(lat) The conflict in Georgia is Russia's largest military engagement outside its borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Here are some of the key issues in the current crisis. Who is fighting whom? On one side is Russian air, naval and ground power. On the other is the military of Georgia, a small country that was once part of the Soviet Union but has a history of troubled relations with Moscow. Where are they fighting? The fighting revolves around two pro-Russian enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but has expanded through other parts of Georgia. Both sides have said they would accept a cease-fire, worked out with the help of European diplomats, but there are reports that Russian troops have continued to fight in violation of the truce. What is the background to the fighting? Moscow has long viewed itself as the protector of the two enclaves, which have been under pressure from the central government in Georgia. In 1990, Georgia voted to abolish the autonomy of South Ossetia, and by 1991 the ethnic antagonists were fighting. In 1992, Georgia and Russia signed a peace treaty and Russian troops began patrolling the South Ossetia border. That same year, Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia and another war was fought; it ended in 1994 with a treaty between Russia and Georgia. Russian troops then began patrolling that enclave too. What touched off the latest fighting? Georgia launched a surprise operation last week to seize control of South Ossetia. Russia sent its military into the breakaway republics and bombed Georgia proper. (view source for full article)

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