Sharon still plans to withdraw from Gaza

After he expands the "buffer zone" and kills all the inhabitants, that is:

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli leader Ariel Sharon vowed on Sunday to widen an offensive into Gaza which has killed at least 50 Palestinians until militants stop firing rockets that have fueled criticism of his plan to abandon the occupied strip.

Sharon needs to show he can stop rocket strikes like one that killed two Israeli toddlers last Wednesday to counter rightists who say that evacuating troops and Jewish settlers from Gaza will encourage more attacks.

In one of the biggest and bloodiest Israeli raids in four years of conflict, nearly 200 tanks and armored vehicles seized 9 square km (3 square miles) of the northern strip and pushed deep into teeming Jabalya refugee camp, a militant hotbed.

Sharon told Army Radio the army would expand the "buffer zone" in northern Gaza to spare Israeli towns from rocket attacks and ensure there was no withdrawal under fire next year.

-- NY Times.

In summary, no one in Gaza can be the least bit safe until everyone in Israel is 100% aafe. That is, never. I'm sure that our two presidential candidates agree.