Russian Special-Ops Unit Marks Fourth Anniversary
A Little-known and relatively new special-operations unit that served during Russia's military debacle in the Chechen conflict continues to exist in the post-conflict period. The 8th "Rus" Spetsnaz Detachment of the Separate Division of Special Designation, Ministry of the Interior, or MVD, observed its fourth anniversary in August 1998. The detachment - distinguished by the red berets that characterize some MVD spetsnaz units - served in Chechnya from November 1995 through October 1996. During that period, the detachment participated in special operations in the Chechen capital, Groznyy, as well as in Argun, Bamut and Pervomayskoye. The detachment also provided bodyguards for MVD Internal Troops General Anatoliy Romanov, who served for a time as the Russian commander in Chechnya. In the fall of 1995, Romanov was critically injured by a Chechen-detonated bomb and remains comatose. According to press reports, Rus detachment casualties numbered 14 men killed and 110 wounded during the Chechen hostilities. One soldier was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia. The Rus detachment also served in Nagorno-Karabakh (site of hostilities between Azeris and Armenians). The detachment's fourth-anniversary commemoration was said to have been a somber one.
Colombian Urban Counterterrorist Troops Focus on Capital
As a consequence of strong guerrilla activity in various regions of Colombia, threats of insurgent actions within the capital, Bogota, have risen. For that reason, forces of the Colombian Urban Counterterrorist Command have been tasked to patrol Bogota and its periphery and to conduct surveillance operations. The counterterrorist units can be air-delivered by U.S.-made Blackhawks and by Soviet/Russian-model Mi-17 transport helicopters of the Colombian Army Air Services.
Kosovo Liberation Army Promises Independence
Conflict in Kosovo has focused considerable attention on the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK in Albanian), which vows to create an independent Kosovo for the Albanian majority living there. Serbian denunciations of the "terrorist UCK" include detailed assertions that the organization's support and direction are provided by Albanian hroin and arms traffickers, abetted by Croatians. Regardless of the truth of these assertions, the UCK has gained a new prominence in regional-security affairs. A June 1998 interview with UCK representatives gave insight into the way UCK wishes to be perceived. The representatives insisted that because of the continued oppression by Serbs, the UCK was formed as an army of liberation, and that the UCK believes it can never succeed except by force of arms. They described the UCK's armaments as light infantry weapons and quantities of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns. Tactics were described simply as "getting up close, to within a few meters of the Serbian special forces, opening fire, and then rapidly withdrawing." The UCK claims that its membership is rapidly increasing because of an influx of volunteers, but the representatives did not provide any strength figures. The UCK representatives expressed the hope that the U.S. would intervene, but they do not foresee that happening "until there has been a bloodbath".
Reorganization to Transform Russia's Internal Troops
As part of a broader restructuring of the Russian security establishment announced in August 1998, the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or MVD, will be reorganized over the next few years. As an early step, these internal-security forces, who have been active in most areas of ethno-national conflict in Russia and around its periphery, will no longer be required to guard state buildings or to escort convoys. During the period 2001-2005, the Internal Troops are to be transformed into the Federal Guard, which is characterized as a "Federal internal security police." Federal Guard forces will be assigned to regional commands and directorates that will replace the current MVD districts where Internal Troops are deployed. The force will be manned on a professional basis - personnel will be recruited on a volunteer contract basis rather than being conscripted. It has been suggested that the Federal Guard may also contain forces from the other "internal power departments," though this is far from clear. In fact, elaborate proposals to transform Internal Troops into a national-guard-type force that could better respond to Russia's domestic security concerns were advanced years ago without result. Given Russia's enduring economic problems and other turmoil, any fundamental change in structure is likely to be more in name than in substance.
Serbian Counterterrorist Police Grow to 500 Personnel
Three years ago, Serbia created the Serbian Police Special Counterterrorist Units, or SAJ, as a component of the much larger Serbian Special Police Forces. Initially thought ot number about 200 personnel, the SAJ are now believed to constitute two units (one in Vojvodina and the other in Kosovo) with an estimated strength of 500. Organized into brigade-and battalion-sized components, the two units have helicopter transport available and are expected to operate as paramilitary forces in urban situations that may approach regular combat. One report has estimated the size of the overall Serbian Special Police Forces to be 7,000 personnel; that number could be expanded by drawing personnel from other police formations.
