Tiraspol - Moldova - Mafia in Uniform

I want to put the spotlight on the town Tiraspol in Moldova. What´s happening there now? Here is some of the stuff that I´ve found. Just to give you an idea of what I´m talking about. Tiraspol is like a black hole and the mainstream media is silent. Tiraspol is "forgotten by the whole world". Is Bin Laden to be found there? Was Alexander Lebed murdered? Is Tiraspol the most "explosive" town in Europe? It appears to be a "Mekka" for terrorists (and Al Qaeda?).

The Collapse of Moldova's Industrial Engine

Frozen in the darkest days of the Soviet era, Tiraspol is an island of absurdist propaganda, Lenin statues and fear. Its factories are closed, streets empty and dingy state stores bare. But this time socialism Politburo-style is not to blame. For Tiraspol is under siege, and the enemy is a criminal regime of alien occupiers that clings to power by fear and force.

Build Ukraine

Before the Soviet Union's collapse, Tiraspol was home to the Soviet 14th Army, which left behind 40,000 tons of weaponry, the largest arsenal in Europe.

At last count, stored in a complex of bunkers and berms and guarded by a skeleton crew of Russians are enough explosives to make two and a half Hiroshima bombs, tens of thousands of Kalashnikov assault rifles, millions of rounds of ammunition and huge numbers of antitank missiles, grenades and Scudlike rockets. Trans-Dniestrian factories may still produce weapons.

But Trans-Dniester is more than just the Wal-Mart of arms trafficking. Experts are concerned that terrorists -- or ambitious middlemen -- could find more sophisticated and dangerous things to buy. The Soviet military couldn't guarantee that all of the nuclear weapons had been removed. And hundreds of canisters of cesium-137, used by Soviet scientists to test the effects of nuclear war on plants, are unaccounted for. According to Russian documents I obtained, one 14th Army officer warned the Moldovans that in 1992 24 Alazan rockets in Trans-Dniester had been tipped with radioactive warheads.

December Rants 12-1 - 12-15

Conventional arms originating in Transdniester have been turning up for years in conflict zones from the Caucasus to Central Africa, evidence of what US officials describe as an invisible pipeline for smuggled goods that runs through Tiraspol to the Black Sea and beyond. Now, governments and terrorism experts fear the same pipeline is carrying nonconventional weapons such as the radioactive Alazan, and that terrorists are starting to tap in.

"For terrorists, this is the best market you could imagine: cheap, efficient and forgotten by the whole world," said Vladimir Orlov, founding director of the Center for Policy Studies in Moscow, a group that studies proliferation issues.

Why the Alazan warheads were made is unknown. The urgent question -- where are they now?

Organized crime figures and reputed terrorists flit in and out of the region, according to law enforcement and government officials in Moldova and US officials.
The enormous Soviet-style banners stretched across intersections in downtown Tiraspol bid visitors welcome to "The People's Pride: The Transdniester Moldovan Republic." The city is locked in a Brezhnev-era time warp. Nearly every corner bears a reminder of the regime's stubborn embrace of old-school Soviet communism: a statue of Lenin, a hammer-and-sickle banner, a street named for Karl Marx.

We need an investigation. ATS´ers are good investigators. What´s going on in Tiraspol? Knowing the russian language will be an advantage while digging for this stuff, but not required. Any info about this is welcome but it might be hard to find. In this thread we can add any interesting stuff we might find about Tiraspol (except classified documents which are not allowed on ATS of course). Or simply add your thoughts about this. Have you even heard about this town before?

Some other interesting links:
(click also the above links for the full articles...)
Scotsman: Dozens of dirty bombs missing in breakaway region of Moldova
Alexander Lebed
1994, Big Brother is watching!
The Death of Alexander Lebed
Godfather of the Kremlin?

Related ATS threads:
NEWS: Moldovans set to turn from Russia (by FredT)
Glorious rise of Mother Russia (by PolskieWojsko)
Arab paper theorizes Al-Qaeda may have nukes. (by cwzilly)
TA-ANALYSIS:"Suitcase Nukes" an Overview (by TrickmastertricK)

[edit on 18/4/05 by JAK]

This is interesting news.
I have often heard the name Moldova, but never catched anything about it. I knew it was an old sovjetstate, but nothing more.
And it's geographical placement of the country is truly right in the middle of no-mansland...

-no pun intended towards the intelligensia of the nearby countries that read this...

That would be the most perfect terroriststate, wouldn't it? All those weapons, and no interference from their neighbours. Why don't Bush&Putin bomb this place up, they are already so good at it in Afghanistan and Iraq? Because of nukes?

