Anderson on the Conflict in Georgia

Check out Georgia, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, posted by Ken Anderson on Opinio Juris. Here is a taste:

[I]t is a grave error to conflate rolling back Russian expansionism with the idea that Georgia should have actual political, security, and military control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  This is a difficult point, but it is essential.  Based on what I saw in the brutal, unforgiving, as-bad-as-Yugoslavia, ethnic cleansing wars of fifteen years ago, in my view it is simply impossible for Georgia to govern those territories.  I don’t think it was possible from the moment that Georgia declared independence; after all, secession happened practically moments later.  And I emphatically believe that the level of brutal violence on each side sealed it.

Anderson has extensive in-the-field experience in human rights work, and first-hand (albeit somewhat dated) knowledge of Georgia.  A must read if you are interested in this conflict.