Source: New York Times (NY) Section: Editorial Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ Pubdate: Sat, 28 Feb 1998 CERTIFIABLY WRONG ON MEXICO The Clinton Administration does no favor to Mexico or its own credibility by certifying that Mexico is "fully cooperating" in the fight against drug trafficking. Compounding the damage, the White House Drug Policy Director, Barry McCaffrey, fatuously claims that Mexican cooperation is "absolutely superlative." A more truthful assessment can be found in the Drug Enforcement Administration's confidential evaluation, described by Tim Golden in yesterday's Times. The D.E.A. concludes that "the Government of Mexico has not accomplished its counter-narcotics goals or succeeded in cooperation with the United States Government." Mexican trafficking has increased, the D.E.A. notes, and the corruption of its enforcement agencies "continues unabated." Though Washington finds it diplomatically inconvenient to acknowledge, Mexico has a chronic problem with drug traffickers who always seem able to secure the political influence they need to avoid arrest and prosecution. This drug corruption greases the flow of narcotics into the United States. Mexico's drug networks span the border, supplying cocaine, heroin and marijuana to American users. Mexico must face up honestly to its drug corruption problem as it tries to create a more democratic and accountable political system. The most flagrant abuses come from corrupt military and police officials who take payoffs to protect one set of traffickers at the expense of their rivals. President Ernesto Zedillo's Government has made efforts to reform drug enforcement, but with little visible result. He has not moved aggressively enough to clean up civilian police agencies and has relied too heavily on military officials, exposing them to the same temptations that led the civilians astray. A more vigorous cleanup might force a showdown with corrupt elements of Mr. Zedillo's Institutional Revolutionary Party, which would benefit Mexican democracy. Meanwhile, it is misleading for Washington to assert that Mexico is fully cooperating. The law mandates penalties, including reductions in foreign aid and limits on international lending, for countries found to be insufficiently cooperative. But these penalties can be waived in the interest of national security. That should have been done with Mexico. Certification is a clumsy tool for encouraging better narcotics enforcement abroad. The annual review process, now required by law, forces Washington into difficult choices between papering over problems or offending otherwise friendly countries. It should be eliminated. But as long as certification remains on the books, the Administration has a duty to report truthfully to Congress and the American people. It has failed to do so in the case of Mexico.