Hi Sara--jb6 stirs things up as usual -:))))) As for Abkhazia, yes I agree that it's time to set a time line for Russian troops to leave the region and reintegrate Abkhazia into Georgia. It's ridiculous to fight Islamic separatism in Chechnya and throughout North Caucasus while supporting another kind of separatism in the neighboring country.
The fun historical thing is that in 1930's Abkhazia was a part of Russian Federation. Stalin was once vacationing there and after some party, decided to write a decree to turn Abkhazia from Russian Soviet Republic to Georgian Soviet Republic. Since he was an absolute tyrant, his decree took effect immediately with some rubberstamp approval of the Supreme Soviet. There were many other stories of the entire regions being transferred between Soviet Republics without any referendum and other "inconveniences" of democratic process--like Crimea passed from Russia to Ukraine in 1954 as a gift to 300 year anniversary of 1654 Khmelnitsky Russian-Ukrainian alliance that eventually ended in absorbtion of Ukraine into Russian Empire.
However, internationally recognized borders must be respected no matter how they came to be.
That's mighty white of you. Have you ever been to Abkhazia? I have, granted it was only for 3 days. The people overwhelming (read this carefully) DO NOT WANT TO BE PART OF GEORGIA, but you can then just drop the mask of democracy and be a nice, PC autocrat by forcing them to live under the rule of those who 12 years ago tried to exterminate them. Gee, makes about as much sense as giving Israel (without bothering to care what the Israelis think) back to the Arabs or Bangladesh to Pakistan or East Timor to Indonesia or Taiwan to China....so of course you must support the return of Taiwan to China right? Never mind, also, that voluntarily, 90%+ of the population took up Russian citizenship in 2002, giving up on the dream of independence because they knew they'd never have peace with Georgia. But hay, why bother with the details if surrendering these people will make the anti-Russians or the EU crowd happy, right? Makes one look like a "moderate" or "liberal", kinda like a Yablaka member, you know one of the parties that ruled Russia for 8 years and profited from the biggest rape of resources in known history.
Actually, Abhazia was an independent Soviet Republic and was then incorporated into the Georgian Soviet Republic.
As for Abkhazia, yes I agree that it's time to set a time line for Russian troops to leave the region and reintegrate Abkhazia into Georgia. ==
Problem is that abkhasians don't want to go to Georgia. They fought with them. Remember?
Georgians acnn't find even 10 abkhasians who may fight on thier side.
It's ridiculous to fight Islamic separatism in Chechnya and throughout North Caucasus while supporting another kind of separatism in the neighboring country. ==
Different situation. Russia found quite the number of chechens who fight vakhabit islamists there. It is not a fight about separatism anymore. It is fight about secular chechens vs islamist chechen. Like in Iraq.
However, internationally recognized borders must be respected no matter how they came to be.==
No matter that Abkhazia was given to Georgia by Stalin? You respect Stalin' installed borders?