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Source: http://www.jpost.com/indexa.html
Russian Forces Deploy in Lebanon Outside of UNIFIL Command
[Jerusalem Post] Caroline Glick - The Russian bear has awakened after 15 years of hibernation. Under the leadership of former KGB commander President Vladimir Putin, Russia is reasserting its traditional hostility towards Israel. Last Tuesday, Russian military engineers landed in Beirut, the first time that Russian forces have openly deployed in the Middle East. The Russian forces, which will officially number some 550 troops, are tasked with rebuilding bridges and will operate outside the command of UNIFIL. The engineers will be protected by commando platoons from Russia's 42nd motorized rifle division permanently deployed in Chechnya. According to reports, these commando platoons are part of the Vostok and Zapad Battalions, both of which are commanded by Muslim officers who report directly to the main intelligence department of the Russian Army's General Staff in Moscow. The Vostok Battalion is commanded by Maj. Sulim Yamadayev, who Mosnews refers to as a "former rebel commander."