THE CROSS-BORDER DRUG WAR

When most Americans think of Mexico, if they think of it at all, it is
usually related to illegal immigration. That, of course, is an
important issue for both nations, but it is not the only subject of
importance that affects the relationship between the United States and
its neighbor to the South. The continued U.S. appetite for illegal
drugs and the powerful drug cartels in Mexico that feed it require
attention as well. Ignoring the latter is dangerous to both nations
and complicates the effort to promote meaningful immigration reform.

The problem of illicit drug trade is not new, but it was relatively
easy for Americans to overlook the more seamy aspects of the drug
trade. For years, almost all of the violence and political upheaval
associated with it remained south of the border. That's no longer
true. The violent culture that supports the trade has accompanied the
increasing flow of drugs across the border. It is now impossible to
ignore violence that has turned some U.S. communities into
battlefields as traffickers compete for market share.

The violence is not limited to roughand-ready border communities.
Authorities in Phoenix, for example, report that hundreds of
drug-related beatings, kidnappings and other criminal acts now occur
there ever year. Similar reports from towns and cities from California
to Texas and beyond should prompt increasing concern from U.S. officials.

The leaders of the drug gangs are increasingly brazen, and a growing
threat to good governance. They've gone to war with government forces
in Mexico. In some places, in fact, the drug lords have used a potent
mixture of guns and money to become de facto rulers, undermining the
authority of the legally elected government. Officials on both sides
of the border rightly equate such tactics with terrorism designed to
undermine both Mexican and U.S. security.

There are efforts under way to restrict the drug trade and thus reduce
the power and influence of the drug cartels. It's proved a difficult
task. The drug lords' influence in Mexico is so pervasive that
corruption is rampant, especially among poorly paid local law
enforcement officials and border police. Despite that, Mexico
President Felipe Calderon continues to battle the cartels. He's
militarized the drug war and has achieved some success, including the
killing of one of Mexico's top drug kingpins. Much, however, remains
to be done. There's little likelihood of significant progress in the
drug war in the near future.

Consequently, some powerful forces in Mexico are tiring of the drug
war and its high cost -- authorities put the number of those killed in
drug-related violence at more than 15,000 in the last couple of years.
They prefer some sort of deal that would somehow allow the drug trade
to continue but without the violence. Such accommodation, however,
never works. It generally encourages additional excesses.

Indeed, the best way for the United States and Mexico to meet the
challenges posed by the drug trade is to accept a couple of painful
truths. It will take considerable courage to do so.

Mexico must admit that it has yet to develop an effective means of
combating an insurgency that threatens its domestic and international
stability on its own. The United States, in turn, must accept the fact
that drug consumption within its borders fuels the cross-border drug
trade. Then, action can be taken.

The effort already has begun. The United States, albeit tentatively,
is beginning to tackle the drug consumption problem. Mr. Calderon,
despite formidable internal pressures, remains committed to his
nation's war on drugs and is receptive to recent U.S. offers of
economic aid and technical assistance to promote the battle. Those
actions alone won't resolve Mexico's domestic woes, or immediately
reduce U.S. demand for illegal drugs. They are, however, acceptable
first steps in what promises to be a long and difficult battle.