that the whole military aspect of this will become political in the days ahead. >> yeah. jim, can i ask you, do the rebels have the manpower and capability to maintain the control of all those cities in the east that they have captured? >> reporter: well, that's a great question. and they probably -- they would only have the ability to maintain the control if they have the air power to do that. so there has to be -- if there is a no-fly zone and it is one that is enforced by nato or coalition airplanes for the next number of months while the political situation is negotiated, then i'd say, yes. but otherwise, they don't. they really -- they could not handle it on their own. that's why they need all the help they can get. they need more weapons, they need more -- they need more training as well. they're pushing right now because there's no resistance. once there's -- if there is resistance, which there would be in sirte and certainly would be