Colombian Guerrilla Operations Affect Venezuela
The continuing spillover of Colombian guerrilla activity into Venezuela led to an early September ambush on an 11-man Venezuelan patrol. The attackers were believed to be combatants of the Colombian National Liberation Army, who, together with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, have raised tensions along the Colombia-Venezuela border. In the ambush, a Venezuelan National Guard transport vehicle was struck by 15 rounds. Even though there were no casualties, the encounter underscored growing Venezuelan concerns about escalating border incursions. The ambush was said to be the third such clash this year. Venezuelan border-protection posts and bases have been reinforced in case the guerrillas plan larger actions. At the same time, the leader of the Colombian Self-Defense Units, or AUC, has asserted that 35 Venezuelan and 25 Ecuadorian paramilitary members were training with the AUC in order to prepare themselves to fight guerrillas in their respective countries. The 35 Venezuelans are said to be patrolling the Colombia-Venezuela border as part of a 70-man force. The Venezuelan government has denied that there are paramilitary forces operating along the border and has stated its intent to deal "rigorously" with any paramilitary activity detected. The Colombian AUC has been particularly forceful in stating its intention to permit no establishment of guerrilla buffer zones or autonomous areas within Colombia, a development sometimes raised as a peace-accord bargaining option.
Reports Discuss Korea's 707th Special Mission Unit
The history, roles, and activities of Korea's 707th Special Mission Unit have been discussed in recent reporting. The unit, which is part of the Korean army's Special Warfare Command, was created in 1981. The 707th provided security for VIPs and for key facilities during the 1983 Asian Games and during the 1986 Olympics. At both events, terrorist attacks were considered to be a real danger. The 707th's soldiers – distinguished by their black berets – are assigned urban counterterrorist missions. They also constitute a quick-reaction unit for other kinds of emergencies and special-warfare requirements in wartime. In addition to working with special Korean counterterrorist police units, the 707th also trains with special units from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia.
Enduring Colombian Security Problems Worry Neighbors
According to widespread reporting, states bordering Colombia are becoming increasingly worried by the success of Colombian guerrillas and by the uncontrolled drug trafficking that provides the insurgents' financial support. Concerns are being voiced in both official and unofficial venues. Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, for example, has charged that Colombian guerrillas are supporting logistics centers used by Sendero Luminoso insurgents. Ecuadorian President Fabian Alarcon has pointed to the frequent use of his country's territory by Colombian insurgents and armed groups. Venezuela's President Rafael Caldera has pointed to the need to deploy several thousand additional troops to deal with Colombian guerrilla raids and the rising levels of cross-border crime. Panama similarly has reported that Colombian paramilitaries and guerrillas are crossing into Panama; as a result, Panama has stepped up its border security-force presence. Finally, Brazil has complained about the environmental damage to the Amazon, caused generally by trafficker-supported coca growers and drug laboratories. Collectively, the conflict in Colombia and its spillover of crime and violence are being increasingly felt by the other states throughout the region.
Ukrainian Mercenaries Serve in Many Conflict Areas
Continued economic and organizational disarray in Ukraine has created a substantial pool of disaffected active and former military and security personnel. According to Ukrainian estimates, several hundred former servicemen have agreed to serve as mercenaries in the Caucasus and in other areas of the former USSR, as well as in the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Africa. Often recruited by foreign commercial representatives in Ukraine, other mercenaries, using Ukrainian passports, deploy to conflict areas under the pretense of being tourists, workers or specialists. They serve in regular military units as well as in illegal irregular or paramilitary formations. In any case, such service is contrary to Ukrainian law, and mercenaries face lengthy prison sentences if they are caught and convicted. Mercenary activity in Ukraine has also been associated with the country's widespread arms trafficking. Recently, Ukrainian security services reportedly detected an intensified effort to recruit Ukrainian officers for mercenary service in Algeria. Leaflets are also being distributed in an effort to win recruits for an expedition corps in the Caucasus.
Colombia Forms New Counterinsurgency Force
Colombia has announced the creation of a 5,000-man counterinsurgency task force to deal with the increasing threat posed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. In early March 1998, the Colombian 3rd Mobile Brigade lost 70 troops killed in a clash with the FARC. The task force, under the command of a major general, will be composed of Army troops supported by Air Force and Marine elements. Officers with strong counterinsurgency experience will occupy key positions. The force will operate in Caguan, the most important area of the Caqueta Department in southern Colombia. As Colombia mobilizes its forces to deal with the FARC threat, there have been Colombian media reports that FARC plans to target foreign advisers, including law-enforcement and military personnel, who are assisting Colombian counterdrug efforts. The FARC and another major Colombian guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, are heavily involved in the Colombian cocaine trade.
