The current CIA Director and Obama's nominee to be the next Secretary of Defense told senators today that he has "every confidence" that the Iraqis will ask the U.S. to maintain a presence in Iraq beyond the December 2011 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal.

Asked whether the U.S. is on track to draw down troops from Iraq at the end of the year, Leon Panetta told Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), "It's clear to me that Iraq is considering the possibility of making a request for some kind of presence to remain there."

Panetta said that he has "every confidence" that a request like that is "forthcoming at some point."

Speaking toward the end of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Panetta added that the Iraqi prime minister and leadership would have to present the U.S. with what they need and on what timeline.

From NBC's Courtney Kube
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just came to the Treaty Room to praise the courageous men and women who have toiled for years to track down Osama bin Laden, to remember the victims of bin Laden's and Al Qaeda's violence, and to warn that the fight against al Qaeda does not end with this death.

"Even as we mark this milestone, we should not forget that the battle to stop Al Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden," Clinton said.

Clinton offered an ominous warning to those members of al Qaeda still hiding out, but also offered them an olive branch. "You cannot wait us out; you cannot defeat us," she said, but added, "but you can make the choice to abandon Al Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process."

Despite the fact the U.S. did not tell the Pakistanis about this operation until it was complete, Clinton said that the close cooperation with Pakistan has put "unprecedented pressure" on al Qaeda and its leadership, and that "continued cooperation will be just as important in the days ahead."

From NBC's Courtney Kube
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton renewed the United States' call for Khaddafy to step down and to leave Libya.

Clinton said the U.S. believes "there needs to be a transition that reflects the will of the Libyan people and the departure of Khaddafy from power and from Libya."

Speaking after a meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Clinton said the U.S. has "made it very clear that we want to see a ceasefire; we want to see the Libyan regime forces pull back from the areas they have forcibly entered; we want to see resumption of water and electricity and other services to cities that have been brutalized by the Khaddafy forces; we want to see humanitarian assistance reach the people of Libya. These terms are non-negotiable."

Asked about a possible deal in Libya brokered by the African Union, Clinton said that she is still "waiting to get a full read out from the various participants," and that "we'll wait to get the full briefing as to what the African Union delegation determined."

Foreign Minister Stubb said he thinks the European Union should be involved in the future of Libya, especially with respect to the political dialogue. "There is going to be life after Khaddafy," he said, "and the European Union should prepare for that."

AP

Libyan rebels are seen with a rocket launcher as they leave Ras Lanouf, Libya, Wednesday. Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and were close to taking a second, making new inroads in beating back a rebel advance toward the capital Tripoli.

From NBC's Courtney Kube
A senior European diplomat says that the coalition of nations involved in the operations in Libya are now considering arming the opposition forces.

The diplomat said that providing arms to opposition forces in Libya "has to be a serious option" and that the coalition is considering that option "now."

The diplomat warned that the coalition cannot provide arms "with closed eyes," that there has to be both coordination and training of the opposition.

"Yes, we have to be ready to continue," with enforcement of the no fly zone, protecting civilians, and the arms embargo for weeks or months, the diplomat said, but added that the coalition is "going to tip the balance" in the near future.

How? By continuing or stepping up military air strikes and possibly arming the opposition, the diplomat said.

Asked who would supply the arms, the diplomat would only say that there would be a "collective agreement" among various nations and then individual countries would supply what they could. The diplomat would not say who would provide the training, or if that would involve military forces on the ground.

Despite the fact that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said only yesterday that the U.S. is still getting to know the opposition, the diplomat today defended them, saying that the Transitional National Council is "composed of serious people who really are committed" to a democratic transition and a united Libya.

The diplomat denied that al Qaeda has much of an influence over the opposition forces in Libya, saying that his belief is the extremist element is not a major player.

The official could not point to specific arms or equipment that the coalition may provide, or how much more the coalition could do in the future, saying only that it is not for the international community to do the job for the opposition, but rather to "encourage them to be better organized."

From NBC's Courtney Kube
A senior administration official says that NATO will not likely take command and control of the overall mission in Libya on Wednesday (as President Obama announced in his speech last night) -- that the full transition will likely be delayed.

The transition will be pushed further in the week, but "no more than a day or two," the official said, adding that this is "not unexpected" and "not unusual."

The official said that media reports of delays "are legit, but minor in the big picture," adding that the process "will take just a bit longer to play out."

"It is a major muscle movement," the official said.

NBC's Robert Windrem reports: U.S. officials say there are indications that the Libyan army is having to deal with "strains," but they are uncertain whether the rebels can take advantage of them. The strains are seen in the Eastern area, particularly in logistics, maintaining the supply chain. There are also concerns about tribal strains in the military.

But, as one official said, a third-world military still has advantages over a rag-tag group of rebels. 

NBC's Courtney Kube reports: Despite speculation that the Tomahawk campaign in Libya had ended, coalition ships fired 14 more Tomahawk missiles over night.

There have now been at least 175 Tomahawk missiles fired into Libya since Saturday afternoon.

From NBC's Courtney Kube
Asked about a possible cease-fire in Libya, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the situation "fluid and dynamic," but warned the Libyan regime that the U.S. is "not going to be responsive or impressed by words," and that the U.S. "would have to see actions on the ground."

She said that the situation is not yet at all clear, but that the U.S. will continue to work with their international partners to press Khaddafy to leave.

Clinton said the international community will need to see a clear set ofactions operationalized on the ground, and that Khaddafy's forces must move a "significant distance" away from the East. She added that there has to be an accounting for of what has already happened, and that Khaddafy has left the international community with "no other choice" but to pursue the course of action taken with the U.N. Security Council Resolution.

After meeting with her Irish counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore, Clinton said that the U.N. resolution is just one step, and that the international community will continue to consider other options and explore the most effective measures for dealing with Khaddafy.

Clinton also stressed that it is important to take this "one step at a time," adding that the diplomatic effort over the past few weeks has been "very intense" leading up to last night's vote.

From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube
A U.S. Army spokesperson confirms that Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta is not going to re-enlist when his tour is up in mid-June.

Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, had hinted for several months that he was keeping his options open and considering going to school. But he decided last week to use his GI benefits and get his undergraduate degree.

Giunta and his wife, Jenny, will move to Fort Carson, CO, later this year. No word yet on which school he will attend, but he will be close to Colorado State University.

From NBC's Courtney Kube
A senior U.S. official confirms that there is evidence today of fracturing and growing fissures within the leadership of the Egyptian government.

"There is a debate going on inside the inner circle" of the Egyptian leadership, the official said.

The official declined to speculate whether the members of that "inner circle" are influential enough and the fracturing strong enough to force President Mubarak to step down, saying only that "it's just not sustainable."

The official added that even without the rumblings within the government, the situation in Egypt is not economically sustainable. As the protests continue, "the economy continues to grind down," the official said.