Thursday, in its first military action, the Biden Pentagon sent two U.S. F-15Es to strike targets of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia just inside the eastern border of Syria. The U.S. strikes were in retaliation for a missile attack on a U.S. base in Irbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, which killed a contractor and wounded a U.S. soldier.

"We're confident that the target was being used by the same Shia militia that conducted the strikes," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. But Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Chris Murphy want to know where President Joe Biden got his authority to launch attacks in Syria, where there was no clear or present danger to any U.S. troops.

Days before the U.S. strike, Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement denying any complicity in the Irbil attack:

"We absolutely did not target Erbil or the Green Zone and have no knowledge of the group that did."

Iran has also denied any involvement in the missile attack on the Americans. On a visit to Baghdad, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called for an investigation as to who is initiating the attacks inside Iraq. "We emphasize the need for the Iraqi government to find the perpetrators of these incidents," said Zarif. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian forces in Syria got only four or five minutes' notice that U.S. planes were on their way to a strike.

Bottom line: Those conducting these attacks on U.S. bases and troops in Iraq, provoking American counterstrikes, seek to ignite a conflict between the U.S. and Iran, and its proxies in Iraq and Syria.

And they are succeeding.

One week ago, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review two Pennsylvania cases challenging the validity of votes in the 2020 election, and on Monday it rejected two petitions from attorney Sidney Powell with no explanation.

Powell had promised in the aftermath of the Nov. 3 election to "release the Kraken," with lawsuits that would blow up the claim that the vote count was legitimate. Her lawsuits were rejected on procedural grounds, however, and her claims never got traction.

But her confidence that the election was invalid is unshaken. She told Erskine Radio in an interview Saturday that there is "more than enough evidence in the public now to more than reverse the election in at least five states."

Powell said the existence of "fractionalized votes" weighted in favor of Joe Biden, created by a computer algorithm, can be proved in multiple counties. And it could be proved across the country, she said, "if anybody would issue an order allowing inspection of the machines."

The UK's signals intelligence agency isn't known for its commitment to the rule of law, so claims its new Artificial Intelligence capabilities will be used to safeguard citizens, not spy on them, shouldn't be taken at face value.

On February 24, GCHQ issued a report - Pioneering a New National Security - outlining how it intends to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle child sex abuse, drugs, weapons and human trafficking, and online disinformation.

Mainstream media outlets widely reiterated the paper's headline claims without criticism or balance. The BBC went so far as to suggest the release reflected GCHQ's benevolent intentions and commitment to transparency.

News organizations particularly focused on the agency's pledge to use AI to prevent online grooming, track potential predators, identify sources of child pornography, and help law enforcement identify and infiltrate pedophile rings. That no alarm was raised about this particular commitment is understandable - after all, apart from pedophiles themselves, who wouldn't welcome child sex abuse being battled via every available means?

The latest sanctions by the United States and the European Union against Russian individuals and organizations are intervention in Russia's internal affairs, Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov told the media on Wednesday, adding that such restrictions were unacceptable. He said:

"We regard any such restrictions as absolutely unacceptable. They cause considerable harm to relations, which are already in a deplorable condition. They [sanctions] are nothing but interference in Russia's internal affairs."

He added though that the new sanctions introduced against several Russian citizens essentially duplicate the restrictions placed on them under the Russian legislation.

"If one talks about specific people against whom the so-called sanctions, or rather restrictions, were introduced, then it is practically a duplication of those restrictions that are placed on these people under the Russian laws. As it is, these people do not go abroad, do not have the right to open accounts at foreign banks and do not have the right to own property abroad. This cannot be said for some legal entities [against] whom [the sanctions] were also announced."

Asked if the Kremlin could offer an explanation as to why the United States and the European Union had selected a strategy of targeted restrictions, Peskov replied: "It is not our concern to explain motivations."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday unveiled Turkey's long-awaited Human Rights Action Plan, saying that the plan is expected to be executed within the upcoming two years and that "broad-based consultations were a part of every activity in the plan prepared according to our nation's expectations."

"It has 11 principles, the first one of which is the fact that human rights are under the protection of the law," he stated, speaking at the introductory meeting of the Human Rights Action Plan.

Around the 11 main principles that constitute the backbone of the plan, a total of nine aims, 50 goals and 393 activities are set herein. The activities envisioned within the framework of each goal under the relevant aims are organized as tangible "measurable and monitorable" actions.

"The ultimate aim of Turkey's action plan is a new civilian constitution," the president highlighted.