Indian Army Reorganization May Shape Internal-security Roles
The Indian army's counterinsurgency efforts against Muslim militant groups in Kashmir have generated huge costs for India. By some estimates, these costs now exceed one million U.S. dollars per day, and counterinsurgency requires large deployments of regular and specialized troops. In 1993, the Indian army expanded its role in the Kashmir Valley when it deployed the Rashtriya Rifles. The 36-battalion formation, a light elite counterinsurgency force, was formed specifically to compensate for weak and untrustworthy local police and increasingly well-armed insurgents in Kashmir. By 11996, however, as guerrilla problems grew, tens of thousands of regular army units joined the Rashtriya Rifles in the valley, further supplemented by a police counterinsurgency special task force composed principally of non-Muslim personnel not from the local area. Faced with internal security challenges in Kashmir and elsewhere, the Indian army is interested in reducing its overall strength and using available revenue for force modernization. Some Indian spokesmen have suggested that increasing the use of light army forces, such as the Rashtriya Rifles, to fulfill missions in Kashmir and elsewhere could reduce the need for regular army forces in an internal-security role and help realize cuts. Such a move, it is argued, would better correspond to the real security issues with which India must deal. Others have suggested that the Rashtriya Rifles battalions be re-examined in light of their predominant internal-security duties and gendarme-like character. This is likely to remain a topic of close consideration and debate within the army and the government in the months ahead, as India re-evaluates its national-security requirements, its force-modernization priorities, and its approaches to internal security.
Chechen Special Forces Deployment Threatened
A variety of tensions, armed clashes and assassination attempts continue to threaten a broader conflict throughout the Caucasus region. In March 1998, a spokesman for Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov threatened retaliation if Russia continues to violate the bilateral agreements that in 1996 ended - up to now at least - Russia's badly failed military efforts to forcibly end Chechen independence claims. According to the presidential spokesmen, Chechnya will consider cutting the transport of oil through the Baku-Gorzny-Novorossiysk pipeline. The consequences of this action would be a major loss of revenue for Russia: a serious economic blow to Moscow. The Chechen spokesman also claimed that the Russian GRU - the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff - was planning to assassinate Azerbaijan's President Heydar Aliyev. Chechen Vice President Vakha Arsanov echoed this charge and asserted that Chechnya was prepared to deploy several special-forces battalions to the Azeri capital Baku to protect the Azeri president. The interaction of Muslim armed groups and mercenaries around the region has become a feature of Caucasus clashes.
Bolivian Blue Devils Undertake Counterdrug Duties
Emphasizing that the struggle against drugs is a national responsibility, the commander of the Bolivian armed forces, General Carlos Bejar, recently announced that the Bolivian Navy special-forces unit Blue Devils would soon be participating directly in counterdrug operations on Bolivia's rivers and lakes. Interdicting drugs and precursor chemicals that increasingly move along Bolivia's riverine routes constitutes a new role for the unit. The force is said to possess 33 speedboats and patrol boats capable of carrying out interdiction missions on the Amazon, its tributaries and lakes. Two other Bolivian military units - the army's green Devils and the air force's Red Devils - will continue to provide logistics support to the police - notably the Special Antinarcotics Force and the Mobile Police Unit for Rural Patrol.
Russia Tries New Approach to Border Security
On a section of the Russian border with Kazakhstan, a new style of Russian border watch is being used to stop drug traffickers, contraband smugglers, and illegal immigrants from China, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The so-called nonmilitary method of guarding border areas depends on support from local volunteer people's militias, Cossack groups and local government bodies. The approach is also being tried in the Transbaikal region. If successful there, it will be used more widely throughout Russia. Plans have also been announced for revitalized maritime Border Guard fleet to be created over the next decade. The enhanced force is to have ships similar to those of the U.S. Coast Guard. The force will patrol some 46,000 km of ocean, river and lake frontiers. Currently, maritime border forces have 250 ships and 671 cutters, numbers which are considered far too few. Nevertheless, Russia's extreme economic problems make the acquisition of new border vessels problematic, and the precipitous, unaddressed decline of the regular Russian navy adds another dimension of conflict over scarce resources.
Slovenian Military Police Have Counter-PSYOP Role
Military police or VP, now constitute an important part of the Slovenian army. In peacetime, the VP are responsible for maintaining military order and discipline, controlling military traffic, and providing security for defense sites and facilities. Their work is carried out in cooperation with the Slovenian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Defense Ministry's Intelligence-Security Service, the military's criminal police. VP units are manned entirely by long-term service personnel, with units assigned to every regional command. In addition, an independent VP battalion established in 1998 plays a central role in Slovenian-army training. In wartime, VP units are tasked to protect the security of mobilizing units and to facilitate the deployment of those units. The force will also play a key role in rear-area protection and security, to include eliminating enemy sabotage-diversionary teams, identifying other infiltrators, guarding POWs and preventing enemy psychological-warfare operations.
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