This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com:

• U.S. preparing for worst-case chemical weapons scenario in Syria
• U.N. Security Council passes resolution on plan for military intervention in Mali
• Mali extremists compile lists of unwed mothers
• Bizarre Nobel Peace Prize selection goes to 'European Union'

U.S. preparing for worst-case chemical weapons scenario in Syria

The 150 U.S. troops that have been sent to Jordan are preparing for a worst-case scenario involving Syria's large arsenal of chemical weapons. The depots are well guarded by the forces of the regime of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad, and they're protected from the air by Russian-built anti-aircraft defenses. However, a major fear is that a collapse of the al-Assad regime would allow these chemical weapons to fall into the hands of al-Qaeda linked terrorists, in the same way that the Muammar Gaddafi's huge stores of weapons fell into the hands of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The U.S. is proceeding cautiously, applying lessons learned from faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that led the U.S. to the 2003 Iraq ground invasion, only to discover that there were no WMDs after all. LA Times

U.N. Security Council passes resolution on plan for military intervention in Mali

The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously passed a resolution giving West African nations 45 days to offer details of a plan for international military intervention in Mali, where al-Qaeda linked terrorists Ansar Dine have taken control of the northern 2/3rds of the country. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has offered to send a force of 3,000 soldiers to stabilize Mali when the U.N. gives its approval. Concern is growing that entrenched control of Mali by al-Qaeda linked forces would turn Mali into a failed state like Afghanistan. France is leading the West in attempting to gain U.N.S.C. support for military intervention, because France fears terrorist attacks from entrenched al-Qaeda control of Mali. VOA

Mali extremists compile lists of unwed mothers

According to a senior U.N. official, al-Qaeda linked terrorists in northern Mali are compiling lists of unmarried mothers, raising fears of punishments such as stoning, amputations and executions. Extremists have conducted public executions, amputations, floggings and other inhuman and degrading punishments. CNN

Bizarre Nobel Peace Prize selection goes to 'European Union'

It's been years since the Nobel Peace Prize was related in any way to reality. Bizarre choices of Nobel prizes in the recent past include Paul Krugman (economics), Al Gore (peace) and Barack Obama (peace) -- ideological choices that thrilled the far left, but choices of people who really haven't accomplished much of anything. On Friday, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the "European Union," a choice that appears to continue the pattern of high farce. In Europe, there are plenty of people who are "anti-EU," and plenty of people who are "pro-EU". Whether you liked the prize selection depended on which side you were on, but nobody seriously believed that the choice made much sense, especially nowadays, when the European Union is coming apart at the seams. Defenders of the choice claimed that the decision to form a European Union prevented a new war between Germany and France, a claim that's totally fatuous. NATO deserves the prize more than the European Union does. And on top of everything else, the Nobel Prize committee resides in Norway, a European country which is, however, NOT part of the European Union, since its population is opposed to joining. This may well be because Norway has become wealthy because of North Sea oil, and may not wish to share its wealth with Greece and Spain, a decision that Germany and Austria may wish they had taken as well. Spiegel 

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