MEXICO PASSES U.S. DRUG TEST

But Skeptics Decry Certification

WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration on Friday certified Mexico as
a cooperating partner in the war on illegal drugs despite a decline in
cocaine seizures, an increase in opium poppy production and chronic
corruption in the Mexican judicial system.

Clinton's decision, which spares Mexico and 25 other drug-problem
nations from U.S. economic sanctions, drew criticism from lawmakers
and prompted some to consider overturning his findings.

Clinton's certification of Mexico "does not change the facts -- drug
trafficking is worse than ever," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

While the administration describes Mexico, which shares a 2,000-mile
border with the United States, as the "main transit and distribution
hub for drugs," Clinton defended the anti-narcotic efforts of Mexican
President Ernesto Zedillo.

"He is working hard to tackle the corruption traffickers have
wrought," Clinton told a group of California business leaders whose
enthusiasm during the president's speech waned when he endorsed
Zedillo's drug-fighting efforts.

"He cannot win this battle alone," Clinton said. "And neither can
we."

A source in the Mexican Foreign Ministry, asking to remain
unidentified, said there would be no official comment from Mexico's
government because it is "a matter between the U.S. executive branch
and the U.S. Congress."

Added the source, "Mexico will only do something if, when the process
is over, it ends up affecting Mexico."

Also certified as a drug-war ally was Colombia, which along with
Mexico, dominates the illicit drug trade in the Western Hemisphere,
according to an administration report issued with Clinton's
certifications.

Only two countries, Burma and Afghanistan, the world's leading
producers of heroin, were "decertified," a classification that imposes
U.S. aid and trade sanctions. Neither country was certified in 1998.
It was the first time in four years that Colombia was certified,
although it has received security waivers.

The administration said four countries -- Nigeria, Paraguay, Cambodia
and Haiti -- were not cooperating in the drug war, but Clinton urged
that any penalties be waived because of U.S. national interests.

Since 1986, federal law has required the president each year to assess
the performance of drug-producing and shipping countries by March 1.
Countries not certified as fully cooperating and not given a national
security waiver are then deprived of U.S. aid, other than
drug-fighting funds. In addition, the law requires the United States
to impose trade sanctions and oppose loans to those countries by
international financial institutions.

The annual review is resented by the countries under scrutiny and is
criticized by anti-drug groups and members of Congress as ineffective
and driven more by politics than performance in the drug war.

"We feel that certification does not help the joint fight against the
common enemy. Certification does not help, and blaming each other does
not help. Those that benefit are the drug traffickers," said Eduardo
Ibarrola, an assistant attorney general in Mexico. "We are battling
corruption because it is our commitment and responsibility, not
because another government tells us to do so."

Members of the U.S. Congress were harsher about Clinton's assessment,
but for other reasons.

"Certification and decertification have no meaning against a backdrop
of rampant corruption in Mexico and the drug epidemic on America's
streets," said Hutchison, who is working with a bipartisan group of
senators on bolstering drug-fighting agreements between the United
States and other countries.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said he was troubled by
Clinton's certification of Mexico "because they're not doing what
they're supposed to be doing on the drug wars." In a statement issued
by his office, Lott said he plans to bring up Mexico's certification
and "ask the Senate, `Is it time to say no, you do not get
recertified?' "

Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican who chairs the House subcommittee
on drug policy, said he is "disgusted that the administration would
whitewash a situation in which an adjacent nation is on the verge of a
takeover by narcotics interests and attempt to lull the Congress into
complacency on the issue."

To reverse any decision by Clinton to certify a nation as a drug-war
ally, a two-thirds vote would be required by both the Senate and the
House.

Even some Democrats were critical of the president's certification of
Mexico. "After evaluating the evidence ... I have reluctantly
concluded that Mexico has not made progress in effectively combating
the drug trade," said House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt of
Missouri. "The law requires that we objectively assess what the
Mexican government has done over the past year, not put our hopes in
what progress may come in the future."

Sandy Berger, the president's national security adviser, defended
Clinton's decision. "The fundamental question we have to face is: Are
we better off working with the Mexicans to deal with this mortal
threat to them and us, or are we better off walking away and saying
this is your problem, we're not going to work with you?"

On Friday, seven Republican senators and one Democrat wrote Clinton
recommending that in next year's certification process, Mexico be
judged more by results instead of efforts. The group, led by Sen.
Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Mexico should be measured by its
willingness to extradite drug bosses, its ability to arrest and
prosecute money launderers and leaders of narcotics syndicates, and
its record on drug eradication and seizures.

In a 733-page report issued in conjunction with the president's
certifications, the State Department emphasized positive aspects of
Mexico's efforts and said it was being judged by effort, not results.

The 11-page section on Mexico said the amount of heroin and marijuana
seized by the government was little changed, but the amount of cocaine
confiscated fell to 22.6 tons in 1998, down from 34.9 tons the
previous year. U.S. analysts estimated that Mexican farmers grew about
37,500 acres of opium poppy in 1998, up from 30,000 acres in 1997.
Cannabis cultivation fell to 35,200 acres from 38,250 acres, according
to the report.

"The increase in poppy cultivation is particularly worrisome as it led
to a net increase in heroin production despite a massive eradication
effort," the administration reported. "In some quarters in the United
States and Canada, heroin has gained an upscale image, the so-called
`heroin chic' emaciated look of certain entertainment icons."

Federal law enforcement agencies estimate that about 65 percent of the
cocaine entering the United States. comes through Mexico and 29
percent of the heroin used here was smuggled in by Mexican cartels.
Over the past two years, the State Department and Defense Department
have funneled $92 million to the Mexican government for equipment and
training to combat production and trafficking of drugs.

Like Mexico, Colombia was praised by the administration as much for
the drug-war potential of its president, Andres Pastrana, as its
actual progress in controlling narcotics.

While Colombia remains the world's leading producer and distributor of
cocaine and a major source of heroin and marijuana, a combined
U.S.-Colombian eradication program successfully sprayed more than
162,000 acres of coca, about 50 percent more than was eradicated a
year earlier.

A year ago, Nigeria was decertified. On Friday, the oil-rich nation,
which has not changed its drug-fighting efforts, was given a national
security waiver, thus ending U.S. sanctions. Clinton and Berger
acknowledged that the decision was aimed at helping Nigeria's move
toward democracy after the June 1998 death of authoritarian leader
Sani Abacha. Presidential elections are being held today in Nigeria.

The State Department report said Nigerian drug couriers are the
leading smugglers of heroin into the United States. "Because of
corruption at nearly all levels of government in Nigeria, combined
with the country's political turbulence, it is likely that Nigerian
trafficking will remain strong for the political future," according to
the report.

Chronicle reporter Steve Lash and correspondent Andrew Downie
contributed to this story.