Invasion. When I was younger I dreamed about alien invasion. Actually, I still do. I learned a lot about invading in March of 2003 as I made the road march from Kuwait through Baghdad. It was a simple case of one country’s military forces crossing a border with intent to exert force until a victor is named.

Early last week, it was reported that Russia had invaded Crimea. President Obama’s response to the actions of Vladimir Putin has drawn heavy criticism, leaving many to question the capabilities of the president.

Now that some of the media dust has settled, the reasoning behind the lack of U.S. military action is clear. The answer lies in the fact that Russia did not invade Crimea. Russia did move troops into the Crimean Peninsula. More specifically, they moved about 16,000 troops into the area. While this may seem like an act of aggression, according to a Partition Treaty signed in 1997, Putin can still move in another 9,000 troops and be in compliance with the treaty.

Russia has basing rights in the Crimean Peninsula, and Russia is well within it rights to move military units in and out of this area.  So long as the number of Russian troops in the Crimean Peninsula does not exceed 25,000, Russia has committed no crime.

The recent protests in the Ukraine have garnered a rather large amount of media attention. The move by Putin is logical—many ethnic Russians live in the Crimean Peninsula and the presence of Russian troops may provide added security for all inhabitants of the area. The Ukraine is certainly a very poor region, and the police force in the Ukraine is well known for being horribly corrupt. So, knowing this, it seems that Russia’s troop movements are in the best interest of the Russian people. This would almost seem commendable were it not for Russia’s recent debacle involving migrant workers being denied basic labor rights in Sochi.

I am no invasion expert. I only know what happened that one time I invaded Iraq with several of my brothers.  I remember that before we actually set boots in the sand, we bombed. Then we bombed some more. That is called an attack. We attacked Iraq with various missiles. After this attack, my brothers and I crossed over from Kuwait to Iraq, heavily armed, with a direct intent to overcome Iraqi forces and, well, install democracy.

Democracy is a rather foreign concept to the Iraqi people, but that is why this is considered an invasion. An invading force comes in, takes control of your land, and gives you a new religious/political system: theirs.

Crimea, in contrast, has not been invaded. Russia, for now, is coloring well within the lines and should be permitted to do so.

mmacdonald@mavs.coloradomesa.edu