Initially mentioned during the announcement of the first Judicial Reform Package, the plan is based on the vision of "Free Individuals, Strong Society: More Democratic Turkey." Its motto, however, is the following: "Let people live so the state will live!" The plan originates from the state's "obligation to protect, in all of its affairs and acts and with all of the state institutions and organizations, the physical and moral integrity and the honor and dignity of individuals."

There's yet more significant escalation in Iraq as it appears pro-Iranian militia forces may have 'hit back' in a potential retaliation strike against US forces, as the Pentagon has confirmed at least ten rockets were fired on the the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq's Anbar province Wednesday morning.

There were initial reports of no casualties and Iraq's military reported "no significant losses". A US Coalition statement said that according to its initial assessment "10 IDF rockets targeted an Iraqi military base, Al Asad Airbase, hosting Coalition troops, on March 03, 2021 at approx 7:20 a.m. (Iraqi time)."

However, the AFP in the hours afterward reported the following death related to the security threat:

"A civilian contractor with the US-led coalition in Iraq died of a heart attack during a rocket attack on the sprawling Ain al-Assad air base, Iraqi and Western security sources say."

It's the first such rocket fire on US facilities and assets in the region since the major US strike on Eastern Syria on Feb.25. Biden controversially authorized that attack which may have killed multiple 'Iranian militia' operating in the country in response to the prior rocket volley attack on Erbil Air Base last month.

Today, five attorneys general from Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden urging him to withdraw his nomination of Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general. It states:

"As the chief legal officers of Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, we write today to urge you to withdraw the nomination of Vanita Gupta for Associate Attorney General. Ms. Gupta's past comments and track record have demonstrated her disinterest in meaningful police reform in favor of destructive policies that would defund the police. Her nomination will further divide our nation instead of implementing policies to protect our communities and support law enforcement."

The letter alludes to Gupta's poor stance on law and order, given her support for defunding the police and for the openly Marxist organization Black Lives Matter. The five attorneys general, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Leslie Rutledge of Arkansas, Mike Hunter of Oklahoma, Jeff Landry of Louisiana, and Ken Paxton of Texas note:

"Endorsing such a radical nominee is no way to bring about unity. Our local law enforcement officers protect our families, our neighborhoods, and our cities, often at great risk to themselves. Policies to limit their ability to do their job will not make us safer but will instead put us — and them — at an increased risk of violence. Meanwhile criminals who have no respect for the law or human life will be given more freedom to wreak havoc on our streets."

Iraq has ruled out the possibility of the United States withdrawing its forces from the Middle East region, the country's ambassador to Amman, Haidar al-Azari, told Sputnik, adding that the regional states, including Jordan and Iraq, have strategic agreements with Washington.

"I do not subscribe to the view that the United States may withdraw from the region", al-Azari said.

A number of the Middle East nations, with Jordan and Iraq among them, consider Washington a partner, the Iraqi diplomat added, noting that the regional states have "strategic agreements" with the US. Al-Azari, who served as Iraq's ambassador to Moscow from 2016-2019, went on to highlight the importance of Russia's ties with the regional countries:

"Iraq is an important partner for Russia, as well as for the United States. A balance needs to be created between the major powers concerned with the Middle East. I believe that the US and Russia should be represented in the region. Most of the regional countries have solid relations with them. As for our role, we should know how to deal with [these] two states."

White House officials have previously said that the White House has not yet reached a decision on US force posture in Iraq and other countries going forward.

Senior Palestinian politicians, their bodyguards and the national football team received Covid jabs meant for healthcare workers, the Palestinian Authority (PA) said. It also gave the Jordanian royal court another 200 doses.

In all, the PA admitted on Tuesday it gave some 10 percent of 12,000 Covid vaccines to a coterie of government ministers, members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive members, security personnel and soccer players as well as fulfilling a request from Amman for doses.

But it said the other 90 percent went to health workers treating Covid-19 patients in intensive care units and emergency departments and to other health ministry workers.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency is investigating the far-right Alternative for Germany — the largest opposition party in parliament — according to national media. The move comes ahead of national elections.

Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) have placed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) under surveillance, according to local media.

That designation gives state agents more powers for surveillance in certain circumstances, including potentially tapping the party's communications.

The BfV refused to comment on media reports from Der Spiegel magazine, the DPA news agency and public broadcaster ARD. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the BfV, said it would neither confirm nor deny them.

Why has there been no official statement?

The BfV is apparently unable to announce the decision officially because of an ongoing legal dispute.