Bombing Unnoticed by Western World |
Tag it:
| Monday, 11 September 2006 | |
|
I just read this article by Patti McCracken at globalpolitician.com, which seems like more rehashing of old literary material to me. The same sad old story of military stockpiles and mafia-run government: In July, a trolley bus ambled along a Soviet era street on a hot afternoon, and blew up before it reached its next stop. Eight people were killed, and 46 injured in this July bomb blast, creating a rumble not quite strong enough to pique the interest of the war-fatigued Western press. It happened again last month when a trolley bus on a similar route, this time touring around on a quiet Sunday afternoon, was blown to bits, killing a 50-year-old man and six-year-old girl. Ten people were injured, many of them critically. The following day, a live grenade was found on a university campus and turned in by a security guard. Both bombs and the grenade were all made of the same explosive material. It is the unremarkable Dniester River that snakes a divide between Ukraine and Moldova, forming a burdensome and troubling patch of land known as Transnistria on its right bank. On its left bank is Moldova, a tiny wedge nation tucked into the shadows of Ukraine and Romania, trying hard to gain back Transnistria, a self-declared "republic" that broke away from Moldova in a short but bloody civil war 15 years ago. Before the Russian army rushed to the aid of Transnistria, 700 people had been killed in a mere two months of fighting. Crossing the border into Transnistria is a walk back into a Soviet yesteryear. The cities are bleak, urban deserts, with roads still named for old communist leaders and babushkas peddling sunflower seeds on the sidewalks. Unrecognized by any other government in the world, Transnistria remains contentedly occupied by 1,500 Russian forces, issues its own currency and travel visas (although is not allowed to actually stamp a passport), and joyously and lavishly celebrates its "independence day" each year. Yet this patch of land the size of Rhode Island is heaving with explosives and ammunition. Aged Soviet arsenals that were stockpiled here after World War II now total 50,000 weapons and 40,000 tons of ammunition, much of which are being modified and sold to terrorists. This renegade republic is run mafia-style by president Igor Smirnov and his son, Vladimir, who controls a consortium of gas stations and grocery stores, as well as a cigarette company. Profitable as these enterprises are, it's the family's control over the notoriously porous borders--infamous for trafficking women, drugs, and the extensive cache of weapons--that truly lines their pockets. Although numerous efforts have been made to resolve the Transnistrian conflict, Russia has backed out of agreements to disarm the region. New rounds of talks earlier this year, which included the United States and the European Union, again achieved no results. So the illegal weapons trade thrives, as it is not only the old Soviet arsenal to be sold off, but the Washington Post reports that legitimate factories are covertly producing arms for resale. Meanwhile, it seems no one can agree on the nature of the July and August bombings. Some argue that they were premeditated, and designed to destabilize the region before upcoming elections in September. The propaganda coming from the Transnistrian side points the finger at Moldova, insisting the attackers came from outside the region. Others argue that the blasts were simply accidental and coincidental, that the bombs went off during transport to the border. # Vladimir Antiufeev, the head of the MGB - what used to be the KGB - goes so far as to suggest that the bombs were merely radio-controlled devices used to kill fish in the river, and that both went off in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether the twin tragedies were terrorist acts or accidents, the larger issue may be how the explosives were obtained; and why, if accidental, would people be regularly transporting bombs through the city center? Who were these bombs intended for, and why is no one stopping them? # Moldovan and Western officials were not allowed to investigate the crimes, and Russian investigators have been tight-lipped about what has been found, if anything, despite a promise to publish the results. So while the rest of the world watches the hotspots in the Middle East, the little, unrecognized "republic of" Transnistria slips under the radar, busily modifying old weapons, manufacturing new ones, and offering them to terrorists. Unrecognized, indeed. Patti McCracken is a journalist based in Vienna, Austria. She's a former assistant editor at the Chicago Tribune, and a Knight International Press Fellow (twice). Currently, she writes regularly for various U.S. newspapers, most notably the Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle. Ms. McCracken have also written for two online journals - www.tcsdaily.com, and www.worldpoliticswatch.com.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 447 Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|