Hmmm, the policemen were released "after the interference of Russian officials" as you can see in my previous post. Now I've found an article from Kommersant explaining why the Russian officials "interfered". The article is an interview of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis by Kommersant. It turns out that the PACE demanded Russia to free the two Moldovan policemen because the prison is controlled by Russian authorities...

Tiraspol wants more Russian troops - Moldova offered to join EU together with Romania

Romania has apparently offered Moldova to join the EU together with them. I guess such move could only be realized if Moldova were to be merged with Romania. This has made Tiraspol to ask Russia for more troops.


Romania a victim of weather war?

Romania claims that a meteorological war is being waged against them by "a great power east of Romania, which is increasingly annoyed by Bucharest's policies on the Black Sea region".

Moldova is a "failed state"

The Tiraspol Times says that the US has officially put Moldova in on the Failed State Index and that Tiraspol doesn't want to "join" a failed state...

Did someone already mentioned this "document":
State sovereignty of PMR (Pridnestrovie) under international law

And anyway, what exactly is this International council for democratic institutions and state sovereignty ??

As for Moldova+Romania, it seems that the moldavian president Voronin has clearly rejected that option.

The part with not wanting to join the failing state is simply laughlable.And what a funny thing,according to the same index Russia is more likely to collapse than Moldova.

A bus exploded in Tiraspol today. At least 8 were killed and more than 20 (or 46) were injured. A Russian Army nurse were among the dead, a Russian Army captain and a sergeant were among the injured. The explosion was caught on video cameras. Some blames the secret services of Moldova for the bomb. Others believe it could have been a passenger with a bomb meant for a commando killing and that the bomb went off accidentally.




Related news links:
North Korea Times: Eight killed in Moldova bus explosion
Axis - Eurasian Secret Services Daily Review - 06.07.2006
The Moscow Times.com: Transdnestr Blast Kills 8, Injures 46
The New Zealand Herald: Minibus explosion in Moldova separatist region kills 8
Kyiv Post: Eight people killed, 46 injured in bus blast in separatist Transdniester

[edit on 2006/7/6 by Hellmutt]

What will they come up with next ?

There's a US$10,000 reward for information on the bus blast. The Transdnestrian Security Minister (in difference from some other Transdnestrian officials) denied that the secret services of Moldova had any connections with the bus blast.


Related ATS Thread:
Terrorist attack in Europe: moldovia! (by DigitalGrl)

Voronin (President of Moldova) wants the conflict settlement talks to resume without Transdniestrian participation.

...that's what friends are for )

Meanwhile,Transnistria set the date for its referendum.

These helicopters at a Tiraspol airbase have been identified by ATS member planeman as possibly Mi-8 hips. Does anyone disagree with that conclusion?

single post from "Use Google Earth: Identify Weaponry 'Round the World"

These are too long to be Mi 24 and do not seem to have wing pylons, so I'd have to say they are Mi 8, which is mainly a transport helicopter.


Alot of accusations coming from Western Europe that transniester is a military state, armed to its teeth are vast overstatements. Yes they got some weapons for self defense, but they are in no way a military or mafia based state.


[edit on 16-7-2006 by maloy]

"The airforce includes:six MI-8T helicopters,two MI-2 helicopters,one AN-26 plane,two AN-2 planes,two IAK-18 planes.The MI-8T helicopters are equiped with rocket launchers."

Maybe Transnistria still has those six MI-8T helicopters.


[edit on 16-7-2006 by taseg]

[edit on 16-7-2006 by taseg]

Helmutt

I'd say those are indeed Mi-8 "Trashbins" (Finnish ParaRegiments nickname for "hips", they used them until they got NH-90)

Transdniester is not a military state in an old sense, but it's leadership contains quite shady characters and the area is heavily infuenced by Military.

Btw does anyone know if EU citizens can travel to Transdniester or do we need a visa?

I think EU citizens still need visas to enter Moldova and then Transnistria,but you can get the moldavian visa on the spot at any embassy and buy the transnistrian one at the border.

If not for EU no one would even know what Transniester (or Belarus) is, let alone care about it or Moldova. EU only gives a **** when something is at their doorstep. All this propaganda against Transniester and Belarus is fueled by EU capitalists and politicians, who fell "threatened" by these states. What theat is there from them? That they hate EU's freedom, and will sponsor terror? Give me a break. Moldova and other Eastern European countries don't see that EU is exploiting them. Alot of things are more difficult now due to EU membership. Sure the government and the corporations like it, but the regular people are ultimately worse off.

EU should lay off Transniester and Belarus already, and just let them be. If they try and meddle in others' business they will regret it. What right does EU have to isolate and blockade Transniester from its main trade routes with Russia and Ukraine like it did several months ago. Now that people there can't carry out their normal business, they will be even more inclined to manufacture weapons and what not.

Hey maloy....check you U2Us

sorry for the disruption

Later

Sporty

Maloy,
we just have problem about the DICTATORSHIP in Belarus and the fact that hefty portion of worlds illegal military arms originates from transdniester...

Well I am sure Belarus has a problem with DICTATORSHIP in the US. I am also quite sure India has a problem with DICTATORSHIP in Pakistan- yet that doesn't stop US from proclaiming its love to Musharaff. US and Europe supports its fair share of Dictatorships. So why the small and harmless state of Belarus? Because its on your doorstep? Well US is present on everyone's doorstep, and I don't suppose too many people are thrilled with that. Face Europe and US are against Belarus because its an ex-Soviet state, and it wants nothing to do with US or Europe. No that can't be- everyone has to cooperate with US or they get hammered like a nail that sticks out.

Why not just leave Belarus alone. It threatens no one, and does not have problems with any of its neighbors. Or does it hate Europe's freedom and happiness maybe? I have been to Minsk on a few occassions, and let me tell you that I much rather live the "Last Dictatorship in Europe" than in the flourishing democracy of Iraq, or the Ghettos of New York. Have Europe ever considered that people in Belarus might be happy with what they have, and not want capitalist greed and corruption which ruined Russia?

Ohh and the illegal arms of Transdniester.... I mean those antique kalashnikovs they manufacture are surely preventing US tanks and jets from finishing globalising the world into submission. And then there is reality. Almost 100% of exports from Transdniester go to either Russia and Ukraine. Most of these are food produce and some mechanical components. Most of the weapons stay in Transdniester in fear of a possible conflict. Again this is non of EU's business. You stick you nose into someone's personal business, you will get bit. How hard is it to stay out? Is Transdniester really threatening EU or preventing it from doing its business?

First of all
It's quite natural that EU is more concerned about things in it's "doorsteps" because EU was formed to help Europe develope and Belarus is in Europe, right? And why compare Belarus to Iraq or New York, when you could compare it to Poland or Estonia? Is it right to imprison or beat to ER your political opponents, is it right to close down all media that you control? That's what Lukashenko is doing..


You are talking about legal exports, do you really think that gunrunning is in the books of the so-called government in Transdniester?
Transdniester doesn't export the guns it's making, but how about those hundreds of Tanks, Artillery pieces, Rocket Launchers, AA Missiles, Radioactive rockets, made in USSR? Same guys who sold them to 3rd world dictators are still running the show in Transdniester?

[edit on 18-7-2006 by northwolf]

Yes they are in the center of it all, and are not hurting for it in that sence.

The image that comes to my mind in regards to Belarus is the movie "Warlord" the weapons baazar scene. Surplus every thing and then some, S-300, S-125 Pechora/Goa missile systems you name it.

[edit on 18-7-2006 by ADVISOR]

Transnistria is a part of Moldova under Russian occupation,says a report by the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on European Affairs.