JUDGING THE MEXICAN DRUG WAR

Mexican officials recently unveiled a $400 million high-tech anti-narcotics
strategy billed as a "total war" on drug trafficking.

The announcement was no surprise. Grandiose plans for stopping the flow of
cocaine and lavish praise from Washington for Mexico's anti-drug efforts
have become annual February events.

That is because President Clinton must certify by March 1 which countries
are reliable partners in the war on drugs. The process has become an annual
exercise in hypocrisy and should be stopped, in part because the use of
illegal drugs in the United States fuels the problem.

But as long as certification is required by law, Washington should tell the
truth about Mexico, which does not merit endorsement.

Last year, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the White House drug czar, naively called
Mexican cooperation "absolutely superlative." The State Department said
last week that the Government of President Ernesto Zedillo is "strongly
committed" to fighting drug trafficking.

Today, as President Clinton meets with President Zedillo, he may echo this
praise of Mexico's anti-drug efforts.

Drug corruption, which makes accomplices out of the very agencies designed
to combat trafficking, has stymied governments worldwide.

Ironically, part of the reason for Mexico's losing battle is poor advice
from Washington, which has urged Mexico to rely on the military.

This has simply spread the taint to soldiers.

But Mr. Zedillo's attack on corruption has been halfhearted, perhaps
because some officials accused are powerful members of the governing
Institutional Revolutionary Party.

If anything, Mexico's efforts are slipping.

The Times reported yesterday that 1998 saw a significant decline in
seizures of drugs, and that nearly all identified drug kingpins remain at
large.

Mexico has declined to extradite alleged criminals to the United States.

The drug certification laws allow Washington to state that Mexico is not
fully cooperating, but waive the accompanying economic penalties on
national-security grounds.

This is the choice the Clinton Administration should make.

Congress should also repeal the annual certification process, which forces
the Administration to choose between damaging relations with American
allies and whitewashing their poor performance.