Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the Bush administration will be helpful in the reconstruction of Gaza after Israel withdraws, but she is not ready to commit the United States to specifics in a project Israel estimates will cost it $1 billion. Rice, in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, also urged Israel not to engage in "wanton destruction" of the homes the 8,000 Jewish settlers will leave behind after this summer's exodus. "There needs to be some coordination on what's being done," she said, "and I think there will be." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets with President George W. Bush at his Texas ranch next Monday. Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, was in Washington Tuesday to help plan the agenda with Rice and Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security director. Weisglass' talks will be followed by meetings Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres is to hold this week with Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials. "Obviously, the disengagement is a huge historical opportunity, and we want it to succeed," Rice said. She said the United States would help with reconstruction because "if the Palestinians are able to take over Gaza and turn this into an area that is prosperous over the long term, that's going to be very much better for the whole peace process."
