6
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 18 - 24, 2021
A MACV-SOG for Georgia?
Photo by unknown author
OP-ED BY MICHAEL GODWIN
T
heorganizationintheUnited States military formerly known as Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group, or more commonly as MACVSOG, was a secret and shadowy special operations group. This group operated outside the bounds of the conventional military rules and constraints. In addition to working outside of Vietnam’s national borders, they also worked with local resistance and guerilla groups to fight the VietCong on their unconventional terms, and in their unconventional ways. Georgia, facing an impending occupation, and indeed their own sovereign territory being held by a foreign force, could learn an interesting tactic from this group. The implementation of a “black” operations force aimed at destabilization of the occupation authority could be the lever to turn the tide in the nation’s favor. Organizing a small, agile,
and shadowy force could equally shift the balance of power in the occupied regions, forcing Russian soldiers to rethink their nation's commitment to such lands. First, who was the MACV-SOG that seemingly ran amok in the mountains, villages, and jungles of Southeast Asia? This organization was a conglomeration of multiple teams aimed at disruption and terror on the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail, the supply route of the VietCong and North Vietnamese Army (NVA). This trail extended out of North Vietnam into Laos and Cambodia and back into South Vietnam. Interrupting this would cripple the insurgent’s effort against the South Vietnamese and American forces. Operating in the literal and figurative dark, these small teams, ranging from 1 to 4 US soldiers, would pair with 5 to 30 local fighters and wreak havoc on the supply and reinforcement chain of the enemy. This top secret organization operated in virtual non-existence as far as the populace and media was concerned. News, foreign elements, and public organizations were told nothing about
the existence of their organization. The explicit requirement of the prospective members was that they must have a background in special operations, thus qualifying them for the secrecy of the organization. The unit was focused on special reconnaissance and in certain instances on ambush or Direct Action (DA). Throughout the war, these teams operated in shadowed excellence against the communist threat from the north. With approximately 20% of the nation's land being occupied and restricted by Russian forces, a force of similar operational scope could be exceptionally effective in Georgia. Operating in a deniable capacity using asymmetric and unconventional tactics could give Tbilisi more leverage in their Ergneti talks, while leaving room to deny such actions as simple partisan activity or rowdy locals acting out. All the while, these shadow operators would be slowly chiseling away at Russian stability in the region. This new Georgian organization would have to be masked to be hidden from bureaucratic nonsense and corruption or infiltration by Russian elements already operating in the nation’s administration. A policy of restricted knowledge of such an organization would have to be implemented so as to contain even the very idea of such an organization. All but the most essential people would be clueless as to the very existence of a Georgian “black operations” element. One key element of their training would be cross-training with friendly intelligence organizations familiar with the type of operations they will be tasked with, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United Kingdom’s Special Intelligence Service (more commonly known as MI6), France’s General Directorate for External Security (or in the French acronym DGSE), and Israel’s now-famous Mossad would be essential partners in the establishment of such an organization. Their ability to blend into the social fabric in Abkhazia and South Ossetia would be critical. Language and cultural skills, ability to adapt to special weapons,
and anonymity would be crucial for the prospective individuals. There can be no way to trace them to Tbilisi, and the candidates would need to be willing to be disavowed upon apprehension, possibly leading to their death. Their overall objective being the sowing of fear and discontent among the occupation forces. This is not just patriotic, but necessary as a nation defending its own. Duty in this “Studies and Observations Group” would be completely voluntary and of the utmost confidentiality. Their name, rank, personal identification number, and other personal factors would be virtually erased. Any weapon or equipment assigned to them would have manufacturing and serial identifiers removed completely, as well as any additional gear similarly scrubbed. Their new identity would be created to blend in perfectly to their environment; livestock herder, market employee, farmer, etc. Upon deployment, these individuals would begin the slow and arduous task of raising a band of partisan militia. Through effective information and psychological operations, the local populace would be angled against the occupation forces. The original MACV-SOG would
be paired with sympathetic local fighters to combat the enemy, and so would the Georgian operators. Operating completely unaccounted for by the government, they would be responsible for all activity by themselves and their contingent of resistance personnel. Of course, the legality and international approval of such an organization would come into question. However, it is not the only shadowy element operating in the fringes of diplomacy. Russia has been doing this since the collapse of their last venture, the Soviet Union. Even now, they continue to spread their influence through proxies and covert units, as revealed in various press releases. Why should Georgia abstain from such activity? Georgia cannot afford to let Russian elements continue the indoctrination of their own people. They will slowly invade the homes and minds of Georgians if left unchecked. Sending their own subtle elements will allow Georgia to keep a firm grip on their own territory, as well as beat back the Moscow-driven threat. Tbilisi needs to support their occupied territories by countering the aggressions and supporting the people as a force for good and giving them confidence that they are not forgotten.
