Libya fighters' push stalled by Gadhafi troops

Three weeks after the fall of Tripoli appeared to herald the end of Libya's brutal civil war, the protracted battle over the loyalist bastions of Bani Walid and Sirte, Gadhafi's hometown, has dashed hopes of a speedy "declaration of liberation" that would start the clock ticking on a transition to democracy.

Libya's new rulers say that capturing the towns, along with the remote southern stronghold of Sabha, is just a matter of time. They insist they've been slowed by unsuccessful attempts to negotiate surrender deals with tribal leaders - with two envoys from the negotiation team killed Sunday.

However, the former rebels may have underestimated the continued support for Gadhafi in Bani Walid and the other strongholds, which had been favored by the old regime with jobs, investments and other perks.

Arguments among anti-Gadhafi fighters have further complicated the assault, especially in Bani Walid, home to the Warfala, Libya's largest tribe with about 1 million people, or one-sixth of the country's population.