B737-500 ACFT ON APCH WENT BELOW GS UNDER 500 FT AND FLC EXECUTED GAR. DURING GAR TCASII RA GAVE DSND COMMAND; THEN CLB COMMAND AND ATCT LCL CTLR GAVE HEADING CLRNC WHICH BROUGHT RPTR ACFT TOO CLOSE TO DEPARTING TFC.

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ON FLT FROM SMF TO LAX ON JUN/XX/97; WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR ON THE JUMP SEAT; WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX. THE SKY CONDITION IN THE AREA WAS AN OVCST LAYER OVER THE OCEAN AND SHORELINE DISSIPATING EASTWARD TO SCATTERED CLOUDS ON FINAL. BASES WERE AT ABOUT 1000 FT WITH TOPS AT 1800 FT. THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AT 5 MI. WE CIRCUMNAVIGATED SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS ON FINAL THEN CONFIGURED AND STABILIZED FOR LNDG. AT APPROX 400 FT AGL WE DEVIATED BELOW THE ILS GS JUST TO THE POINT TO ACTIVATE THE GS AURAL WARNING. THE FLT MANUAL STATES THAT IN VISUAL CONDITIONS; BELOW 500 FT AGL WITH A GS WARNING; A GAR MUST BE EXECUTED. WE DID THIS. THE MISSED APCH WAS DECLARED TO ATC AND THE PROFILE WAS FLOWN. ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO FLY HDG 250 DEGS AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT; WE COMPLIED. IN THE CLB; WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 1000 FT. CLBING THROUGH 1500 FT; AN RA WAS RECEIVED TO DSND; WE FOLLOWED THE RA GUIDE BARS; THEN WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RA TO CLB. AGAIN; WE FOLLOWED THE RA GUIDE BARS. THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING IN IMC. AT 1800 FT MSL WE POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW A JET THAT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 24L. IT WAS TO OUR L AND AT OUR ALT AT A DISTANCE OF APPROX 400 FT HORIZLY AND BEGINNING A L TURN AWAY FROM US. AT THAT POINT THE RA'S STOPPED. WE WERE THEN VECTORED AROUND TO A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 25L. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) ATC SEEMED SURPRISED THAT WE EXECUTED A GAR. INSTEAD OF A 250 DEG HDG; THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US AT LEAST A 260 DEG OR EVEN A 270 DEG HDG TO INCREASE SEPARATION FROM THE DEPARTING ACFT. 2) IN MY OPINION; A SAFE LNDG COULD HAVE OCCURRED EVEN WITH THE GS WARNING. IN RETROSPECT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAFER COURSE OF ACTION. THE FLT MANUAL SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND REVISED DELETING THE REQUIREMENT TO GAR WHILE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS BELOW 500 FT WITH A GS WARNING.