[Evilmav2]

Do I understand correctly that the State Dept is in favor of considering the lifting of sanctions, but that the Pentagon is less favorable....

Speaking generally, the State department is usually going to be the prime federal instrument of any American diplomatic endeavor and stance pertaining to any of our friends and foes around the world. Any talk of the US easing sanctions against Libya is going to have it's genesis in the White House, but Colin Powell's state dept. would certainly have a lot of involvement in the formulation and articulation of that policy.

At the moment, the Dept. of Defense really probably doesn't have any interest or hand in formulating US policies directed at Libya, and that is fortunate for the Libyans. The last time Pentagon planners took the forefront in our diplomatic relations with the Libyans, Gaddafi lost a daughter and almost lost his life...