Where have I and the nation been for the last fourteen years since the fall of the Soviets? — our heads have been in the sands of the Middle East. Joby Warrick, a Washington Post staff writer, alerts us to the tiny rogue Transdniester Moldovan Republic “no bigger than R.I.” but a massive dumping ground for Soviet arms during the Soviet Army’s withdrawal. Its chief reason for its existence is a pipeline of arms to fellow rogues and terrorists. 

“For terrorists this is [Transdniester] the best market you could imagine: cheap, efficient and forgotten by the whole world,” Warrick quotes Vladimir Orlov, the director for Moscow studies into proliferation issues. The most fearful reason for this is that it is the home of the Alazan rocket now upgraded to the Alan rocket with radio-activity or dirty bombs.

If ever a region were ripe for preemptive strike it would be this one — could hardly call it a nation — whose existence is to retain a soviet style police state — controlled by a sheriff! — for its populace consisting largely of soviet military retirees. Its main industry is in munitions production as well as salvaging the decade old dumpster for resale. Nor is there any pretense to defense, Transdniester boldly smuggles arms to those who wish to continue world terrorism. 

Again one must ask where the is Intelligence? How could this nasty little place be ignored? Is it just another episode into the non-preparation before 9/11? And why is it not addressed now? There are unaccounted dirty bombs out there!!