From Sharon's point of view to order the killing made sense: He'll be more likely to get a majority in two weeks within Likud for his separation plan. I doubt he looks much further and considers other consequences.

In one of his last interviews Rantisi said (my translation from German): "It is not up to Sharon to determine when I have to die, it is up to Allah's will." When he was killed, the people on the street interviewed said "Sharon is going to pay for that." Since I first saw the interview when he was dead the two quotes were in nearly direct succession and left me puzzled deeply.

Wolfgang