Edited some of those dumb spelling-thingies

[edit on 15-4-2005 by Ulvetann]

MAFIA IN UNIFORM: THE CRIMINALIZATION OF THE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES

According to one report, representatives from Chechnya, Abkhazia, Crimea, Moldova, Lithuania, and assorted criminal groups showed up in Tiraspol (14th Army headquarters) in early May 1995 seeking ways to acquire a share of the weapons. This premature effort was in response to Lebed's anticipated departure before 14th Army dissolution, neither of which events may take place as supposed. While Lebed seems to be controlling the arms inventories under his charge for the time being, precedent suggests that long-term prospects for their continued protection are less than bright.

I can see that others has also figured out that something fishy is going on in Moldova.
Moldova 2003

Here I noticed the description on one of the pictures...

On the western side of the Dnjestr, a heavily guarded plot of land belongs to the PMR, the fortress Tighina (Bender), which is nowadays assumed to be a clandestine arms factory.

Moldova is tight spot to figure out I think. A part up north is also going under the name of Transnistria. A self-proclaimed, unrecognized, Transnistrian Republic (PMR).
Moldovian map
Doing a fast google on this, show up all kinds of machinations over the time since WWII

Btw, If you are going to Moldova, bring VISA it is useful several places, but they also got their own version, like the danish version, the Dancard. But in Moldova, it is called Moldcard...

I'll try to mop up more information about Transnistra and enter it in this Post Hellmutt, since i regard them as very closely connected... Are you on to a Moldgate?

Itar-Tass: Dniester settlement tops agenda of EU official talks in Moldova

11.04.2005, 10.47

The Dniester settlement will be high on the agenda of EU Special Representative for Moldova Adrian Jacobovits’s first working visit to Chisinau on Monday.

The European Union does not take an active part in the talks between Chisinau and Tiraspol, mediators in which are Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The appointment of Jakobovits confirms EU interest to its closest neighbours, EU foreign policy and security chief Javier Solana stressed. He said the main task of the EU special representative is to help the Moldovan leadership to reach progress in the process of peace settlement of the Dniester conflict.

hmmm...

EU is interested in stability in the region, yes, but cannot interviene in any way, since this territory is beyond EUs borders and thereof out of EUs jurisdiction.

The issue of the meeting is kind of hard to analyze as outsider.
The only "news" I so far has been able to discover, is old news. News easily categorized into: "Everything is going as planned, please continue with your business, don't hazzle us, nothing important here".

Interestingly enough the information is mainly about the russian withdrawal of military equipment and troops 2001-2003.
Whereas the news proudly presents that 10 armoured vehicles of the 14th. Army are being scrapped.
Related Link: english.pravda.ru...

Later things took another turn of events...
Transdniestra recieved 40 army trucks, and would soon thereafter recieve 40 more.
Related Link:
english.pravda.ru...
english.pravda.ru... -What agreements?


By April 2003, they started to transport, by train, munitions from Transdniestra. The depots of this munition was located approx 120 km. from Tiraspol. Each train formed by 20 railway cars. with approx 400 tons of munitions.
Related Link: english.pravda.ru...
I have not been able to figure out how many trains that where formed.
Or if all successfully left Moldova all the way through Transdniestra, or if they had to stop somewhere. For instance in the unregulated no mans land, political black hole of Transdniestra.

More or less officially it seems that the former russian army now only consist of a taskforce of 1,700 men. I would presume that they have a role as law enforcers, whatever/whoever laws they are refering to I don't know.

In 1999 at the OSCE summit in Istanbul Russia undertook to withdraw all its armaments from Transdniestria by the end of 2002. Later the deadline was postponed till the end of 2003.
Related Information:
The 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit Decisions on Moldova and Georgia: Prospects for Implementation
Related Article, an analysis of the Summit Decisions:
ISCIP-Nothing new for Moldova at Istanbul Summit

Edited typos

[edit on 16-4-2005 by Ulvetann]

The negotiations between OECD, with William Hill as head of OECD in Moldova, and Transdniestras separatist administration in Tiraspol ended abruptly in 2003, when neither side could agree on the basis of a federal state (Transdnistra).
Referendum of negotiations prior to the end of negotiations:
Sept. 5th. 2003-April 29th. 2004

Tiraspol which wants to become an officially accepted "independent federal state", has apparently no respect for their neighbouring areas. Whereas the latest news as of March 18th. 2005, tells us that the Transdnestrian regime had organized provocative behaviour in a village in the Security Zone, and that villages from the Eastern districts of the country within Chisinau jurisdiction were subjected to intimidation actions.
More about this in the following link:
Moldova Azi (Eng.)

