Originally posted by Turnbull:
when Michael says that he wants Roth's plane met, and Hagen says it's impossible, Michael puts down Tom and says, "Rocco?" He doesn't say, "Al"? Why? Because Michael knows it's a one-way mission--and he's selected Rocco, not Neri, because Rocco's expendible and Neri isn't.
Anytime someone points out that the Roth hit was a "suicide mission for Rocco", I always feel compelled to mention that there is no indication that Michael necessarily intended that Rocco actually be the one to carry out the hit.
Michael could've merely been asking Rocco if such a hit were possible, to which Rocco replies "Difficult, not impossible."
Michael wanted Roth's plane "met". There clearly weren't very many options for the manner in which the hit would be carried out, nor would there be more than the one opportunity, since it was expected that Roth was to be taken into immediate custody.
But had Rocco come to Michael with another similar plan which involved someone other than himself as the shooter, there's no reason why Michael would not have agreed to it, unless he desired that Rocco
also be killed.
But, had it been Michael's wish to eliminate Rocco, why not just have him whacked outright?
If Michael had good reason to want Rocco eliminated because Rocco was, in fact, his "enemy", then he was taking a big chance in giving this assignment to Rocco, since Rocco may have realized that Michael's insistence that he (Rocco) carry out this suicide mission meant that he (Rocco) had been identified as an enemy.
So Michael was taking a risk because if Rocco came to this realization, he might've left for the airport to kill Roth and instead headed off in the opposite direction, not only escaping himself, but leaving Roth alive as well.
