[Ruy Horta]

Again, it is arguable wether or not these two autonomous regions during the Soviet era, should automatically have been part of the new sovereign state of Georgia.

At least the Ossetians and Abkhazians don't seem to think so, but we in the west thought otherwise.

The right of recognition is often arbitrary and mostly dictated by national interests. I don't see any difference in this regard between east or west, north or south for that matter. Rebel, separatist, freedom or independence fighter. It probably boils down to which side has to offer the best deals.

Perhaps I'm too much of a cynic.

As for your second point, at least according to the Russians (and Saakashvili's own comments on CNN) Georgian troops opened fire first with a relatively heavy (rocket) artillery barrage. Not on Russian territory, but against Russian troops (or peacekeepers in their point of view).

I don't want to press my views and it is clearly too early to tell how this will play out, but my instinct is not to jump in support of Saakashvili.