Rothenberg is the special advisor to Morocco's 2010 bid

Alan Rothenberg, who is advising Morocco's 2010 World Cup committee, is confident Moroccan links to international terrorism will not harm the country's bid.

Spanish police believe a Moroccan-based terrorist group, with cells in Belgium, Britain, Canada, France and Italy, planted the bombs that killed 192 people in Madrid last month.

Yet the former president of the United States Soccer Federation has said that the north Africans are well-equipped to combat terrorism.

"Morocco has a proven history of being able to control it," Rothenberg said.

"Most people are sophisticated enough on this subject to understand that there isn't a place in the world that's free from the potential of a terrorist act."

"Since the Munich Olympics in 1972, the World Cup, Olympics and big international gatherings are pretty much terrorist free.

"The terrorists are pretty smart. They go where there's vulnerability. They don't go right into the heart of heavily secured areas and those big events get heavily secured."

Morocco is one of five African nations bidding to host the 2010 World Cup, which has been promised to the continent by football's world governing body.

Africa's World Cup hopefuls

Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and South Africa are the other countries bidding, and Fifa's executive committee will decide on the issue in Zurich on 15 May.

And Rothenberg, the former chairman of America's World Cup '94 committee who has been called up by the Moroccan bidding committee to add his expertise, has great faith in the Africans' ability to combat terror.

"The Moroccans have a great reputation for being very strong with respect to control of terrorism," the American said.

Spanish authorities believe Moroccans masterminded the Madrid bombings

"They were part of the France '98 security force, the French asked them to help.

"A lot of the Moroccans involved in (the) Madrid (bombings) were former Moroccans. They were kicked out of Morocco. They don't find safe harbour in the country."

Rothenberg said he did not believe the Fifa executive committee will place much weight on terrorism compared with other issues such as the standard of stadiums, communications and travel.

"You can never discount the issue of terrorism and this unfortunate history, but we're safe," he said.

Morocco has bid three previous times for the World Cup while South Africa, a long-time favourite to get the 2006 edition, was beaten by Germany by one vote after a sole executive committee member decided to abstain.

However, Rothenberg does not believe South Africa will get the sympathy vote as a result of what happened four years ago.

"I think the executive committee will vote on the merits of the bid," he said.

"We start all over and evaluate what's the bid for 2010 which makes more sense for Fifa and for football irrespective of what happened before.

"If you want sympathy, Morocco's bid three times before."

"But we don't want sympathy votes any more than South Africa does."