Even chopped pickup trucks may not help Libya's rebels win

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It would be heartening to report that Libya's ragtag rebellion has pushed itself to the brink of victory using their wits to build weapons like this recoilless rifle in a chopped Chinese pickup. But it wouldn't be true.

Turns out the rebels are a little frustrated with NATO's promises of help turning into sporadic bombings that occasionally hit rebel units and in one case, a civilian neighborhood in Tripoli. Cash and supplies may be running low, and while NATO helicopters can drop leaflets on rebel-held areas, calling in timely air support seems vexing at best.

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Which leaves the rebels with the weaponry we've featured before, along with these new twists; chopped pickups whose cabs no longer block the sweep of their big guns. That top pickup is a Zhongxing Auto GrandTiger, a Chinese import that's become go-to wheels for many insurgents thanks to cheap replacement parts. The Mitsubishi Triton is, well, a Mitsubishi.

Photos: Associated Press