Bush landed in the early hours of Friday for a two-day visit to celebrate the defeat of fascism in World War Two, but it is the war in Iraq that has raised passions which the authorities fear could flare into violent protests.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a staunch Bush ally, has warned of violent protests. Fears of a repeat of the mayhem that marred a G8 summit in Genoa in July 2001 have led Italy to massively bolster security until Bush leaves on Saturday.

Masked police snipers manned the roofs surrounding the US ambassador?s residence where Bush stayed the night as numerous rainbow-coloured peace flags hung from balconies close-by.

As helicopters buzzed overhead, riot police with shields formed a human wall outside Rome?s Termini station where bewildered tourists outnumbered protesters arriving by train.

A group of four protesters dressed in black in their early 20s had come from Milan to join the demonstration. «I think of Bush the same way as I think of Berlusconi,» said a woman who identified herself as Olivia. «They both should be destroyed.»

Authorities have said they will allow peaceful protests, but have deployed some 10,000 police who were out in force around rail and metro stations and in piazzas.

LIBERATION

During a three-day trip to Italy and France, Bush will seek international support for his Iraq mission and commemorate the June 1944 liberation of Rome and the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Bush, a born-again Christian, made a special adjustment to the schedule to fit in a meeting with Pope John Paul, who threw the weight of the Catholic Church against the Iraq war and spoke out against the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers.

A senior administration official said Bush would assure the pope of his «personal commitment» to ensuring such abuses would not happen again, while reiterating his conviction that war was justified because «there are times when force is necessary».

Bush will lay a wreath at the Ardeatine Caves, site of one of the worst World War Two massacres in Italy.

Comparing the campaign in Iraq to US efforts in World War Two, the official said: «This is now a struggle against another kind of tyranny, one that would certainly take the Middle East back to the dark ages.»

Most Italians opposed last year?s invasion of Iraq and there have been many calls for Rome to withdraw its some 2,700 troops.

Italians were reminded of the dangers of their presence in Iraq on Thursday when mortar rounds landed near their embassy in Baghdad, killing one Iraqi. They are also concerned about three Italian hostages held in Iraq for nearly two months.

A video of the hostages was aired on Al Jazeera on Wednesday along with a message from the kidnappers urging the Italian people to demonstrate against Bush during his Rome visit.

Bush?s biggest goal on his weekend trip - which takes him away from a political storm in Washington after the resignation of the head of the CIA - will be to try to overcome differences on a new UN resolution endorsing Iraq?s caretaker government and establishing a US-led multinational force.

On Saturday Bush meets French President Jacques Chirac, hoping to warm relations strained over Iraq. They will be among 17 heads of state and government due to attend Sunday?s anniversary ceremonies in Normandy.

Rachel Sanderson