World View: U.S., Britain Halt 'Non-Lethal Aid' to Syria's Rebels

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Hong Kong activates its pandemic preparedness plan over H7N9 bird flu
• U.S. and Britain halt ‘non-lethal aid’ to Syria’s rebels
• Turkey closes its border with Syria

Hong Kong activates its pandemic preparedness plan over H7N9 bird flu

A chicken is kept in a cage waiting to be inspected by health workers in Hong Kong. (AP)

A mutation in a new strain of H7N9 bird flu that’s infecting people inChina is making it resistant to Roche’s Tamiflu, the principal drugused to treat people infected with the virus. The virus spreadsreadily among certain types of birds, but transmission from bird tohuman or from human to human is “fairly inefficient,” according toexperts. However, when it does spread to a human, it’s oftenlethal.

Hong Kong, a city of 7.18 million people, is activating a pandemicpreparedness plan, after two new cases of the new strain of bird fluwere found in Shenzhen, an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, and apopular day-trip destination for shopping and dining. Reuters and Bloomberg

U.S. and Britain halt ‘non-lethal aid’ to Syria’s rebels

The United States and Britain are suspending shipments of “non-lethalmilitary aid” to the Syrian rebels opposed to Syria’s president Basharal-Assad. The decision to end this aid came when the Islamic Frontlast week stormed and took control of several warehouses filled withAmerican supplies.

The Islamic Front is described as a coalition of conservative Islamistgroups who are not themselves linked to al-Qaeda, but who coordinateactivities al-Qaeda linked units, including Jabhat al-Nusra (al-NusraFront) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).

Under U.S. law, non-lethal aid can include communications equipment,medical supplies, intelligence assistance and body armor. It’s notbelieved that cutting off this aid will make any difference, sinceal-Assad massacring civilians with tanks, artillery, missiles,warplane bombing runs, and even chemical weapons, much of which hasbeen supplied by the Russians, who are complicit in this genocidalslaughter.

The Russian policy has been a disaster, as it’s drawn jihadists fromas far away as Pakistan, Algerian and Dagestan to fight in Syria,causing sectarian tensions to surge throughout the Mideast. TheRussians are responsible for the creation of Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIL,by supplying weapons to a genocidal monster. McClatchy and AP

Turkey closes its border with Syria

Because of increased fighting among rival Syrian opposition groups innorthern Syria, all non-lethal assistance has been suspended, andTurkey has closed the border with Syria. According to a Turkishspokesman:

“Efforts to receive more information were notsuccessful since yesterday [Tuesday] morning, but as of thismorning [Wednesday] the issue has become clear. The clashescontinued throughout last night.

we will inform the public. At this point, no pedestrians orvehicles are allowed to cross [at the gate].”

According to the latest information, the Islamic Front fighters havetaken control of the bases used by the “moderate” Free Syrian Army(FSA), which is favored by the United States and the West. Zaman (Istanbul) and CNN

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