 Aug. 8, 2008 will be a day to remember, and not just because it
was the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing. It was the day Georgian
forces tried to retake the region of South Ossetia. In response,
Russia sent its army to crush Georgian aggression. The result: dozens, maybe hundreds, of civilians killed. There is an investigation into
the accusations of indiscriminate violence, murder and genocide by
both Russia and Georgia.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia - supported by Russia - have had de
facto independence since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the
1990s, though few foreign governments have shown interest in
recognising them as independent states. Their autonomy is now being
decided, together with the future of this thorny region.
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