This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

* Arab League confirms suspension of Syria, threatens economic sanctions

* Syrian Embassy in Amman under heavy security to prevent reprisal action

* The ‘Free Syrian Army’ grows in influence

* As China prepares for war, U.S. increases military presence in Pacific

* Chinese investors take advantage of Greek crisis

* Wall Street tanks after Fitch warns of U.S. exposure to Europe

* Iran now says that Saturday’s explosions were not Israeli sabotage

* Russia’s rapprochement with Iran openly violates US/UN sanctions

* Palestinians may hold parliamentary and presidential elections in May

* Request for help with public relations

Arab League confirms suspension of Syria, threatens economic sanctions

Arab League meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday (AP)

The Arab League confirmed the suspension of Syria from the organization on Wednesday and gave the Bashar al-Assad regime three days to halt its violence against its own citizens and accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions. The normally toothless Arab League is gaining kudos for being tough on Syria. Qatar’s Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim has apparently been leading the effort to condemn and sanction Syria. “The Syrian government has to sign the protocol sent by the Arab League and end all violence against demonstrators,” he said, adding that it has three days to meet the demands. “Economic sanctions are certainly possible, if the Syrian government does not respond. But we are conscious that such sanctions would touch the Syrian people.” The Arab League statement added, “In the light of insulting and undiplomatic words of the permanent Syrian representative, the Arab League is asking the Syrian government to withdraw its representative.” This is going to infuriate the Syrian regime and its supporters in the region. AP

Syrian Embassy in Amman under heavy security to prevent reprisal action

Security has been beefed up around Syria’s embassy in Amman, Jordan as a precautionary measure, after hundreds of Jordanians tried to storm the building in retaliation for an assault on the Jordanian Embassy in Damascus. On Monday, about 100 Syrians staged a protest in front of the Jordanian diplomatic mission in Damascus on Monday and shouted “offending slogans,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Kayed said. He said that three of them climbed the building’s walls and brought down the Jordanian flag. Arab News

The ‘Free Syrian Army’ grows in influence

The attack early Wednesday morning by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on a regime air force intelligence base near Damascus has raised the profile of the band of army defectors, numbering between 1,000 and 25,000, depending on whom you believe. However, they stand little chance against the regime’s 500,000 strong army. Al-Jazeera

As China prepares for war, U.S. increases military presence in Pacific

At a meeting in Canberra, Australia, American president Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an agreement on Wednesday for America’s marines and Air Force to make greater use of Australian military bases. Beginning next year, the U.S. will be stationing military aircraft and hundreds of marines in Australia, building to a full force of 2,500 marines by 2016. This is becoming necessary because China has developed anti-ship ballistic missiles that may soon make aircraft carriers obsolete (see “New Pentagon report outlines China’s military buildup” from August). In Australia, the troops will be out of reach of China’s missiles but near enough to Taiwan to make a difference when China’s inevitable invasion occurs. CNN and New Zealand Herald

Chinese investors take advantage of Greek crisis

The Chinese are willing to help Europe, but they’re enforcing their own austerity program. For example, Greece received €3.4 billion 18 months ago from China for the rights to the Piraeus container port. But they’ve laid off 250 people, and instead of employing experienced dockworkers at the going rate of €120 a day, they hire only unskilled laborers for €40-50 a day without overtime pay for night or weekend work and without any guarantee of employment. This is not popular with the labor unions. Spiegel

Wall Street tanks after Fitch warns of U.S. exposure to Europe

According to Fitch ratings service, “Exposures to large European governments and banks are sizable,” and that “unless the eurozone debt crisis is resolved in a timely and orderly manner,” [which has a zero percent chance of happening – JX], the stable ratings outlook for U.S. banks “will darken” from the agency’s base cast, which does not account for a disorderly debt restructuring or the departure of any countries from the euro. Wall Street stock prices were holding fairly steady until mid-afternoon, then plummeted when Fitch’s report came out. Bloomberg

Iran now says that Saturday’s explosions were not Israeli sabotage

We’ve been reporting about two huge explosions near Tehran on Saturday that killed 17 personnel of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), including Iran’s chief missile expert. There have been and continue to be rumors and unconfirmed reports that the explosions were caused by sabotage by either Israeli or American special forces. But now Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi told reporters on Wednesday that explosion “is not related to Israel or America.” However, there are conflicting stories about the number of explosions and what kind of accident actually caused them. LA Times

Russia’s rapprochement with Iran openly violates US/UN sanctions

An intense schedule of high-level visits between Iran and Russia since August are signs of a rapprochement between the two countries. Russian energy, zinc, and aluminum companies are all planning to risk violating US sanctions by cooperating with Iran, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, openly said that unilateral US sanctions are not binding under international law and that many other countries also have ties with Iran. Furthermore, Iran is actively holding talks with Russia to build new nuclear reactors after the opening of the reactor at Bushehr. India is paying for its Iranian oil through a bank in Russia as a way of making an end run around UN and US sanctions. This appears to be consistent with my oft-stated expectation that Iran will side with India, Russia, the U.S. and the West against China, Pakistan and the Sunni Muslim countries in the approaching Clash of Civilizations world war. Jamestown

Palestinians may hold parliamentary and presidential elections in May

Barring a last-minute surprise, next weekend will see a historic agreement between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshal, head of Hamas’ political bureau. The two are expected to set parliamentary and presidential elections for May, six years after the last parliamentary elections, and seven years since Abbas was elected. The meeting is scheduled to take place in Cairo, under the auspices of Egyptian intelligence. Until recently, Hamas too was wary of elections, but the Gilad Shalit deal has strengthened its standing. Haaretz

Request for help with public relations

I’d like to ask for a volunteer to help with public relations. Specifically, I’d like someone to call up colleges and clubs and media and other venues in the Boston area and arrange speaking opportunities. I don’t have any money to pay you for this (Generational Dynamics is a public service, and I don’t make any money from it myself), but any help will be appreciated.