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Speaking on condition of anonymity, the senior military official told NPR that despite withering coalition airstrikes, Moammar Gadhafi's forces still have the advantage and continue to threaten civilians.

The agreement, announced in Brussels by the alliance's secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will allow the U.S. to hand over command and control of part of the international operation, as it has been eager to do. But it appeared that some NATO members balked at supervising attacks on targets on the ground.

A senior Pentagon official told NPR the handover could happen as soon as today.

Rebels are disorganized; allies are unwilling to expand strikes to go beyond protecting civilians.

Since Operation Odyssey Dawn began last Saturday, more than 160 cruise missiles have been launched, and jet fighters from at least four countries have dropped bombs on targets all across Libya. But is the operation achieving its goals? Not yet.

Coalition airstrikes hit Libyan tanks in Misurata and warships moved into Libya's coastal waters to enforce an arms embargo on Moammar Gadhafi's regime, but NATO members were still working out a deal to assume command and control of the no-fly zone.

Coalition airstrikes have pushed forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi away from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. But the opposition has been unable, so far, to make much progress at all. They keep getting pushed back when they try to fight forward into the town of Ajdabiya.

The four-day air assault will soon achieve the objectives of establishing a no-fly zone and averting a massacre of civilians by Moammar Gadhafi's troops, he said. But U.S. planes will not be maintaining the no-fly-zone.

The U.S. military said Tuesday that an Air Force fighter jet crashed in Libya but was not shot down. Both crew members ejected.

Emboldened by U.S. and European military aid, rebels reportedly made a push on Monday from their eastern hamlet of Benghazi, taking the offensive for the first time in more than a week.