It's all they have left, which probably means they are nearing an end. Most opposition elsewhere in Libya has been tamped down or simply stopped.

But where's Gaddafi?

Libyan rebels advanced toward Sirte, Muammar Qaddafi's hometown, where they said forces loyal to the leader used civilians as human shields to block opposition fighters from entering.

Rebels have been waiting for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to bomb Scud missile sites so they can move ahead even as they negotiate with Sirte tribal leaders to enter the city peacefully.

The rebels will need about 10 days to capture Sirte "if negotiations fail to enter the town without fight," Colonel Salim Miftah, one of the rebel commanders, told Al-Jazeera. "Our main goal is liberation not blood."

Sirte is a haven for Qaddafi loyalists, according to the rebel command and NATO. Qaddafi's whereabouts are unknown. His chief spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, told the Associated Press Aug. 27 that Qaddafi remains in Libya and wants to negotiate with the rebels to form a transitional government.

Surest sign yet that Gaddafi is not going to go out in a blaze of glory is his offer to negotiate a "transitional government" with the rebels. This is clearly a guy who wants to live which means he's either not in the country now, or is somewhere in Libya where he's 5 min from air transport out of the country.