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SYDNEY, Feb 21 (AFP) - Australia is now fourth on the world's terror attack hit list, with its flag carrier Qantas most likely to be targeted, the country's leading authority on terrorism warned Friday.

But Clive Williams, director of terrorism studies at Canberra's Australian National University, told an industry security conference it was more likely an attack would take place overseas.

"Since the turn of the millennium, 101 Australians have died overseas and if you go back 100 years, 20 odd people have died in Australia as a result of politically-motivated violence," he said.

"Clearly the risk is way higher overseas, simply because it is a lot easier to attack us overseas than it is to attack us in Australia."

He said Australia's engagement in a war in Iraq would inevitably increase its profile, and al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden would quickly seize on the fact that it is one of three countries which had so far deployed troops to the Gulf.

"That will probably make us number four on the hit list -- the United States will be first, Israel will be second, the UK will be third," he said.

He warned the risk of terrorism attacks through food poisoning was growing, with poisons such as ricin likely agents.

Williams told told reporters attending the Brisbane conference that Australia's role in Iraq had implications for high profile businesses, with Qantas, as possibly the best known business overseas.

"Clearly where a brand is identified with Australia, like Qantas for example, I think the level of threat to those sort of businesses will be higher," he added.

"If I was thinking about an international brand that was identified with Australia, Qantas would come to mind first."

No company could completely protect itself from attack, but Qantas was well prepared.

"Qantas has got a very good record in this area, they've always been very diligent about their security planning," he said. "They have probably done as much as they can do to safeguard their passengers."

He also warned that all airlines would plan to divert flights away from Iraq and the Middle East in the event of war, a decision which would increase costs.

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