¡¡¡¡JAKARTA, Oct. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The planned US President George W.Bush's visit to Bali, Indonesia, has transformed the island's popular tourist destination Kuta and its Ngurah Rai airport into a fortress, with soldiers and police roaming around the vicinity in full battle gear.

¡¡¡¡Authorities tightened security on Tuesday in and around Ngurah Rai and Patra Bali Hotel, where President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her US counterpart Bush are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

¡¡¡¡The US security authorities have also blocked almost three quarters of the hotel compound, just five minutes drive from the airport, making it extremely difficult for hotel guests to move around.

¡¡¡¡"I have been receiving complaints (from hotel guests) since this morning. It is inconvenient for them to move around with so many soldiers standing at every corner of the hotel," a member of the hotel's staff on condition of anonymity was quoted by The Jakarta Post as saying Wednesday.

¡¡¡¡Walk-through metal detectors have been placed at every entranceand only people with identification cards provided by the government can move easily around the hotel.

¡¡¡¡Six Indonesian warships are also standing by, attracting the attention of hotel guests who could spot them from the beach.

¡¡¡¡The newspaper said that around 200 US marines were also stayingin the hotel.

¡¡¡¡For security reasons, authorities will close down the airport for at least three hours on Wednesday, forcing around 25 flights in and out of the island to be rescheduled.

¡¡¡¡The US authority has also limited media coverage to 30 local journalists and 20 American journalists traveling with Bush in theAir Force One.

¡¡¡¡"The rest of the media are not allowed to go near the venue," amember of the Indonesian presidential staff said.

¡¡¡¡Bush is slated to arrive at 11:05 a.m. local time. After resting for ten minutes, 25-minutes of bilateral talks with President Megawati are scheduled, with lunch afterward.

¡¡¡¡Two press conferences have been scheduled for Wednesday, the first after lunch, when the two presidents will issue a joint statement on terrorism. The second will be held after Bush holds a30-minute dialog with Indonesian religious leaders.

¡¡¡¡Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman Hasyim Muzadi, Muhammdiyah Chairman Syafii Maarif, noted Islamic scholar Azyumardi Azra and Chairman of Indonesian Churches Council (PGI) Chairman Nathan Setiabudi have been invited to meet Bush. Enditem

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