Imho, I can see that, even if I definitely don't like war, a military resolution to the situation is near at hand. It didn't happen 3 years ago, but there is a change of Cabinet in Mordova in 2 days. Could Romania, who is their neighbouring country have issues/agreements with Moldova to help them out with peace-keeping/-enforcing units, if a unified EU force is deployed to fight terrorism? Could this be the reason for a very large Battle Griffin exercise in Norway? Moldova would not be desert warfare... Neither is Norway used for desert training...
-Are we now poking in some generals hush-hush briefcase of wasps?

Edited in link

[edit on 16-4-2005 by Ulvetann]

"May 6, 2004: A Molotov Cocktail was thrown at the Tiraspol's Synagogue, according to a report by AEN. The attacker also poured flammable liquid on the front door of the synagogue, right near a gas pipe. Thanks to the quick reaction of witnesses the fire was extinguished before it set off the gas. According to Boris Asarov, chairman of the Transdniester NGO "Pro Europa", the attack was masterminded by the extremist Russian nationalist organization Vityaz, headed by former MGB special forces officer Ruslan Pogorletsky. Vityaz uses a swastika-like symbol similar to the one used by the Russian neo-nazi group Russian national Unity. "

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by Odium
Vityaz uses a swastika-like symbol similar to the one used by the Russian neo-nazi group Russian national Unity.

This picture is taken in Tiraspol. There is a swastika-like symbol painted on this tombstone.

And it has been done with the same newbie nogood amateur nazi mistake. The swaztika is drawn in the wrong direction in a haste... If a search is being done on this topic (Moldova Synagogue) in different engines, you will come up with more information than in Wikipedia.
It seems to be mudthrowing from Tiraspol to make a bad picture of the russian government and Moldova. Who is better to do that, than the terrorists themselves.


Doooh. My mistake. The direction is correct.... Disregard that comment.

Anyways, I found the Russian National Unity Piece of C***:
server3.uploadit.org...
I don't think the Transdniestrian neo nazis where good copying it... Those who where sent to do it failed their mission, I think.

Anyway, whoever did it, for whatever reason, I don't agree with it...

[edit on 16-4-2005 by Ulvetann]

I heard that Romania was going to annex them. If they're harbouring terrorists, then it might not be a bad idea.

Vladimir Voronin is the newly elected President of Moldova. Member of the Communist Party.
Vladimir Voronin

He was sworn in for a second term on Thursday, the 7th April, promising to take the ex-Soviet state closer to Europe and out of Russia's shadow.
Voronin stated "European friends" would help rid the rebel Dnestr region of "primitive and humiliating regime" that has left the tiny, agricultural country split since Dnestr broke away in 1990.

The government needs to overhaul its agriculture-based economy and raise living standards to
be able start talks on closer ties with the EU, analysts say.

Related Link:
Reuters Alertnet.org

-And, imo, I think EU will appreciate the possibility of being able to help one of the poorest countries to establish an economical sustainability, which would allow 1 million moldovans to return home to find work there.

Some would perhaps call this President "an unreliable politician", since he got elected the first time, four years ago, on rethorics that would bring Moldova closer to Russia.
My belief is that he is a good politician that played his cards right, to get in position so he could steer Moldova, his country, into a democratic republic, like it has happened in Georgia and Ukraina. Using those examples, we can only conclude that it is not easy to sucessfully do a velvet-revolution...

Some years has passed, and Russia did not follow through the OSCE-treaty (The 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit Decisions on Moldova and Georgia: Prospects for Implementation), and Voronin now openly denounces the presence of 1,200(?) Russian peacekeeping(?) troops in the
Russian-speaking Dnestr region, which fought a brief war with the newly-independent Moldovan state in 1992.

His views and rethorics had in last month's parliamentary election changed, and he relied heavily on anti-Russian rhetoric.
Imo, this is of course a rather natural approach, since the negotiations between OSCE and Tiraspols separatist administration broke down.
Referendum of negotiations prior to the end of negotiations:
Sept. 5th. 2003-April 29th. 2004
This DOES NOT mean that Vorinin & Co. doesn't talk to Putin. Infact they might have very good connections, but due to Putins problems in Checnya, He has no manpower to clean up the terrorists that has stayed behind in Transdniestr. (Putin transfers law enforcement personnel from Sibiria to fight in Checnya). He has neither expressed joy over Moldovas independence from the old Sovietunion.

To figure out a solution to the whole stalemate situation, it seems natural to make a cooperation between Russia, EU and Moldova (Politically/Military). The main problem is the not so small regime in Transdniestr. They have the guns, and has dug down. Even if Russia says openly and officially; "Go home, thy job is done", I doubt many of the Transdniestrian highway-taxcollectors leaves their well established foxholes unarmed. Because, where would they/could they go?

