"Russian air, ground forces strike Georgia" from the Washington Post reports on the escalating conflict in Ossetia, a rebellious section of the former Soviet Union state, now nation, Georgia - all this going on under the spectacle of the Beijing Olympic Games.
"War in Georgia; How the Caucusus Erupted" from Der Spiegel
"Strutting their stuff" by Anne Applebaum
Georgian army units quickly seized Tskhinvali, capital of the mountainous province, Georgian officials said. But large numbers of Russian tanks appeared to be moving against them there. Russian television showed what was described as a Georgian armored vehicle burning on the city's streets. Local officials reported large numbers of civilians killed. Russian officials said that more than 10 of their troops had died.
Georgia, a former Soviet republic, became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. South Ossetia then fought a war to break away from Georgia and has had de facto independence since 1992. The province is dominated by an overwhelmingly ethnic Ossetian population, many of whom have taken Russian citizenship. South Ossetia has received support from Russia, which is suspicious of Georgia's close links with the United States and its bid to join the NATO alliance.
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