NICOSIA Ñ Lebanon has transformed its capital for the Arab League summit this week.

The transformation is meant to accommodate unprecedented security measures to facilitate the arrival of Arab leaders. They include Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Syrian President Bashar Assad and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

[In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked the United States to facilitate plans to travel to Beirut to address the Arab League summit. Sharon raised the issue during last week's visit by U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney.]

The security measures will shut down large parts of the Lebanese capital amid rising tension between rival Shi'ite groups. On Saturday, 20 people were reportedly injured in a clash between the Iranian-backed Hizbullah and the Syrian-backed Amal movements.

Lebanese sources said the Arab leaders will begin arriving on Tuesday, a day before the summit is launched. They said that by late Thursday the Arab kings and presidents are expected to leave Lebanon.

So far, 15 countries have informed Beirut that they will attend the summit. They include Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said the security measures are meant to protect 4,500 guests, nearly half of them members of the news media. Salameh said about 8,000 security officers will protect the Arab delegations.

"This will require changes in flight scheduled by all commercial airlines using Beirut airport from March 26 through March 28," Salameh said.

"The Beirut airport highway will be under a virtual curfew for motorists."

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