SOUTH OSSETIA SITUATION ESCALATES.

Georgian forces are moving on the capitol of the breakaway region of South Ossetia:

Georgia pounded the capital of its breakaway South Ossetia province with heavy weapons on Thursday after a ceasefire broke down within hours and separatists said they were under siege.

"Georgian troops are storming Tskhinvali (the capital). They are bombing the city," South Ossetia's separatist leader, Eduard Kokoity, told Russian news agencies. A Reuters reporter saw intense fire from heavy weapons at different locations skirting Tskhinvali. The reporter heard heavy fighting coming from the direction of the city.

The night sky was lit up blue and red by explosions and Georgian forces appeared to be firing Katyusha rockets.

This gives a clue as to Georgian intentions:

The commander of Georgian peacekeepers in South Ossetia, Mamuka Kurashvili, told Georgian television: "We are forced to restore constitutional order in the whole region."

Which indicates that South Ossetia may soon cease to be a breakaway region. There are conflicting claims as to Russia's response to the Georgian offensive, including some reports that Russian troops are moving into the region, and an accusation by Georgian President Mikhail Saakasvili that Russian aircraft have bombed Georgian towns. None of this, as far as I know, has been confirmed; Russia's response to the reoccupation might (rightly or wrongly) be taken by the Georgians as a signal of Russian intentions and resolve regarding Abkhazia, the other breakaway region of Georgia.

--Robert Farley