We hope you’re enjoying getting settled in and finding your new (or old) routine. Join us for the first meeting of the semester Wednesday, September 10th at 7pm in room 105 of SMG. Here’s your chance to find out how to get involved, talk to veteran club members and take part in a lively debate about the current situation in Georgia.
SPLASH participants: we will be drawing names for the iPod giveaway, but you must be present to win.
Interrupting the traditional peace of the Olympics this year was a massive Russian troop movement into disputed regions of Georgia upon claims of Russian citizens in South Ossetia. Threats flying back and forth between the US and the former Soviet monolith reminded many of the Cold War.
Although the brief and intense political action resulted in the Russian withdrawal of troops, this overnight escalation demands the exploration of the Georgian issue in order to prevent potentially more devastating international conflict in the future. (See video, time line, and further background info after the jump.)
Time Line of Recent Events
- The most recent conflict started on August 9th when Georgia launched a defensive military strike after shelling from rebel groups in South Ossetia.
- Four days later, attempts at a ceasefire seemed successful despite continued fiery rhetoric from all parties involved.
- On August 22, the UN Security Council encountered a deadlock as members clashed on the conditions of a ceasefire.
- In a bold diplomatic move, on August 26th, Russia recognized the independence of the disputed territories only to be met with harsh condemnation from the rest of the world.
Focus Question: How much of Russia’s actions were provoked by Western powers’ recognition of Kosovo and tensions due to the expansion of NATO and placement of the American missile shield in Eastern Europe?
The instability of Georgia is not without precedence. The region has had numerous rulers in the past 500 years, including the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian empires. Until 1991, Georgia was subject to the rule of the USSR, only gaining independence after its collapse. The stated remained relatively unstable until 1995, but its government was disorganized until the Rose Revolution of 2003.
Conflicts in both South Ossetia and Abkhazia forced regional autonomy to prevent escalation into all-out-war with Russia. Afterward, limited ethnic cleansing of Georgian nationals followed. In recent years, the conflict has been relatively mild compared to this recent uprising.
Given the result of August’s events, and Russia’s move in recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, many have reason to believe that there are plans by Russia to absorb the territories in the future.
Focus Question: Should Russia have the power to annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPGR2WF0fzs]
Focus Question: What impact does this situation have on countries indirectly affected by the conflict?
