MEXICO'S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS EYED

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Key lawmakers are pledging to reverse the Clinton
administration's ruling that Mexico is ``fully cooperating'' in the fight
against illegal drugs.

They argue that President Clinton should decertify Mexico because of
continuing inadequacies in its anti-drug efforts, but then grant the country
a waiver of economic sanctions just like he did Thursday for Colombia, where
drug trafficking also is rampant.

Waiving sanctions in the interest of national security would continue all
U.S. aid while allowing American law enforcement officials to work with the
countries to halt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States,
including cocaine, heroin and marijuana, members of Congress argue.

``While we should give credit to Mexico for the limited progress it has
made, there remain gaping holes in its counternarcotics effort,'' said
Sen.Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. ``Corruption remains endemic in the ranks of
the Mexican police, military and government.''

But Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Attorney General Janet Reno
praised Mexico for ``superlative cooperation,'' particularly with the recent
signing of a joint U.S.-Mexico anti-drug program. Reno said Mexico
extradicted 30 drug suspects to the United States last year, a radical
departure from previous years.

``So we think that in many ways the rather revolutionary change in the way
the U.S. and Mexico deal with each other on this issue is a model that we
may -- all of us -- be able to learn from,'' Reno said.

Congress has 30 days to review Clinton's decisions on certifying 30
countries for cooperation to halt production, sale and use of drugs. To
overturn any of them, Congress could pass legislation that Clinton would
have to sign or veto.

The administration did not certify Colombia because U.S.officials believe
that country's anti-narcotics effort faces serious shortcomings, but the
president waived sanctions that have been in effect for the past two years.

Humanitarian and anti-drug aid continued under sanctions.

Colombia remains the world's leading producer and distributor of cocaine and
a major U.S. supplier of heroin and marijuana.

Three other countries also were decertified but received a sanctions waiver:
Cambodia, Pakistan and Paraguay, leaving their status unchanged.

Four countries were decertified again this year, like last year, without a
waiver: Afghanistan, Burma, Iran and Nigeria. Twenty-two countries were
certified as fully cooperating with U.S. anti-drug efforts.

Rep. Benjamin Gilman, R-N.Y., chairman of the House International Relations
Committee, said he planned to review all the administration's certification
decisions and to work to overturn the Mexico ruling. Like most other
lawmakers, he supported the waiver for Colombia.

``Mexico is a major transit nation for illicit drugs entering the U.S. and
has become both a major producer and exporter of methamphetamine (speed),
which has been flooding many parts of the U.S., especially the Midwest,''
said Gilman, who failed in past efforts to reverse Clinton.

Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., also strongly opposed the Clinton
administration's certification of Mexico and pledged to lead the Senate
effort to enact legislation disapproving the ruling.

``I do not put the full measure of blame for this situation on the Mexican
government,'' Coverdell said. ``Our own administration has failed to treat
our relationship with Mexico with the level of respect it deserves. ... The
leadership vacuum on the drug war is vast.''

Republicans in Congress have long criticized the Clinton administration's
anti-drug efforts as weak, particularly in trying to reduce America's
illegal drug habit that other nations feed.

Coverdell called on Clinton to fill the vacant U.S.ambassador's post in
Mexico City and urged a hemisphere-wide anti-drug policy that would involve
Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and other nations.