OBAMA PLEDGES TO HELP MEXICO FIGHT DRUG WAR

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - President Barack Obama on Monday reiterated U.S.
support in helping Mexico fight drug-trafficking cartels and set a
timeline of the end of this year for the administration to begin
pushing for an immigration overhaul.

The pledge came as a summit of North American leaders
concluded.

"I would anticipate that before the year is out we will have draft
legislation along with sponsors potentially in the House and the
Senate who are ready to move this forward, and when we come back next
year, that we should be in a position to start acting," he said. He
predicted a difficult battle ahead but said it is one he is determined
to wage whether his "poll numbers are at 70, or if my poll numbers are
at 40."

Obama praised Mexican President Felipe Calderon's "courageous effort"
and tacitly acknowledged allegations of human rights violations
committed by the Mexican military as it takes on cartels nationwide.

But Obama also referred to drug traffickers as the biggest human
rights violators and said his administration would continue supporting
Calderon "as long as he is president of Mexico."

"I am confident that as the national police are trained, as the
coordination between the military and local police officials is
improved, there is going to be increased transparency and
accountability and that human rights will be observed," he said.

In a spirited defense of his military-led strategy, Calderon
challenged anyone to prove "any case, just one case" of human rights
violations, arguing that the fight against drug traffickers isn't so
much about stopping northbound drugs, but is about establishing a rule
of law in Mexico and keeping Mexicans safe from drug violence.

In response, Human Rights Watch in Washington issued a statement
saying there is "plenty of evidence" to prove abuse by Mexico's military.

Underscoring the threat of drug violence, Mexican law enforcement
authorities on Monday announced they had uncovered and arrested
members of a cell of hit men in Sinaloa. The five cell members belong
to the powerful Sinaloa cartel and were plotting to kill Calderon,
authorities said.

The timing of the assassination attempt wasn't immediately clear.
Heavy weapons were also confiscated.

Asked during the news conference to elaborate, Calderon said he had
some knowledge of the details and added, "It certainly won't be the
first or the last occasion on which we might hear something about an
attempt against my ... life."

Calderon stressed his government won't stop its campaign. "We're
destroying their criminal organizations," he said. "We're hitting them
hard."

Since his administration began in December 2006, Calderon has sent
more than 45,000 soldiers to fight the cartels across the country. So
far, more than 4,000 people have been killed this year across Mexico,
many along the Texas-Mexico border as cartels fight for distribution
routes north.