Protesters opposed to US assassination drone attacks have interrupted a US Senate hearing on the nomination for John Brennan, President Barack Obama's choice to be the next director of the CIA. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the chairperson of the Senate Intelligence Committee, ordered the proceedings be halted temporarily on Thursday after protesters repeatedly prevented Brennan from speaking. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the chairperson of the Senate Intelligence Committee, ordered the proceedings be halted temporarily on Thursday after protesters repeatedly prevented Brennan from speaking. Protesters shouted slogans against US drone attacks and accused Brennan of involvement in policies which result in deaths of children. "Are your children more important than the children of Pakistan?" one protester shouted at Senator Feinstein.

Associated Press: Protesters interrupt CIA nominee Brennan hearing
Russia Today: Protesters hold up hearing for Obama's CIA director nominee
Reuters: CIA nominee pressed on U.S. drone policy, waterboarding
Kenny's Sideshow: Brennan
Bill Van Auken: Senate hearing on John Brennan whitewashes US assassination program
John Glaser: CIA Nominee Dodges Questions on Torture, Drones
Ray McGovern: The Grilling that Brennan Deserves
Glenn Greenwald: John Brennan's extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination
Stephen Lendman: Obama Prioritizes Targeted Killings

At least 12 Israeli warplanes have violated Lebanon’s airspace, conducting several illegal flights over the country, the Lebanese army says. - According to a statement by Lebanese army, the Israeli planes entered Lebanon's airspace on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. local time and roamed over different parts of the country. The army also stated that an Israeli reconnaissance plane flew over the southern area of Naqoura for more than seven hours. Lebanon's military often reports airspace violations by Israeli aircraft but does not usually open fire on them. The Israeli military claims the flights serve surveillance purposes. The airspace violations, which are reported on an almost daily basis, contravene the United Nations Security Council's Resolution 1701, which ended the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.

By the Last Day of the Offensive:

● Palestinian Deaths Rise to 156, Including 103 Civilians, and 1,000 Others, Including 971 Civilians, Wounded
● 33 Children Killed and 274 Others Wounded
● 13 Women Killed and 162 Others Wounded
● 3 Journalists Killed

Israeli Forces Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) - During the reporting period, the Israeli forces wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; 3 of whom, including 2 children, were wounded in the West Bank, and 2 children were wounded in the Gaza Strip. ■ In the West Bank, on 02 February 2013, 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded when the Israeli forces and settlers used force to disperse dozens of Palestinian civilians and activists, who gathered in Burin village, south of Nablus to establish a village on a land that was threatened to be seized for the interest of settlement expansion projects. Moreover, a 29-day old baby suffered from tear gas inhalation and medical sources described her condition as serious. ■ On the same day, a Palestinian child was hit by a tear gas canister to the chest when the Israeli forces opened fire at a peaceful protest that was organized by Kofur Qaddoum villagers, northeast of Qalqilia. This protest was organized to support Burin villagers, south of Nablus, who already started, with the help of local activists, establishing al-Manateer village on lands, which threatened to be seized for the interest of settlement expansion projects. ■ In the same context, the Israeli Forces continued to systematically use excessive force against peaceful protests organized by Palestinians and Israeli and international activists protesting against the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises. ■ In the Gaza Strip, on 01 February 2013, 2 Palestinian children were wounded when the Israeli forces positioned along the border fence, east of Abu Safiya area in the east of Jabalya, opened fire at a group of persons, who were few meters to the west of the border fence.

The Syrian ambassador to the UN says there is ‘no truth’ to the reports that the recent Israeli attack on a research center near Damascus targeted a convoy heading to Lebanon. - According to the Syrian army, two people were killed and five others injured in the airstrike that was carried out on January 30. Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah strongly condemned the attack and said it was “barbaric aggression.” The Syrian envoy added that the Israeli aircraft flew at a low attitude to avoid the radar and bombed the research center in Jamraya, near the capital.

Judges in the Philadelphia court system are now taking advantage of powerful new computer models to help determine how much jail time an offender should get. - Computers have been forecasting weather and economic trends for years, but applying algorithms to human behavior is relatively new. “This all comes about because of new developments in statistics and computer science that are available to us that really weren’t five or ten years ago,” says University of Pennsylvania professor Richard Berk, a pioneer in the field. His forecasts, which use an algorithm to predict whether someone will offend again, have been used by city probation and parole officers for about three years, to decide how much supervision a defendant needs. Philadelphia Common Pleas Court administrative judge Pamela Dembe says the results there convinced her that the computer model could also be a useful tool in determining sentences.

Since the attacks of September 11, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has brought approximately 500 terror cases to trail. Of these cases, 150 people have been involved in sting operations in which the FBI has supplied suspects with materials to act out plans of terror. The FBI has been heavily criticized for preying on individuals who are on the fringes of society and Trevor Aaronson, author of "The Terror Factory," analyzes the FBI's devious tactics in his new book.

The meat of some beef lasagne products recalled by Findus earlier this week was 100% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said. - On Monday Findus withdrew from retailers its beef lasagne in 320g, 360g and 500g sizes as a precaution. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the findings were "completely unacceptable", but Findus said it did not believe it was a food safety issue. The FSA said companies would now be required to test their beef products. "In order to get to the bottom of this, we're going to be requiring every company to test every product line," Catherine Brown, the FSA's chief executive, told the BBC. "If we find any other cases, we will pursue our investigations vigorously until we find out what's happened and put a stop to it." Ms Brown said it was "highly likely" that criminal activity was to blame for horsemeat being found in some meals.