MEXICO, UNITED STATES BEDFELLOWS IN DRUGS WAR

MEXICO CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President
Bill Clinton's feel-good visit to Mexico on Monday highlighted how
both nations have little choice but to grin and bear their often
stormy relationship in the war on drugs.

Clinton and his Mexican counterpart Ernesto Zedillo were all smiles
during their 24-hour summit in the Yucatan city of Merida -- just two
weeks before a U.S. deadline for deciding if Mexico should be
blacklisted for not doing enough to stem the flow of narcotics through
its borders.

On Monday, Clinton indicated he planned to back Mexico's drug efforts
despite the likely opposition of some in Congress, who say corruption
in Mexico has prevented progress in slowing the flow of drugs.

While two-thirds of the cocaine that ends up in the United States
comes through Mexico, officials here say the problem is rooted in U.S.
drugs consumption -- the world's highest.

"Cooperation with Mexico has clearly improved under President
Zedillo's leadership," Clinton told reporters.

"Neither country has won the drug war," he added. "And the fundamental
question is: are we better off fighting it together or
separately?"

Cooperation often makes things uncomfortable for both sides. Clinton
must justify a yearly decision to certify Mexico despite scant
evidence of progress, while Mexico must look like it is defending its
sovereignty from a bullying neighbour, analysts said.

Decertification could mean a loss of some trade and economic benefits
to Mexico -- the United States' second largest trading partner.

It would also anger a country that is rabidly nationalistic and still
sadly remembers the United States took more than half its territory in
a war early last century.

Complicating matters for the White House, drug seizures in Mexico are
down and police have been unable to trap any leading drug-traffickers
or money launderers in the past year.

But even before the Clinton visit, U.S. officials were praising
Mexico's record, saying cooperation between law enforcement on both
sides was closer than ever.

"The United States is clearly not happy with Mexico's progress in the
war on drugs. But what is the choice: to stop cooperating and make
relations more bitter?" said Joel Estudillo at the Mexican Institute
of Political Studies.

Analysts said the Clinton administration believes angering Mexico
could backfire, slowing cooperation and giving Mexico's government a
convenient scapegoat for its own uphill battle against the cocaine
trade.

"For decades, 'Yankee imperialism' was a great shield to use against
the deficiencies of the economic and political decisions of the
government," said Jorge Chabat, an expert on the drugs trade and an
analyst at Mexico City's prestigious CIDE think tank.

Mexico and the United States have got used to living with the reality
of a common 2,000-mile border and a free-trade agreement, analysts
said.

"Despite the problems that cooperation poses both sides, the two
governments realise they have little choice: working together is the
only logical way to deal with such an interdependent relationship,"
Chabat said.