Pentagon Prepares to Send Troops to Yemen

March 1 -- The U.S. military is working with Yemeni officials to hammer out details on a plan to combat terrorism in the Arab state.

Pentagon officials would not confirm details, but ABCNEWS has learned there are plans to send as many as 200 U.S. troops to Yemen to train forces there, the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father and suspected home to the accused terrorist mastermind's al Qaeda forces.

The troops would train and equip Yemen security forces with small arms and gather intelligence. They would not engage in combat, but act mainly in an advisory role — an arrangement similar to the one taking place in the Philippines against the Muslim separatist Abu Sayyaf, and proposed in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

"Especially since Sept. 11, we've been working with a variety of countries to find out, what are the things we can do together?" said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke. "How can we help many of these countries with logistical support with training, with the appropriate levels of equipment so they can better combat terrorism in their own countries?"

Confirming a Wall Street Journal report, a senior Yemeni official told Reuters today that the White House had approved a mission to send hundreds of troops to train and advise forces in the Arab state. It was unclear when the U.S. troops would arrive in Yemen.

"In the framework of cooperation between Yemen and the United States, U.S. forces will arrive gradually to hold training courses," the official said.

A government official in Yemen speaking with The Associated Press did not say when the troops would arrive but said the forces will enter Yemen at different times in groups of 20 to 30 people, who will stay for 15 to 20 days.

Yemen, often seen as a haven for Islamic extremists, has been searching for al Qaeda members in an apparent attempt to cooperate with the U.S.-led war on terror. The USS Cole was in the Yemeni port city of Aden when it was bombed in October 2000.

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