Why Widmore wanted Ben dead by sweetpea2720

I believe that not only did Widmore want Ben dead because he wanted to take "his" island back but because he somehow knew that Ben would be the one that would kill Jacob.

I certainly believe that Widmore hates Ben and wants him off the Island and to get revenge but I believe his concern for the Island has much more to do with keeping the Man in Black kept on the island and the cork in the bottle.

I think that Eloise also knew that the candidates needed to be on the island not because of why she told them but because God help them all if they didn't go back and the Man in Black gets let loose.

Remember when Naomi was giving Miles his audition and she told him that there was a number of deceased individuals residing on the island? I believe she may have been referring to Jacob and Locke.

Now Widmore is back and doesn't seem to be as concerned about Ben because he wasn't able to stop him killing Jacob and Locke but is now most concerned about destroying the Man in Black.