Gadhafi Vows 'No Mercy' As Troops Advance on Benghazi

The Libyan leader said his army will reach the rebel stronghold by nightfall.

As the United Nations debated a U.S.-sponsored plan to authorize military intervention in Libya, Moammar Gadhafi issued a warning to the people of Benghazi that his forces will soon begin their assault on the rebel-held city. Gadhafi said that soldiers will search house by house and that anyone found with weapons will be given no compassion. Fears of a bloody crackdown on rebels prompted Washington to reverse its stance on a no-fly zone over Libya Thursday, and the U.S. has now called for authorization for wider intervention, including bombing Gadhafi’s tanks and ground troops. The vote on the UN motion is scheduled for 6 p.m.