Israel PING !
Moscow posts two Chechen platoons in S. Lebanon, one headed by an ex-rebel commander, to improve Russias image in the Arab world
Moscow did not consult Israel before stationing Muslim Chechen troops on its border for the first time.
Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov said openly to Russian media that the deployment of former rebel Chechen troops in Lebanon aimed at improving Moscows image in the Arab and Muslim world.
DEBKAfiles military sources: The Russian units are operating independently of the largely-European UN peacekeeping force. Their vehicles fly Russian and Lebanese flags. UNIFIL too was taken by surprise by the posting of Chechen troops to Lebanon. Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora was informed but omitted to notify Washington, Paris, Berlin, Rome or the UN.
The Kremlins rationale for making Russia the first nation to deploy a Muslim contingent in South Lebanon - albeit outside the UN force is part of a hard-hitting foreign and domestic policy initiative, which is summed up by DEBKAfiles sources:
1. The Putin administration wants to demonstrate to Russias teeming Muslim community its willingness to step into Middle East conflicts on behalf of the Muslim-Arab interest. This straw in the wind indicates the Kremlins orientation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
2. Moscow is building another bridge to Tehran through a joint, potentially interactive presence in Lebanon.
3. As a step to promote cooperation with Hizballah, with whom the Chechens, with their long record of extremist Muslim terrorist action against the Russian army, have much in common in contrast to the European contingents of UNIFIL.
4. The Russian Chechen units cooperation with Hizballah in the parts of Lebanon under its control will pave the way for a Russian Muslim military presence north of Israel which is independent of the UN and not bound by accords to which Israel is a party.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3354