Italy's Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu has chaired a meeting to discuss last-minute security measures at the Turin Winter Olympics because of Muslim fury over cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

"Particular attention was paid to the possible fallout in Italy from the wave of protests taking place in the world and to the latest preventative measures taken in these last days," the ministry said in a statement.

Pisanu met security and intelligence chiefs but it was not immediately clear what, if any, extra measures would be taken in the northern Italian city which hosts the Games from Friday until February 26.

The cartoons, which originated in Denmark and were subsequently published in newspapers around the world including France, Australia, Germany, Japan and Spain, sparked angry protests around the Muslim world.

The Danish embassy in the Lebanon was burned during a weekend protest and Palestinian demonstrators hurled stones at the European Union's offices in the Gaza Strip and pulled down the EU flag.

Italy has deployed thousands of police, snipers and armed skiers to patrol the slopes, venues and living quarters of athletes in the area.

The International Olympic Committee discussed whether Danish athletes should be granted more security after the attacks on some Danish embassies due to the cartoons' origin in Denmark, Italian IOC member Mario Pescante said on Monday.

It is not clear yet whether the Danes will receive more protection, as is traditionally provided to the US and Israeli Olympic teams.

"We haven't asked for any extra security because we are in close contact with the Danish police and Danish intelligence service, and the information is that we don't need to worry yet," said Danish Olympics spokeswoman Eline Andersen.

"But we will stay in close contact and will review the situation accordingly."

So far, the only security hiccups have been provided by Italian protesters targeting the Olympic torch as it travelled around the country, to demonstrate grievances against sponsors or a high-speed rail development in the Susa Valley.

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