Excerpt....
"We really don't have a border between the two countries"
McCaffrey conciliatory in Mexico
U.S. drug czar urges cooperation in fight
By S. Lynne Walker
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
April 18, 1997
MEXICO CITY -- U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey struck a conciliatory noteduring a visit with Mexican officials yesterday, saying the two countries must strive for cooperation rather than confrontation in the war against illegal narcotics. Seeking to console the Mexican government for the "painful, open debate" over the certification of Mexico's anti-narcotics efforts, McCaffrey said the nations share problems ranging from corruption to organized crime to drug addiction. "We see ourselves as partners, not as adversaries," he said.
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"This huge border, with 230 million crossings (per year), with 500,000 rail cars and 2 million trucks presents an opportunity for U.S. gun smugglers shipping south to Mexico," McCaffrey said. Still, he called the U.S.-Mexico border a symbol of partnership rather than controversy between the two countries. "We really don't have a border between the two countries," McCaffrey said. However, he failed to ease concerns that the United States is pressuring Mexico to extradite high-level drug traffickers for prosecution in American courts.
