Mr Noble noted that police in INTERPOL member countries were already making strenuous efforts to meet the terrorist threat. But he said that in the event of a war such efforts must be intensified. 'Simple prudence dictates a heightened level of awareness,'he said in remarks prepared for an address at Tufts University in Boston.

'INTERPOL's constitution forbids it from involving itself in matters of a political, military or religious nature, so we take no position on the potential military confrontation involving Iraq, certain other countries and the UN, 'Mr Noble said. 'But it is the police worldwide who are expected to prevent, or at least reduce the risk of and react quickly to, terrorist acts.'

'So INTERPOL and the world's police forces must prepare themselves for any potential increase in terrorist attacks if there is a war. INTERPOL simply cannot afford to ignore this risk, and will not ignore this risk.'

Among the risks identified by INTERPOL: The immediate operational effect of a war on the level of terrorist activity depends in large part on whether groups wish to strike in direct response to a war. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda intend to use the possibility of a war as a pretext for more terrorist attacks. Al-Qaeda or other groups that support its aims might be reinforced as a result of a war in the form of recruits and resources. Hard targets in countries supporting the war could be under higher risk of terrorist attack. Soft targets in countries not participating in the war could be at higher risk.

'These are some of the reasons why I have ordered a doubling in the manpower available at the General Secretariat in Lyon, to be on stand-by around the clock and ready to use our unrivalled global police communications network and our extensive criminal information database to scan for any evidence of new threats,' Mr Noble said.

'Our analysts and police officers are already scrutinizing any terrorist-related information as our highest priority in an effort to prevent terrorists from carrying out preparations for attacks and from moving freely around the world. But if a war breaks out all of us at INTERPOL and throughout the world must become even more vigilant and aggressive in our anti-terrorist effort.'

INTERPOL was set up in 1923 to facilitate cross-border criminal police cooperation. Today, it is the largest international police organization in the world, with 181 member countries spread over five continents.