A Libyan rebel soldier stands guard at their position on the road between Ajdabiya and Benghazi, Eastern Libya, 24 March. According to Libyan media sources, rebels vowed they would reclaim Ajdabiya, just west of the opposition stronghold Benghazi, by nightfall.
"Most of these 'rebels' were civilians only weeks ago, professional people, from all walks of life, who wanted to take advantage of the wave of change elsewhere to press for reforms so that all tribes in Libya got a fair shake," says veteran NBC News correspondent Jim Maceda.
A Libyan rebel takes a nap on a checkpoint on the frontline near Zwitina, the outskirts of the city of Ajdabiya, south of Benghazi, eastern Libya, Thursday, March 24.
"But when those early protests were crused - often by live fire - many of these protesters took up arms for the first time," Maceda says. "They are at a great disadvantage on the field of battle, reading manuals as they fight. A couple of army units defected to their side and really run the milittary operations. it's very hard to give figures on support for the rebels versus khaddafi's regime, as there are no elections here, no reliable polling and no free press. these are the goals of the opposition, now called rebels. Perhaps a better term would be 'revolutionaries' or 'minute men'."
A Libyan rebel takes a rest on a checkpoint on frontline near Zwitina, the outskirts of the city of Ajdabiya, south of Benghazi, eastern Libya, Thursday, March 24.
A Libyan rebel rests, a few kilometers on the road to Ajdabiya on March 24, as they try to retake the strategic eastern oil town from troops loyal to Moamer Kadhafi.
A Libyan rebel looks through binoculars as he prepares for battle against Kadhafi's loyal forces on March 24, a few kilometers from the key city of Ajdabiya as UN Secretary-General called today on both sides to cease fire, as the Security Council prepares to hold a new meeting on the crisis.
Veteran NBC News correspondent Jim Maceda has been in Tripoli reporting on the conflict for several weeks. He answered your questions about the conflict in Libya and what its like to cover the story. You can replay the chat here or view more images from Libya in our slideshow.
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