Russia's latest move is deployment of its largest-ever force of ground troops to Syria. With the possibility of more to come, 1,000 troops on their way are not common soldiers. They are special forces, and they come from Chechnya. Like the luminary that informed wise men two thousand years ago, Moscow's star is rising from the north. It is not the same star, however. And its message is quite different.

Israel's Sayeret Matkal, "the Unit," has been called "the most effective counterterrorism force in the world." Famous for stiletto-like operations throughout Israel's modern history, it remains a key weapon in the Jewish State's military forces.