Demo against Bush war

President Bush can expect a warm welcome from his old friend, the charismatic Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Rome. This is not what has been found in the streets, however, where anti-Bush sentiment on the war in Iraq remains.

Anti-war activists and hundreds of other demonstrators marched through the Italian capital on Wednesday that Bush has arrived for a visit that was to include meetings on Thursday with Berlusconi and the pope on Friday.

The president, as usual, held on his business. His encountered few signs of protest on his motorcade on the road Thursday.

At the elegant Villa Aurelia hill, part of the American Academy in Rome, Bush met with Italian entrepreneurs and encouraged young people to come to "the first truth about America." He disputed that ' he called misinformation and propaganda on the USA.

"We are a compassionate, open cares about people ... We love the entrepreneurial spirit, "said Bush.

Security is extremely tight for Bush two-day stay in Rome. The commercial flights were banned over the city. Dozens of buses and trams were diverted. Thousands of police were deployed as part of a plan to monitor new protests if Wednesday, March drew far fewer protesters than previous visits by Bush.

Slovenia and Germany, the first two stops on the trip of Bush, were devoid of demonstrators. This is proof that the transatlantic relations on the fractured US-led invasion in Iraq, are on the repair, as European leaders have moved beyond their anger about the war. The Rome protests are proof that the Italian public still opposes the Bush administration.

Unlike other European leaders, like former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former french President Jacques Chirac, Berlusconi supported Bush on Iraq from the outset. The 71 years of media magnate defied domestic opposition and sent about 3000 troops in Iraq after the fall of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

These troops came home, and Berlusconi, who was recently elected to his third shift in power since 1994, has pledged not to send any return.

More than 2000 Italian troops, however, are deployed under the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.

Italy, with Germany, France and Spain, have limited their troops to less dangerous areas in northern Afghanistan. This has caused a break because other NATO members are deployed in the most violent regions of the nation. The Italian government is currently reviewing the restrictions and Berlusconi's office said the prime minister talk to Bush about this during their meeting.

Bush's wife, first lady Laura Bush on Wednesday pledged $ 10.2 billion on behalf of the USA in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. She spoke at an international donors conference in Paris, where the president himself will be headed on Friday.

Berlusconi and Bush were also asked to consider the interests of Italy to join with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany who are a diplomatic push to get Iran to abandon what the West sees as an effort to develop nuclear weapons. It may seem unusual for Italy, which has recently overtaken Germany as Iran's largest trading partner.

But for Italy show strong opposition to Iran suspected nuclear ambitions, Berlusconi and his government has refused to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was in Rome for a UN-sponsored Food Summit.

Bush will meet with the pope on Friday before returning to Paris to continue his European tour farewell. It will be Bush's third meeting with Benedict. The two last met in April at the White House in Washington.