Sochi is about 30 km from Georgia(Abkhazia)

[Vince]

I think the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi might be a uniter, not a divider, but I'm sure there are people that will disagree.

[lonewolf]

Who knows who will be aligned who in six years? My crystal ball is all clouded up.

[imaginative]

If Sochi (never heard of it before, should pay more attention) by some quirk
of war belongs to another country in 2014, would it still have the Olympics?

[Pego]

If Sochi (never heard of it before, should pay more attention) by some quirk
of war belongs to another country in 2014, would it still have the Olympics?

Sochi is a part of Russia. There is no chance of this changing.

[EPelle]

If Sochi (never heard of it before, should pay more attention) by some quirk
of war belongs to another country in 2014, would it still have the Olympics?

How are you Swedish, and haven:t heard of Sochi?

[observer2]

Looks like Sochi now is about 250 km (about 160 miles) from Georgia?

http://encarta.msn.com/map_701509822/abkhazia.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3261059.stm

http://pulitzercenter.typepad.com/untol ... ecogn.html

[Vince]

Looks like Sochi now is about 250 km (about 160 miles) from Georgia?

http://encarta.msn.com/map_701509822/abkhazia.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3261059.stm

http://pulitzercenter.typepad.com/untol ... ecogn.html

Indeed, Russia has "freed" Abkhazia from Georgia, which was taken by a decree from Stalin, who took a fancy to the place.

[imaginative]

Was not Stalin Georgian himself?

[observer2]

Stalin was born in Georgia, yes. But 2008 nobody in Russia refers to Stalin.

[Vince]

Was not Stalin Georgian himself?

Yes, ironic isn't it? Uncle Joe takes it for Georgia, and the new Russia decides Georgia can't have it.

[malmo]

If Sochi (never heard of it before, should pay more attention) by some quirk
of war belongs to another country in 2014, would it still have the Olympics?

I've been there. They call it "the Miami Beach of Russia." I'm sorry, there are no black rocks on the beaches in Miami, and the women in Miami aren't strong plow horses like they are in Russia. Sochi is typical of all of Russia - grey, bleak and depressing.

[imaginative]

Was not Stalin Georgian himself?

Yes, ironic isn't it? Uncle Joe takes it for Georgia, and the new Russia decides Georgia can't have it.

Aha! I misunderstood you to mean that the ``freeing'' from Georgia
occured on Stalin's decree, which seemed a bit contrary to Stalin
being Georgian. Now, I get it.

[Pego]

Was not Stalin Georgian himself?

Yes, ironic isn't it? Uncle Joe takes it for Georgia, and the new Russia decides Georgia can't have it.

Aha! I misunderstood you to mean that the ``freeing'' from Georgia
occured on Stalin's decree, which seemed a bit contrary to Stalin
being Georgian. Now, I get it.

Under the Soviet Union, it mattered very little, which state did some territories belong to. Stalin attached Crimea to Ukraine, Transdniester to Moldavia and so on. Now, after the break-up, it matters a lot. Don't expect the territorial disputes all over the post-soviet republics to stop for decades. Some will be diplomatic, some military. Armenia-Azerbaijan is a powder keg, so are some others.