Wow Ulvetann, Very interesting read.

I found this article from The Washington Times which pretty much confirms what we already know. And it also adds a few interesting details.

The Washington Times: Hotbed of weapons deals
Published January 19, 2004

TIRASPOL, Moldova -- The deal involved Europe's biggest Soviet army weapons cache, Russia's prime minister and the leader of a separatist enclave in Moldova known as a gunrunner's haven.
As described in a confidential 1998 agreement obtained by the Associated Press, Russia and Transnistria would share profits from the sale of 40,000 tons of "unnecessary" arms and ammunition stored in a weapons depot in the breakaway region.

[...] at least six factories are thought to be churning out grenades and rocket launchers, Makarov pistols and Kalashnikov assault rifles, mortar tubes and other relatively low-tech weapons under contract to the Russian military -- and possibly skimming off surplus production to sell to arms dealers, diplomats in the region said. Some, such as the Tochlitmash and Elektromash factories in Tiraspol, are thought to be dual-use plants, with civilian and secret military-production lines.

Moscow and Tiraspol, capital of Transnistria, would split profits from the sale of "unnecessary weapons, ammunition, military assets and materials," according to the 1998 agreement that bears their signatures.

[...] a Russian military document dated Oct. 18, 1994, urging "prohibition" of work with the warheads -- 24 ready to use, 14 dismantled -- because of radiation danger. Another document from May that year recorded the "burning and burying" of uniforms contaminated by radiation.

Moldovan police four years ago halted a truck leaving Transnistria. Inside were anti-aircraft missiles made in Russia, detonators and plastic explosives, members of Transnistria's army -- and Lt. Col. Vladimir Nemkov, a deputy commander of Russian peacekeepers in the enclave.
Although other officials denied the incident ever happened, Mr. Litzkai confirmed it, but suggested it was a setup.
Asked about Col. Nemkov's whereabouts now, Mr. Litzkai shrugged, then said after a pause: "He disappeared."

Visit the link for the full article...

This is no update on the newly chosen government as I don't find the persons therein as "interesting" just now, as this is:
Moldova Azi

Just as the new Government and its cabinet had been chosen, there is no time to loose instigating new negotiations between OSCE, Ukraine, and Russia about Transdniestr!

Hopefully the terrorists realize that their position is just not as powerful, or influential as before. By the last four years Moldovia has, matured alot, westernizing themselves and otherwise made themselves ready to take a step further into "modern civilization"...
Please disregard, that they have a looong way to go...

Anyway, as Moldova has gained support from the rest of Europe, as well as the stronger/larger countries Ukraina and Chechnya has become independent, it automatically becomes harder for the separatists to resume power.
The final nail on the separatist-coffin would be Putins acknowledge of Moldova. -And why shouldn't they? Moldova HAS NO border to Russia!!
If only Putin would wake up and realize that many sources to his other problems are actually based on this "small" consortium of Dr. Evils in Tiraspol. If Putin would use his tiny pair of scissors, cutting his rubberbandstrings to this concoction of very irregular forces deployed in this area, things would, well I don't know, but hopefully dissipate...

...If not dissipated through political means due to corruption? Well, hey! Military force could solve the source of corruption.

The problem is all the civilians there... How far are we willing to go? What IS at stake? Should ethnics be bombed because their warlord masters keep them as slaves? Should the ethnics be bombed because the terrorists might fly into the Pentagon again, or perhaps the White house? The UN building or the Eiffel-tower? the question is do we bomb the locals that are already supressed, or do we allow terrorist to detonate bombs in a railroadstation during workhours? How do we take out the terrorists? It's a rather open question!

Note - And I still haven't mentioned the issue about NATO, building an office in Moldova to fight human,- and weapons-trafficking...

Here´s an interesting article I just found.

TARTAN ARMY'S NUKE ALERT
Mar 22 2004

THE Tartan Army were put on nuclear alert last night ahead of a World Cup clash in a war-ravaged crime capital.

Scotland will play Moldova just a few miles from a massive arms dump.

Thousands of tons of Russian weapons, including deadly nuclear arms, were left to rot in the rebel region of Transnistria.

Dozens of 'dirty bombs' have gone missing amid reports of radioactivity in the area. About 3000 Scotland fans are expected to defy the danger and cheer on Berti Vogts's Bravehearts at the match in Transnistria's capital,Tiraspol.

Drug smugglers and people traffickers are also rife in the area, which broke away from the rest of Moldova after a bloody civil war.

The foreign minister of neighbouring Romania branded the region a 'black hole of organised crime'.

