Maybe one of you guys can clear this whole thing up for me....
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>One of Georgia's provinces doesn't like being part of them and in practice IS part of russia (speaks russian, russian passports, etc) wants to be part of Russia. So Georgia sends military to that area to "reclaim" it, effectively forcing the population back to a country that they have no ties to. Russia defends them by responding with more force.
Close but not quite (from what I understand, anyway).
Most of these new republics formed from the former USSR/CIS have social/historical ties to Russia. True, most Ossetians and Abkhazians speak Russian, but so do most Georgians (although the official language of Georgia is Georgian, and the 'official' language of the break-away state of Abkhazia is Abkhazian). True, many Ossetians and Abkhazians do not view themselves as Georgians; however, they generally do not view themselves as Russians, either. True, many Ossetians and Abkhazians have Russian passports, but only because in the last four years the Russian government has been supporting separatists there with arms and training, and has been handing out Russian passports like candy. Russia has stationed 'Peace-Keeping Forces' in Georgia. Basically, Russia has been looking for any move by Georgia to 'justify' such an incursion for years.
If you look at a map of Georgia (see for instance,
the CIA World Factbook, which gives some excellent background data on the nation of Georgia and the ethnhic conflicts there), you will see that South Ossetia occupies a north central section, and Abkhazia the extreme northwestern tip of Georgia. Still, the Soviet (er, excuse me, I mean 'Russian') incursion emphasized the capture of the central city of Gori (hub of the transnational oil/gas pipelines that have become the center, with tourism, of the robust new Georgian economy) and the central west coast city of Poti (Georgia's only major port on the Black Sea).
I was surprised that someone talked about the limited freedom in Georgia when that is actually opposite of the current situation there. Prior to the last set of elections, Eduard Shevardnadze (of old Soviet name and fame) was the president, and there were many holdovers from old Soviet-style communism. However, in 2004 his government was swept out of power by free and fair elections in which 40% of the vote was distributed among political parties other than the new president's party. Representation in the legislature includes 150 delegates apportioned by population, and even includes 10 representatives for displaced persons from Abkhazia (Abkhazians forced from their homes by separatist clashes).
Georgia has been a 'success story' of economic growth and development and freedom in the wake of the breakup of the former USSR. The 2007 GDP grew at a rate of about 12%, fueled largely by foreign investment (Georgia has made the aim of opening up to outside investment and ensuring a pro-industry government environment.) This may be part of the root of Russia's concern.