Saudi Arabia, hit by a wave of attacks by suspected Al Qaeda fighters, used a counter-terror conference yesterday to call for an international centre to combat and pre-empt terrorism. "I call on all countries to set up an international centre for combating terrorism. Those working in it would be experts in this field," Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz told delegates from some 50 countries and international bodies at the start of the four-day gathering. The centre would "exchange and pass information instantly in a manner compatible with the speed of events and prevent them (terror attacks) before they occur," he said.The crown prince's proposal for a global centre was backed by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who said the league was prepared to help set it up. Abdullah said the fight against terror was linked to the fight against arms smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering. "Hence, it would be difficult to prevail in our war on terror if it does not include a decisive confrontation with these three criminal networks," he said. Arab, Islamic and Western states are attending the conference. The US delegation is led by homeland security adviser Frances Townsend, and the British team by Edward Oakden, special representative for counter-terrorism. Also attending are the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, whose Secretary-General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, called on the UN to "issue a resolution prohibiting the linking of terrorism with any religion." The tolerant message of Islam "is not represented by the spurious slogans raised by those... who emerge from the caves of darkness and which are exploited by the enemies of Islam to tarnish its image," Abdullah said.