August 1, 2006

Georgian Forces Move into Abkhazia

By Douglas Hanson
The world situation remains normal: full of armed conflicts. Only a few of these attract the attention of the world's mass media. The border lands of the former Soviet empire are one area that remains a source of of instability. While the world's attention has been focused on the IDF's offensive against Iranian—backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, another military operation has been underway in the Caucasus.  The Voice of America reported last week that Georgian forces moved into the strategic Kodori Gorge area of the so—called breakaway province of Abkhazia in pursuit of rebel leader Emzar Kvitsiani. Abkhazia declared independence in the early 90s, even though it is within the traditional borders of Georgia.  Since the break, it has been under the watchful eye of Russian 'peacekeepers,' whose interest is more attuned to maintaining financial and smuggling interests rather than keeping the peace. The de—facto unrecognized Abkhazian government has also set...(Read Full Article)