June 4 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Rome today may disrupt transportation as 10,000 police and soldiers guard against terrorist attacks and patrol protests against the occupation of Iraq.

There will be no flights to and from Rome's Ciampino airport for two days because of the visit by Bush, who arrived early today in the Italian capital. Rome is his first stop in Europe before traveling to France to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the World War II landings in Normandy, the start of the liberation of France from the Nazi occupation. Some businesses in central Rome are closing for the day.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, 67, who declared himself Bush's ``best friend'' in Europe after U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, faces opposition to the presence of 3,000 Italian troops in Iraq. Eight days before local and European elections, polls show about half of Italians want the soldiers to leave.

``Probably Berlusconi hoped to get a political boost from the Bush visit,'' said Sergio Romano, a historian and former Italian ambassador to Moscow, in an interview. ``The problem is that this is happening at a moment when criticism is strong.''

Opposition to Italy keeping its troops in Iraq has eased in the past weeks. Forty-seven percent of Italians opposed the presence of Italian soldiers in Iraq, while 43 percent supported it, according to a poll published in Corriere della Sera newspaper on Tuesday, June 1. That was down from a high of 57 percent in April. The Ispo/Allaxia poll interviewed 501 people between May 28- 30 and had a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

`Serious' Threat

Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said a week ago that there are ``serious'' security threats during Bush's visit.

Apart from the risk of terrorism, security forces are seeking to avoid a repeat of clashes with anti-globalization protesters that marred the Group of Seven meeting in Genoa in July, 2001. During that meeting, Italian police killed a protester who attacked security agents. Demonstrators smashed storefronts, torched office buildings and stoned police.

Protesters are descending on Rome from all over Italy. Neither the police nor the Interior Ministry gave estimates for how many protesters will take to the streets.

``There is potential for violence,'' the U.S. embassy in Rome said in a notice advising U.S. citizens to stay away from the demonstrations.

`Stop the War'

A coalition of anti-war groups under the name of Stop the War said they expect 100,000 people to protest against Bush in Rome and in other Italian cities. Police will try to seal off the route of the demonstrations, which start in Rome's Piazza della Repubblica, to prevent any outbreak of violence from spilling over into the city.

``I have no problem with someone who says `I don't agree.' In fact, I think it's healthy,'' Bush said in an interview Wednesday with Italian state television, when asked if he knew of planned anti-war protests in Rome.

Bush will meet Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and lay a wreath at Italy's monument to those who died in World War II to commemorate the U.S. role in liberating Italy from the Nazis. Bush, 57, is scheduled to dine with Berlusconi tonight and hold a press conference tomorrow before departing for Paris. Bush will also meet today at the Vatican with Pope John Paul II, who has publicly criticized the war in Iraq.

Businesses Close

Gioco, Coccole & Biberon, a day-care center in Rome's Prati neighborhood located near the Vatican, is closing for the day because the center doesn't want parents to risk bringing their children to the neighborhood in case of a terrorist attack.

U.S. restaurant chains and shops including outlets of McDonald's Corp. and Blockbuster Inc. will be closely guarded, the Interior Ministry said. The number of police guarding subway trains and stations will double and they will be equipped with emergency kits in case of biological or chemical attacks.

The Parioli neighborhood, where Bush will stay at Villa Taverna, the U.S. ambassador's residence, will be sealed off to road traffic and as many as 15 bus lines will be rerouted. A sit- in by protesters banging pots and pans is planned near the residence ``to keep Bush awake,'' la Repubblica reported.

Support for the demonstrations among Berlusconi's political opposition may be muted because of demands by the kidnappers of three Italian civilians in Iraq. The group, known as the Green Brigades, released a video Wednesday of the three surviving captives and said demonstrations would be a condition for the release. A fourth hostage was murdered by the group on April 14, two days after they were captured.

Damage to Opposition

Violent demonstrations may be more damaging to the opposition parties than Berlusconi, said Franco Pavoncello, a professor of political science at John Cabot University in Rome.

``Fundamentally Bush's visit will be seen as a visit from the president of the United States, which liberated Italy 60 years ago,'' Pavoncello said. ``Violent protests will hurt the opposition more than Berlusconi.''

Ahead of the June 12 and June 13 elections, opposition parties would get 47 percent to 52 percent of the vote, according to the poll in Corriere della Sera. Berlusconi's alliance would win 41 percent to 45 percent, Corriere said. About 17 percent of voters are undecided. The margin of error was 2.5 percent.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sheyam Ghieth in Rome at sghieth@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 4, 2004 01:00 EDT