Georgia-Russia

//Jan 8 2009// The conflict in Georgia is Russia 's largest military engagement outside its borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Here are some of the key issues in the current crisis. On one side is Russian air, naval and ground power. On the other is the military of Georgia, a small country that was once part of the Soviet Union but has a history of troubled relations with Moscow. The fighting revolves around two pro-Russian enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but has expanded through other parts of Georgia. Both sides have said they would accept a cease-fire, worked out with the help of European diplomats, but there are reports that Russian troops have continued to fight in violation of the truce. Moscow has long viewed itself as the protector of the two enclaves, which have been under pressure from the central government in Georgia. In 1990, Georgia voted to abolish the autonomy of South Ossetia, and by 1991 the ethnic antagonists were fighting. In 1992, Georgia and Russia signed a peace treaty and Russian troops began patrolling the South Ossetia border. That same year, Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia and another war was fought; it ended in 1994 with a treaty between Russia and Georgia. Russian troops then began patrolling that enclave too. Georgia launched a surprise operation last week to seize control of South Ossetia. Russia sent its military into the breakaway republics and bombed Georgia proper. Yes and no. Many Western experts have predicted that Russia would stage some sort of military action since Mikheil Saakashvili was elected president of Georgia in 2004. As part of his platform, he said he wanted to reincorporate the enclaves into Georgia. Most experts agreed that Russia would respond with force if that happened. ** Does the **** United States **** have any special interests in the area? **  Saakashvili is an ally of the United States and sent troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States has strongly backed Georgia 's effort to join NATO. Russia fears that its former Soviet partners and satellites will look to Europe and form a pro-Western ring, curbing Moscow 's arena of diplomatic action. The second concern is energy. Georgia is a major conduit for oil flowing from Russia and Central Asia to the West. ** What is the **** U.S. **** diplomatic position? ** ** The **** United States **** has strongly backed the Georgian government, calling on **** Russia **** to end its incursion and withdraw all forces. **  "The United States stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia and insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected," President Bush said today in the White House Rose Garden. Bush said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to Paris to assist Europe 's diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. She will travel to Georgia as part of the United States ' commitment to the beleaguered government. The president also announced that the United States would send humanitarian aid to help the tens of thousands of refugees from the fighting. A U.S. C-17 military cargo plane loaded with supplies landed in Georgia today.
 * Georgia-Russia**
 * Who is fighting whom? **
 * Where are they fighting? **
 * What is the background to the fighting? **
 * What touched off the latest fighting? **
 * Was this confrontation expected? **