Photo by 1LT Robert Kunzig/USNavy
BUSINESS
Veon’s Beeline Signs Agreement with Nokia for a Core Network Modernization
B
eeline, part of the international Veon Group, on June 15 took an important step toward modernizing its core network throughout the country by signing a $10 million contract with Nokia, the world's leading corporation. The company will soon be introducing the latest generation of Nokia technologies that will improve customer service, increase network productivity and security and provide readiness for the introduction of 5G technology. As part of the deal, Beeline Georgia also chose Nokia’s Home Location Register (HLR), making Nokia the sole network vendor for VEON in Georgia. HLR is a critical core component, given its role as the repository for storing subscriber data. In addition to HLR, Beeline acquires Nokia’s cloud-native Cloud Mobile Gateway (CMG) and Cloud Mobility Manager (CMM) appliance solutions, which provides Beeline the capability to rapidly launch 5G services in the future without making significant changes to the network. Upgrading the core network through near-zero touch automation and increased operational efficiencies will enable Beeline to meet rising customer demand for much greater bandwidth capacity, service quality and reliability, and enhanced product innovation and services. The upgrade will also help future-proof Beeline’s 4G network, which currently serves
63% of Beeline Georgia’s customers and reaches 90% of the nation’s population. Deployment of the core network modernization is expected to start in the 3rd quarter of 2021. The contract signing ceremony took place at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel in Tbilisi. Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO, and Mikko Lavanti, Vice President, Head of Central Europe & Central Asia at Nokia, arrived in Georgia to announce the signing of the contract and speak at the press conference together with Lasha Tabidze, Beeline CEO. At the press conference, the sides pointed out that this new partnership and preparing ground for 5G services in the country will be beneficial not only in terms of introducing latest technologies but for achieving better education
opportunities among the society, for business and enterprises and the Georgian economy as a whole. While working on introducing new opportunities through this partnership, Beeline was traditionally focused on the safety of its customers, which is also one of the priorities of the local government. As a result, they noted the Georgian population will be provided with the fastest and safest services, with their privacy and personal data well protected. Naturally, 5G services will be available only for a small part of the population in the nearest future, however, this new deal is expected to significantly improve and enhance the already available 4G network performance and other features offered by Beeline. “This is a milestone accomplishment
for Beeline, which will bring our subscribers a reliable, steady network, seamless customer experience and services,” says Lasha Tabidze, Beeline CEO. “We are very pleased to have chosen the bestin-class Nokia Corporation as our partner. The solutions from Nokia will provide Beeline with the necessary adaptability, preparedness and potency to meet the demand for enhanced mobile broadband, the Internet of Things and advanced 4G services while enabling 5G capabilities of the future. Most importantly, this new partnership will allow us to offer our loyal customers even more diverse digital services and create more comfort for them in a safe way. “Regarding our 4G network, which currently covers 90% of Georgia’s population, with the upcoming update through collaboration with Nokia, this service will become of even better quality, while still existing certain weaknesses will be eliminated.” “We’ve all seen the difficult times due to the pandemic, while mobile internet actually helped us to stay connected and work together during this challenging period,” notes Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO. “Today, we’re announcing an increased capacity of mobile internet, almost double, and making it ready for 5G. This is the first 5G-ready network in compliance with globally recognized security policies in Georgia. “I believe that we have a responsibility
to bring 4G for every single citizen of Georgia, rather than focusing on 5G for a few,” Terzioglu adds. “But the infrastructure we’ll be deploying in partnership with Nokia, will make Georgia one of those countries which are on the pioneering level in terms of their readiness for 5G deployment. Our customers in Georgia have an increasing demand for a wider range of experiences built on connectivity and digital services; and this important upgrade to our infrastructure allows us to serve them better, and with a greater internal efficiency.” Mikko Lavanti, Vice President, Head of Central Europe & Central Asia, Nokia, said: “We’re very pleased to help Beeline with this important step in its digital transformation. During the pandemic, we’ve all learned the importance of telecom. At that time, Nokia started creating technologies that help people globally to respond the new challenges. Today, by announcing this partnership, we’re bringing the latest technologies offered by Nokia to Georgia, which will support Beeline to modernize its network, including its applications, and other services, and bring even more benefits to the local society and the country’s economy.” As deployment of the core network modernization is expected to start soon, it can be said that Beeline customers (and not only) will experience the benefits of the newly announced partnership themselves in the near future.
