Transdnestria Once Again Accused Of Selling Weapons To Iraq
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Tuesday, 01 November 2005 |
Post Chronicle - USA
by Mike Baron
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has reportedly accused the Transdnestrian authorities on Saturday of having supplied Russian weapons to Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein, Russian news agencies are reporting.
Chisinau "holds official documents from the chancellery of Saddam Hussein, which show that Transdnestria had supplied both arms, and entire weapon manufacturing lines to Iraq ," Voronin reportedly told a group of Russian journalists, adding that an investigation on this case is under way.
"Russia's control over this territory is obvious and we must call to account those who do not desire to solve this conflict", Voronin added, according to published reports.
"About two billion dollars are being laundered every year in Transdnestria and no one wants to give up this source so easily," Vladimir Voronin said. Being asked what Russia must do to help solve the conflict, the Moldovan President said that it must take the munitions from that territory. "We consider this depot a political shield that supports the Transdniestrian regime," the President emphasized.
Voronin added Moldova can also prove Tiraspol sold weapons to Iraq. The document from Hussein's archive that can confirm this is being studied by the Moldovan authorities now, he said, according to published reports.
Voronin accused Russia to settle this regional conflict, stating that Russian weapons are "a political coverage to protect the Transdnestrian regime." The Moldovan leader noted that he has sent a package of documents to Moscow regarding the activity of 13 Transnistrian military companies.
On the other hand, Moldovan Premier Vasile Tarlev accused Thursday the Russian troops in Transdnestria of supplying weapons to the Chechen region, In reply, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov reportedly said that he "pledges his head" for Russian bases in Moldova, and assured that "no weapons from Transnistria had been sent."
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