Of course, South Ossetia and Abkhazia have played a crucial role in Russia's strategy to rebuild its standing in the region, following the collapse of the Soviet empire. Though the Russians have brutally repressed a Chechnyan insurrection, they have fully supported Ossetian and Abkhazian efforts to do the same, as a way of needling Georgia. Russia has been quick to back any pro-Moscow sentiments in the region.
Violent clashes between separatist and Georgian forces have increased in the past few years. But until 2008, the dispute between Russia and Georgia over Ossetia has been mostly civil. Since March, however, diplomacy has deteriorated, culminating in the horrific violence of last week.
So when Georgia launched an artillery and rocket barrage on the South Ossetian capital of
Tskhinvali last Thursday night, purportedly to cleanse the city of separatists, it was
anticipated that the Russian response would be enormous.
Image: Georgian nationals call for tough Western action to force Moscow to pull its troops out of Georgia.
Photograph: Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images
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