By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years

One of the sons of ousted strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi was negotiating his own surrender, Libyan rebels said Wednesday, while another son issued a defiant message saying that the regime would fight to the death.

Troops loyal to longtime Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi massacred more than 180 prisoners at two locations south of Tripoli this week, according to eyewitnesses and a survivor.

Libyan rebels advanced on the capital, Tripoli, from the west on Monday, threatening to encircle dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who also had another top aide flee his crumbling regime.

Libyan rebels closed in on Col. Moammar Gadhafi's tribal stronghold Sirte on Monday, but despite significant gains over the past few days, they predicted a bloody battle lies ahead.