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| More than half the manufacturing and heavy industry in Moldova is inside the TDR, and as a result the non-TDR part of Moldova is largely agricultural, rural and exceedingly poor. Over half of the ethnic Moldovans work outside the country and it is one of the most destitute places in Europe. | More than half the manufacturing and heavy industry in Moldova is inside the TDR, and as a result the non-TDR part of Moldova is largely agricultural, rural and exceedingly poor. Over half of the ethnic Moldovans work outside the country and it is one of the most destitute places in Europe. | ||
| The TDR is a run by the Russian-backed Sheriff mafia/company, and it has no ethics or moral hang-ups. It is a known nexus for drug trafficking, human trafficking and - in terms of world security, far more dangerous - weapons trafficking. The TDR has sold off an unknown number of Soviet-era weapons systems, including missiles. The TDR also manufactures small arms, which are sold off undetected to fuel wars around the planet. Before the Ukraine changed governments at the end of 2004, the TDR also worked with black marketeers in Ukraine to ship out weapon systems via the Black Sea port at ]. This year alone it was discovered that the Kuchma gov't of Ukraine sold ballistic missiles to such countries as China and Iran. | The TDR is a run by the Russian-backed Sheriff mafia/company, and it has no ethics or moral hang-ups. It is a known nexus for drug trafficking, human trafficking and - in terms of world security, far more dangerous - weapons trafficking. The TDR has sold off an unknown number of Soviet-era weapons systems, including missiles. The TDR also manufactures small arms, which are sold off undetected to fuel wars around the planet. Before the Ukraine changed governments at the end of 2004, the TDR also worked with black marketeers in Ukraine to ship out weapon systems via the ] port at ]. This year alone it was discovered that the ] gov't of Ukraine sold ballistic missiles to such countries as China and Iran. | ||
| There are even reports that as many as 24 missiles stockpiled in TDR before the break-up of the Soviet Union had nuclear warheads. If so, those warheads are now missing and unaccounted for and nobody knows who might have gotten their hands on them. The mafia running TDR has no scruples and would sell them to the highest bidder. | There are even reports that as many as 24 missiles stockpiled in TDR before the break-up of the Soviet Union had nuclear warheads. If so, those warheads are now missing and unaccounted for and nobody knows who might have gotten their hands on them. The mafia running TDR has no scruples and would sell them to the highest bidder. | ||
| The TDR is a black hole where anything goes and while Moldova, the OSCE (and now Ukraine) have put pressure on the TDR to unite with Moldova, even offering it autonomy, it has steadfastly refused. And it can do this precisely because of the Russian military presence and backing of its "government". | The ] is a black hole where anything goes and while Moldova, the ] (and now ]) have put pressure on the TDR to unite with Moldova, even offering it autonomy, it has steadfastly refused. And it can do this precisely because of the Russian military presence and backing of its "government". | ||
| In essence, it is this tiny corner of Europe, mostly unknown and forgotten by the rest of the world, that is the major hold-up for the ratification of one of the most important treaties of our time. It is the activities in this small slice of Europe that pose one of the gravest dangers to peace and stability on the continent, and yet it's mostly forgotten and ignored. | In essence, it is this tiny corner of Europe, mostly unknown and forgotten by the rest of the world, that is the major hold-up for the ratification of one of the most important treaties of our time. It is the activities in this small slice of Europe that pose one of the gravest dangers to peace and stability on the continent, and yet it's mostly forgotten and ignored. | ||
Revision as of 06:07, 21 October 2006
Sheriff (in Cyrillic: Шериф) is the second-largest company based in Transnistria. It owns a chain of petrol stations, a chain of supermarkets, a TV channel, a publishing house, a construction company, a Mercedes-Benz dealer, an advertising agency, a spirits factory, two bread factories, a mobile phone network, the football club FC Sheriff Tiraspol and its newly built stadium and sport complex, at an estimated cost of $200 million including a five-star hotel (the latter still under construction). The name came from the two founders of the company, Viktor Gushan (citizen of Ukraine and Transnistria) and Ilya Kazmaly (citizen of Russia and Transnistria), who were previously Soviet police officers. Viktor Gushan is president and CEO of the company.
The majority of Moldova is ethnically Romanian but the inhabitants of Transdniestr are mostly Russian, with some Ukrainian. Fearing that they would be united with Romania, the Transdniestr ethnic Russians protested and this sparked the brief but extremely vicious civil war. Although Transdniestr is very tiny, it managed to "win" that civil war and declared itself the "Transdniestr Republic" (Pridnestrovye in Russian). I should add that Transdniestr managed to "win" that war because the Russians had enormous amounts of military equipment stationed there, which they permitted the Transdniestrians to use.
While no nation officially recognizes the "Transdniestr Republic" (TDR) as an independent country, for all intents and purposes, it is one. And while it has no land border with Russia, it could not survive without Russia. Russia still maintains a military base in Tiraspol (the "capital" of TDR) and Russia is its largest trading partner, importing goods stamped "Made in TDR". The TDR has its own media (including in English, although delayed), its own "government", its own elections, its own militia, its own customs agents, everything. It is a harshly government "country", run by a man named Igor Smirnof, who uses a company called "Sheriff" to create a mafia monopoly on all the important aspects of industry.
More than half the manufacturing and heavy industry in Moldova is inside the TDR, and as a result the non-TDR part of Moldova is largely agricultural, rural and exceedingly poor. Over half of the ethnic Moldovans work outside the country and it is one of the most destitute places in Europe.
The TDR is a run by the Russian-backed Sheriff mafia/company, and it has no ethics or moral hang-ups. It is a known nexus for drug trafficking, human trafficking and - in terms of world security, far more dangerous - weapons trafficking. The TDR has sold off an unknown number of Soviet-era weapons systems, including missiles. The TDR also manufactures small arms, which are sold off undetected to fuel wars around the planet. Before the Ukraine changed governments at the end of 2004, the TDR also worked with black marketeers in Ukraine to ship out weapon systems via the Black Sea port at Odessa. This year alone it was discovered that the Kuchma gov't of Ukraine sold ballistic missiles to such countries as China and Iran.
There are even reports that as many as 24 missiles stockpiled in TDR before the break-up of the Soviet Union had nuclear warheads. If so, those warheads are now missing and unaccounted for and nobody knows who might have gotten their hands on them. The mafia running TDR has no scruples and would sell them to the highest bidder.
The TDR is a black hole where anything goes and while Moldova, the OSCE (and now Ukraine) have put pressure on the TDR to unite with Moldova, even offering it autonomy, it has steadfastly refused. And it can do this precisely because of the Russian military presence and backing of its "government".
In essence, it is this tiny corner of Europe, mostly unknown and forgotten by the rest of the world, that is the major hold-up for the ratification of one of the most important treaties of our time. It is the activities in this small slice of Europe that pose one of the gravest dangers to peace and stability on the continent, and yet it's mostly forgotten and ignored.
See also
- FC Sheriff Tiraspol (football club)