The Brutal History of Russia's Alpha Group Special Forces —Part Spy Network, Part Counterterrorism Team, Part General-Purpose Commando Squad

Here's What You Need to Remember: Alpha Group survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and currently operates under the auspices of the FSB, the successor to the KGB. Yet its confrontation with Hezbollah during the hostage crisis in Lebanon remains one of its most widely discussed, and strikingly brutal, operations.

Russia and the Lebanese Islamic milit…