Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 1999 Source: Arizona Republic (AZ) Copyright: 1999, The Arizona Republic. Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/news/ Forum: http://www.azcentral.com/pni-bin/WebX?azc Author: Jeff Barker, The Arizona Republic GRAVES DISCOVERY INTENSIFIES DRUG WAR DEBATE The discovery of mass graves near the border is certain to intensify the already passionate debate here over whether to continue to work with Mexico in its drug war or to pull back cooperation and aid. Mexico's advocates in the United States braced for a renewed effort on Capitol Hill this winter to have Mexico decertified as a fully cooperating partner in the war on drugs. Losing its certification could poison Mexico's relationship with the United States, advocates warn. Nations deemed to be uncooperative become ineligible for most U.S. foreign aid, and the United States is required to vote against them when they seek loans from international finance institutions. Mexico's annual certification comes up in March. The Clinton administration's international drug policy experts will prepare a recommendation to the president on whether to continue the current course. "We will follow the law, and the law lays out a series of criteria, and that's exactly what is done every year," said Pancho Kinney, a top strategist for Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the national drug "czar." The debate on Capitol Hill is certain to be hot. In 1998, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms called the administration's decision to certify Mexico a "scam" because "everybody knows" Mexico is not fully cooperating. Congress has the power to overturn Clinton's ruling. Arizona's congressional delegation, and Gov. Jane Hull, have generally favored keeping the dialog open with Mexico instead of trying to embarrass or prod it into more aggressive action. "We need to continue. We can't fix this thing by ourselves," Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., said today in an interview. "We have to have cooperation with Colombia, with Mexico." Kolbe cautioned against an overreaction to the drug-related burial sites, and to recent reports of increases in cocaine and marijuana seizures along the Southwest border. The Clinton administration said "preliminary indications" are that the killings were done by drug traffickers associated with the Juarez Cartel, according to an internal memorandum. ""What we've seen in recent years is something that was predicted some time ago: a shift of this (drug) operation from Colombia to Mexico," Kolbe said. "Now it's not just that trafficking is passing through Mexico, but that Mexican drug cartels are taking over the entire operation, from its production in South America, to its selling in the United States." Buttressing Kolbe's comments was a report submitted to Congress last month by Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the national drug "czar." "To sell cocaine acquired from the Colombians, Mexican cartels have developed their own distribution networks in several U.S. cities," the report said. It did not identify the cities. Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo is due to arrive in Washington on Dec. 9 for a working visit unrelated to the investigation. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake