Western Sahara: Recognizing Independence as it Seeks its Own

Western Sahara will recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by the end of 2008, Russian media reported Sept. 12. The problem is that Western Sahara is itself struggling for international recognition of its bid for independence from Morocco. Its recognition of the Georgian separatist regions could be a ploy to gain Russian support for its independence movement and to use that support to undermine the pro-American regime in Rabat.