A top U.S. Army general says Washington does not expect to put combat troops on the ground in Yemen but will train Yemen's army to hunt down suspected al-Qaida terrorists.

Visiting General Tommy Franks also says Yemen has also asked for help in building a coast guard fleet to prevent terrorists from entering the country by sea.

General Franks met Monday with Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital, Sanaa. General Franks heads the U.S. Central Command and is in charge of the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan.

The general said President Saleh recognizes that al-Qaida has operated in his country. As the general put it, "We all remember the Cole incident." A terrorist attack against the U.S. warship in late 2000 killed 17 American sailors.

Yemeni security forces are searching for at least two top al-Qaida operatives thought to be in hiding there.

The Defense Department told VOA that U.S. surveillance flights are already being conducted over the region that includes Yemen and Somalia, where it is also feared al-Qaida terrorists may seek refuge.

The White House says President Bush spoke by telephone with President Saleh shortly after General Franks' visit and thanked Yemen's leader for recent efforts to keep terrorists from entering and hiding there.

Some information for this report provided by DPA and AP.

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