduced a decertification resolution yesterday.

In a bipartisan letter to the president, seven senators said the
certification process needed to be reviewed and that any decision by Mr.
Clinton next year to certify Mexico had to be tied to specific
accomplishments. The letter said that while Mexico had taken steps to
improve its law enforcement cooperation, "far more, we believe, needs to be
done."

The letter was prompted by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican and
chairman of the Senate International Narcotics Control Caucus, which was
told last week during a daylong hearing that the power of Mexican
drug-trafficking organizations had grown "virtually geometrically" over the
past five years.

One letter signer, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, led a move
last year against Mexico's certification, but will not challenge Mr.
Clinton this year - although she said she has serious reservations about
his decision.

"Clearly, there are not the votes to succeed with a challenge, and having a
divisive battle on the floor makes no sense," Mrs. Feinstein said in a
statement.

During the Narcotics Control Caucus hearing, Mrs. Feinstein said
certification had become a "political issue, when it should be a criminal
issue," and decried the president's certification decision because of
"overwhelming" evidence that Mexican authorities had made little effort to
stop the drug trade.

The president's call for Mexico's certification qualifies it for U.S. trade
and economic aid. Congress has until April 1 to reject or ratify, but it
appears doubtful any resolution to override the decision could muster a
majority vote in both houses or a two-thirds vote that would be required to
override a near-certain veto.

Mexico was among 22 drug-producing and drug-transit countries Mr. Clinton
recommended for certification as "fully cooperating" in the fight against
illicit drugs.

Mr. Clinton called only for the decertification of Afghanistan and Burma,
which produce 90 percent of the world's opium supply. He also said that
while Cambodia, Haiti, Nigeria and Paraguay failed the criteria for
certification, the vital national interests of the U.S. required that they
also be certified.

Despite the apparent lack of votes to stop the measure, Mr. Gilman this
week promised to "lead the way" against Mexico's certification, citing the
concerns of Thomas A. Constantine, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, who told the Narcotics Control Caucus last week that Mexico
was "the greatest criminal threat to the U.S. he has seen in his 40 years
of law enforcement."