We keep hearing that Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi is constantly about to step down and that he's considering fleeing the country. On Friday morning, NBC News reports the latest development in that vein: he "is making preparations for a departure from Libya with his family for possible exile in Tunisia," according to the news outlet, which says that one U.S. official stated that Qaddafi could possibly be leaving the country in a matter of days. The report arrives on the heels of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's remark that "I think the sense is that Qaddafi's days are numbered." MSNBC.com, relaying NBC's report, stressed the caveat: "the news report emphasized that there was no guarantee that [Qaddafi] would follow through on any plans to flee."

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ehayden at nationaljournal dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Erik Hayden