This most hated man in the republic, however, remains a member in good standing of Putin's siloviki praetorianguard and has just delivered all of Ingushetia's votes for Unified Russia.
Well-placed diplomats believe Hezbollah is also providing part of the regime's inner praetorianguard, as some of the big Alawite clans have become so alienated by the level of casualties they have suffered that their members are no longer regarded as fully reliable.