There have been a number of major developments in the Middle East and North Africa over the weekend. In Libya, rebel fighters, aided by air strikes by U.S. and allied forces, have recaptured several cities and towns including Brega, Uqayla, Ras Lanuf and Bin Jawad. Rebels are now heading to Sirte, the hometown of Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi. President Obama is scheduled to speak at the National Defense University tonight and defend the U.S. military mission in Libya. On Sunday, U.S Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted the U.S. military will have a role in Libya for some time.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “We have not seen any of his [Gaddafi’s] planes fly since the mission started. We have suppressed his air defenses. I think we’ve also been successful on the humanitarian side. We have prevented his forces from going to Benghazi, and we have taken out a good bit of his armor. So I think we have, to a very large extent, completed the military mission in terms of getting it set up. Now, the no-fly zone and even the humanitarian side will have to be sustained for some period of time.”