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U.S. may send troops to Yemen soon, officials say

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon is hoping that an "executive order" to send initial forces to Yemen will be signed by the end of this week, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.

The order would send 40 to 80 U.S. troops to Yemen to train and equip the Yemeni military in counterterrorism.

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The official indicated that the mission could grow from "train and equip" into an "assist and advise" effort -- much like the United States is undertaking in the Philippines.

Although no decision has been made, a U.S. military mission that included "advising and assisting" the Yemenis in searching for and destroying terrorist networks could extend to helping them plan missions and advising them on tactics.

The United States may also share overhead reconnaissance and intelligence information with Yemen, the official said.

The official said that if the Yemeni mission does grow, more troops would be sent. The source contrasted a possible Yemeni mission with the mission in the Republic of Georgia, where the U.S. military is limiting its efforts solely to training and equipping Georgian troops.