http://www.caller.com/ccct/editorials/a ... 08,00.html

It's getting seriously scary along U.S.-Mexico border
February 2, 2006

From time immemorial, the border between the United States and Mexico has been charged with the explosive potential generated by cultural differences, diplomatic imperatives and, not least, mutual suspicion.

Over time, the hope on either side of the border has been that this volatile atmosphere might gradually be damped down through conciliation and communication. And eventually that may actually happen. For the foreseeable future, however, it seems the outlook is for greater rather than lessened tension - and the potential for an explosion is so high that it must be a matter of great concern for both Washington and Mexico City.

The latest friction was one of the most alarming cases yet: On Jan. 31, armed individuals dressed in the uniform of the Mexican military crossed the border into the United States some 50 miles east of El Paso and menaced state police officers with firearms. The interlopers were apparently attempting to cover the flight of drug smugglers who had been intercepted and pursued by U.S. authorities. When one of their three sport-utilities bogged down, the smugglers unloaded what appeared to be bundles of marijuana, torched the vehicle, and made their way back over the border.

This touched off a prickly exchange between Mexican and U.S. authorities. The State Department called on Mexico to investigate the matter; Mexico responded dismissively, insisting that the individuals involved in the confrontation were drug traffickers resorting to the common practice of masquerading as soldiers.

There is blame to spare on either side of the divide. Mexico's indifference to Washington's calls for action to curb both drug smuggling and illegal immigration is countered by the United States' utter inability to get any kind of traction in controlling the demand for illicit drugs that has turned the border regions into a no-man's land. The demagoguery and denial have gone on too long. Continuing in that vein, rather than opting for realism and genuine cooperation, could cost both nations dearly in the none too distant