Drug Arrest Doesn’t Rule Out Aid Security Concerns May Outweigh Charges Against Mexican General

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright opened the possibility Sunday that the administration could cite national security reasons to continue aid to Mexican anti-narcotics programs despite flaws in that country’s drug-fighting efforts.

President Clinton must decide by March 1 whether Mexico deserves recertification and further aid for attacking drugs, a decision complicated by the arrest of the Mexican general in charge of the campaign.

Albright, interviewed from Tokyo on ABC’s “This Week,” said charges that Gen. Jesus Gutierrez Rebollo, the head of Mexico’s drug program, was taking money from Mexican drug smugglers were very serious. “That does make the glass half-empty,” she said.

On the other hand, she said, President Ernesto Zedillo’s quick action in arresting Gutierrez “makes the glass half-full.”

National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, on CNN’s “Late Edition,” also noted the arrest of the general was “an indication of how firmly President Zedillo is committed to fighting what is a very serious problem.”

President Clinton took the same tack last week. He said the arrest of the general, who had access to classified briefings from U.S. drug officials, was “deeply troubling” but that Zedillo deserves praise for his strong stand against drugs.

Albright said it is possible the administration could fail to certify that Mexico is cooperating in the war against drugs, then grant a waiver to permit aid to continue, on grounds of U.S. national security interests.

She said she would look at the facts and make a recommendation after returning this week from her current world tour.

Newsweek magazine, in its edition coming out this week, said the Drug Enforcement Agency had already flagged Gutierrez for “questionable relationships with drug people” when he met Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the head of the administration’s anti-narcotics efforts, last month.

McCaffrey spoke highly of the Mexican general at the time, calling him an honest man of integrity. When he made those comments, Berger said, “I don’t believe that General McCaffrey had that (DEA) information.”

Former presidential candidate Ross Perot, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said DEA officials told him they had been advised to go easy on Mexico so that aid could continue.

“Now, can you imagine poisoning our children so that they can clean up the Mexican economy?” Perot said.

“I can’t, and that’s unacceptable.”