Transnistria: The story of arms dealing from a country which does not exist.

[Poll_Blind]

Ever hear of "Transnistria"? No? Neither did I, until I watched this very unusual documentary. Transnistria is a very small country between Moldova and the Ukraine which has come under fire for arms dealing, including radiological (dirty) weapons. This documentary goes into Transnistria, explores the strange North Korean-like atmosphere of the country and just when you think you have a good idea where the doc is going, it takes an entirely different turn, switching gears to closely follows another reporter (not associated with the documentary crew) who also infiltrates Transnistria's strange, secretive society in order to purchase a radiological missile while pretending to be a buyer for a terrorist organization.

The beginning is interesting, the middle lags a bit but once they hookup with the second reporter the groundwork has been laid for an extremely disturbing expose into the world of arms dealing at the feet of the Russian army.

WARNING: There is one scene which I found shocking and out of place. It takes place at the one minute and ten second mark of Part 1, runs for two seconds, and shows a child soldier shooting a man on the ground. There is no other graphic material in the documentary that I noticed.

PB

[Diclotican]

1. Poll_Blind

Poll_Blind

This tiny "country" who is not a country, are not exactly new in Europe - as it have been known for at least the last 15 year, that this little tiny entity have been there.. Not a part of Moldova - not a part of Ukraine - and not recognized by anyone else... And the biggest commodity they can sell to the rest of the world, is weapons - even nuclear weapon - if it ever was to be in the hands of weapons smugglers..

It all goes back to the second world war - when Romania had to give up, what today is the biggest part of Moldova - and Stalin, in his "mind-blowing wisdom" managed to split this little area, into two bodies, government different from the other part... And after the cold war ended, it kind of just was there, as a nation who both Moldova (who want closer contact, or unification with Romania, something the russians deny them, and that this little area, are not accepted as a nation on its own...

And thanks to the notorious corrupt governance, or the lack thereof weapon can be transported from place to place, mostly from old soviet army bases, who for the most part just departed when USSR dissolved, and millions of weapons was just lying around in storrages... It have since been a "country" where you can buy everything from a AK47, to missile launchers - even anti-air weapons of rather advanced forms... Even modern Russians weapons is available - for a price.. If you just pay what you need to get it, you can get everything under the sun, included the most russian weapons available today... I guess quiet a few dictators over the years have been able to stock up on weapons, from this area of the world.. Even buying weapons from Russia, who they officially can not tell about, but who by this "node" is coming to the right ones - without Kremlin's official knowledge about it...

And weapons is just one of the things Transnistria is selling - drugs is also a important factor from the east - Central Asia to Europe - and human trafficking of womans, from Caucasus or other parts of East Europe... Drug, trafficking and weapons is the commodity this tiny Little non- state have to offer for the rest of the world..

Diclotican

[99th_Monkey]

2. Hella Creepy

Here's another 4 part video series on USA-based mercenaries
and their shady connections to Transnistia arms smuggling.
This was uploaded to youtube in 2009, so it's a bit dated,
but illustrates the unsavory connections of US based "military
contracting" companies.

This is apparently the kind of dirty dealings, arms smuggling
that Blackwater was recently "fined" for, rather than being
prosecuted and jailed for their crimes.

Here's Part One, Parts 2-4 will show up on right of screen on
youtube.

[Lars77]

3. Transnistria is on my to go list.

Been to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, so this should fit right in.