This is a fascinating subject, thanks for putting the spotlight on it Hellmutt!

Moldova certainly looks like a threat to its neighbors and beyond and deserves more scrutiny -- the issue seems to be quite under the radar since I can't remember seeing it at all in recent news reports.

I think it's situations like this that the EU should use to prove its mettle. Recent EU statements, especially by the French, make it sound like they want to be a world-power, and project that power beyond their borders, so what better place to start than with a troubled neighbor whose issues could cause problems worldwide?

I'll be doing some of my own research and will hopefully be able to contribute more to the discussion.

[edit on 4/26/2005 by djohnsto77]

I found some more information on the political situation in Moldova.

Here's a good article: No ‘Orange Revolution’ in Moldova

Also, the border tensions between Moldova and the breakaway territory of Transnistria are causing tax, travel and transportation problems for farmers:

Yesterday, Moldova announced it was suspending its part in th activities of the Joint Control Commission on leading th peacemaking operation in Transdniestr Region. The demarche wa caused by the authorities of the unrecognized Transdniestr Moldova Republic violating the agreements on free migration of people inside th Security Zone. The new conflict took place right before the GUUAM summi in Chisinau against optimistic statements made by Russian, Ukrainian and OSCE representatives regarding a possible resumption o negotiations.
The problem of free migration of people and freights within the Security Zone, becomes a regular subject discussed by the Joint Control Commission, when the season for field works begins. The fact of the matter is that seven Moldovan villages have properties on the left bank of Dniestr, which is the territory controlled by Tiraspol authorities. The whole border is lined up by Transdniesteria check-up posts, and farmers are charged export duty for transferring their produce through the border. Until fall of last year, farmers were able to solve this problem on an informal level or simply bypass the border.

However, in October 2005 Transdniestria’s authorities reinforced the borders, closed the by passing routes, and demanded that farmers should register at tax services of Transdniestria. The indignant farmers stormed JCC with letters and started protest movements near the check-points. Moldovan delegation called the check-points illegal as they violated the agreement “On Peaceful Regulation of the Conflict at Transdniestr” signed in 1992. Chisinau demanded that the check-points should be canceled or replaced by the peacemakers’ posts.

Source: Kommersant

The U.S. has commented on this:

The United States is troubled by the ongoing, systematic harassment of Moldovan farmers from the village of Dorotscaia by Transnistrian authorities, U.S. diplomat David Kostelancik told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) April 21.

Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, Kostelancik called for the Transnistrian leadership to accept and immediately implement the terms of a preliminary agreement reached with the Moldovan side at the April 19 Joint Control Commission (JCC), so as to allow the farmers to sow their crops before it is too late to take advantage of the 2005 growing season.

Source: AllAmericanPatriots.com

[edit on 4/26/2005 by djohnsto77]

Hey dj,

Kommersant
However, in October 2005 Transdniestria’s authorities reinforced the borders

That´s still in the future... a typo I guess...


I wonder how long time before they raid this place. If Battle Griffin was a preparation for this, it shouldn´t take long.

Peasants from Dorotcaia Picketed Russia's Embassy in Chisinau and OSCE Mission

April 26 2005

Peasants from six localities situated on the left bank of the Nistru within Moldova's jurisdiction protested on Tuesday in front of the headquarters of Russia's Embassy in Chisinau and OSCE Mission in Moldova. Inhabitants of Dorotcaia, Pohrebea, Molovata Noua, Cocieri, Parata and Cosnita villages from Dubasari district have sought from the Russian Federation through the agency of Embassy to use the influence it has on the authorities of the unrecognized republic and oblige them to respect human rights in the region from the left bank of the Nistru.

The peasants from those six localities that protested in front of the Russia's Embassy in Chisinau stated that in case the conflict is not settled in the next two weeks, they will picket again the respective headquarters on May 11, this time with farm technology: tractors, combines, seeders and others

Moldova Is for a New Type of Neighborhood

April 28 2005

Ukraine is pronouncing itself for the involvement of the US and EU in the negotiations on the Transdniestrian conflict, while the Republic of Moldova wants the extension of the negotiating format and with Romania's participation.

One session at the international conference "Moldova and Europe: drawing closer" which unfolded in Chisinau, was dedicated to the issue of frontiers and neighborhood.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Igor Dolgov stated that in Kiev's opinion, in order to peacefully settle the Transdniestrian conflict it is sufficient to attract in negotiations the US and EU. He also said that the proposals formulated by Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko on April 22 must be discussed by Chisinau and Tiraspol, with the assistance of Ukraine, Russia, OSCE, US and EU

Moldova wants Romania's participation, Ukraina does not.