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PMR's elite Delta Force celebrates 15th birthday, 1992-2007
A crack team of elite troops celebrated its 15th birthday with a rifle volley and a solemn parade through downtown Tiraspol. Pridnestrovie's own Delta Force was founded in 1992. It models its tasks and tactics on its namesake from the United States Army.
Normally operating out of uniform, the blue berets of PMR's Delta Force donned their uniforms for their unit's 15 year birthdayTIRASPOL (Tiraspol Times) - This weekend, members of Pridnestrovie's elite Delta Force shaved, donned their uniforms, and assembled for a rare public parade through Tiraspol in celebration of their first fifteen years.
Founded on 21 April 1992, the small Delta Force counts approximately 150 troops, most of whom were present during the anniversary event which also included a rifle volley and the laying of a wreath to the memory of Delta unit soldiers who fell in the 1992 war for independence.
Delta reports directly to the Ministry of State Security, which tightly controls information about Delta Force and rarely comments on the secretive unit and its activities.
It is believed that PMR's Delta has approximate 150 operators, but not all are trained to conduct direct action and reconnaissance missions. About a third of the soldiers are assault troops, a third specialize in reconnaissance and surveillance, and the remaining soldiers handle mechanics, communications, intel, and other general support.
The patch of PMR's homegrown Delta Forces combines the Delta symbol with a parachute and the bald American eagle - a clear sign of US Army influence.
Operating as a versatile Special Operations Force (SFO), Delta's primary tasks are counter-terrorism and intervention operations. It is an extremely versatile group capable of assuming many missions, including, but not limited to, rescuing hostages, raids, and neutralizing covert enemy forces. PMR's Delta Force is trained for missions similar to those of its U.S. Army's namesake, after which it was originally modeled.
The U.S. Army's original Delta Force, which formally known as the Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense, forms part of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). It is itself a Versatile Special Operations Force, mainly trained for Counter-Terrorism.
- International law: Pridnestrovie has a right to its own army
The Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica (PMR), which is informally known as Transnistria or Transdniester, declared independence in September 1990. Due to an unresolved territorial dispute with neighboring Moldova, which lays claims to the whole country, Pridnestrovie has not yet been recognized internationally as a sovereign, independent state.
However, under international law, even an unrecognized country such as Pridnestrovie has a right to arm itself and establish a defense force to protect its borders and the inhabitants within them.
International law specifically holds that a country does not need recognition by other countries to be a "valid" or "legal" country. It merely has to have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with the other states.
Article 3 of the Montevideo Convention determines that even unrecognized countries are covered by the treaty, noting that "the political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states." The same article then proceeds to grant such countries the explicit right to defend itself against agression: "Even before recognition the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence, to provide for its conservation and prosperity, and consequently to organize itself as it sees fit." The United States is a signatory to the Montevideo Convention.
There is nothing ‘illegal’ about Pridnestrovie having its own army. It has the right to arm and defend itself, just as the Republic of Moldova also has the right to arm and defend itself. States - whether recognized or not - are juridically equal, enjoy the same rights, and have equal capacity in their exercise. Article 4 of the Montevideo Convention also notes that "the rights of each one do not depend upon the power which it possesses to assure its exercise, but upon the simple fact of its existence as a person under international law," giving small and unrecognized countries the same rights as larger, fully recognized countries as long as both meet the Convention's four basic requirements under the objective test of statehood.
The test? A permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with the other states. An army is not a requirement - but, in the case of Pridnestrovie, it is a sign that the local population is so deeply tied to the idea of freedom and independence that it is prepared to defend itself if ever this is threatened.
For that matter, just like the people of the United States of America...
See also:
» Pridnestrovie joins global war on terror
On the web:
» Law enforcement and armed forces of Pridnestrovie
A conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels concluded that unrecognized states like Pridnestrovie need a way to be heard by the world. "It is necessary to create and sustain permanent mechanisms of involvement and consultation of unrecognized state entities in the international community". This will benefit everyone, says the event's official statement. . . 
