American Notes TERRORISM

Like neighbors who grate on but cannot escape each other, the U.S. and Mexico know they must get along -- however much one or the other may have to grit its teeth. Rarely, though, have American teeth ground louder than in the case of William Morales, the no-hands terrorist (he blew them off making a bomb). Sentenced to as many as 99 years for a string of bombings, he escaped from the U.S. to Mexico in 1983, was captured in a gun battle and drew an eight-year jail term for killing a Mexican policeman. The U.S. had been dickering to get him back. But Foreign Minister Bernardo Sepulveda Amor proclaimed that Morales is a "political fighter for Puerto Rican independence" and so not subject to extradition. Morales was turned loose and fled to Cuba.

The U.S. was officially so enraged that last week it recalled Ambassador Charles Pilliod "for consultations." But State Department officials privately took a soothing line, blaming Sepulveda rather than the Mexican government and insisting that overall relations have not been affected. In other words: I will get along with my neighbor . . . I will get along with my neighbor . . . I will . . .