NYT and Leahy reactions to State's Mexico report

In Wednesday's NYT, Ginger Thompson and Marc Lacey step back for the big picture, leading with:

Mexico’s fight against drug traffickers generated a sixfold increase in human rights complaints against the Mexican military between 2006 and 2008, and it is unclear that any of those complaints resulted in prosecutions, according to a State Department report on the effort.

They get in to the issue of the military's very limited, and flawed, prosecutions. But they don't get to the matter of civilian prosecutions, and how the Merida Initiative language from the U.S. Congres last year required them, yet they are nowhere on the horizon.

Leahy issued his statement on the report on Tuesday. He's fairly critical of the situation, but in the end he must be deciding he can't win this battle right now, and goes with nice words for Obama. From the statement:

"The report issued by the State Department mentions several positive steps taken by the Mexican government in furtherance of the requirements. But it is most notable for how little it says about the key issue - impunity within the Mexican military. It is well known that the military justice system is manifestly ineffective, and it is apparent that neither the Mexican government nor the State Department has treated human rights abuses by the military, which is engaging in an internal police function it is ill-suited for, as a priority since the law was enacted over a year ago.

"Reform of Mexico's dysfunctional judicial system is a process that will take years. But it is critical to the success of the Merida Initiative and to addressing the culture of lawlessness that pervades Mexican society.

"While I am deeply disappointed that the State Department issued its report prematurely when there is so little progress to report, I know President Obama recognizes the importance of these issues and I expect that when the next report is submitted it will document that the Mexican government is meeting the requirements in the law, consistent with the intent of Congress."

Hmm. I don't know what situation Leahy is in, and this isn't an issue where I'd second guess him. But it is frustrating.