This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

Kandahar prison escape a ‘disaster’ for Afghanistan war plans

Escaped Taliban Militants (from Taliban website)

Taliban Mujahideen militants, “with the help of Allah,” broke into the supposedly secure Kandahar prison on early Monday morning and freed 541 Taliban prisoners, including 106 commanders. They accomplished this by renting a house near the prison and then digging a 360 meter tunnel to the prison over a 5 month period. It took four hours for the prisoners to flee through the tunnel, and no prison guards noticed anything going on during that period. Nation (Pakistan) from Taliban website

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is calling the prison escape a “disaster,” especially because it frees some of the most dangerous Taliban commanders that have been captured in the last year. It raises doubts about Karzai’s ability to govern Afghanistan, and puts into question plans to begin coalition withdrawal later this year. CS Monitor

Syria’s army smashes into protesters, killing dozens

Amateur video — Syrian soldiers take up position in Daraa on Monday

In an overwhelming coordinated assault on Daraa and other cities, thousands of Syria’s army troops used tanks and live gunfire to attack unarmed protesters, killing at least 18. President Barack Obama is said to be considering financial sanctions on Syria, but so far there are no plans for Libya-style military intervention, even though the massacres in Daraa are now at the level that the “humanitarian” mission into Libya were intended to avoid. VOA

Arab media dismayed that Western, not Arab, planes are in Libya

Arab media continues to express dismay that it is Western, not Arab, air power that is assisting the rebels. Arab governments point out that NATO nations have more equipment and experience with modern warfare. But Arab critics point out that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states have over a thousand modern jet fighters between them, and plenty of smart bombs. Here is an opportunity to use all this stuff, in a good cause. But many Arabs insist that Arab air forces aren’t ready, and some even mention what many fear; that Arab pilots will reveal that they really are not ready. Arabs don’t want to risk Iran finding that out. Strategy Page

Australians fear war between China and the U.S.

A new poll shows that Australians believe that the United States and China are on a course for war, and that their military pact with the U.S. would force Australia into the conflict. The poll also shows that they dislike China’s policy of buying up Australia’s farms, mines and real estate, and overwhelmingly believe that China could invade Australia in the future to secure land and resources. DPA

Rise of nationalist right-wing parties in Europe puts entire euro project in danger

Nationalist right-wing populist parties are gaining votes in Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and other European countries. In France, Marine Le Pen, daughter of National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, is growing in popularity, and she is strongly opposed to the euro currency and the European Union. At the very least, these trends are putting the entire program to rescue the euro in jeopardy, because it has to be approved unanimously by the entire European Union. Spiegel