Much at stake in Georgian conflict

August 09, 2008

Analysts say the escalating fighting in South Ossetia risks major consequences for a region that's become a test of the post-Cold war balance of power. Georgia's bid to re-take the rebel region of South Ossetia by force is a gamble by Georgian President Mikeil Saakashvili that he can still count on Western support as he tries to thwart Russian efforts to regain influence over the former Soviet republic. Alongside the foreign policy ramifications, the escalating conflict in the Caucasus poses a threat to Europe's energy future.