LONDON (AP) -- World powers are looking to bolster Yemen's faltering economy and tackle a rising threat from al-Qaida there in the wake of the unsuccessful Christmas Day airline attack in the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in London for a hurriedly convened meeting Wednesday with delegates from the Middle East, Russia and Europe over the risk posed by Yemen following the botched Detroit bombing.
Delegates will discuss fears that declining oil revenues are weakening Yemen's ability to deliver basic services - stirring dissent and allowing terrorists a firmer foothold in the country.
The U.S. and Britain may also push for more control over counterterrorism operations inside Yemen, though the country's foreign minister insists his government won't support the permanent presence of international troops.
Delegates at the two-hour talks in London - which include the World Bank and International Monetary Fund - won't pledge any new funds, but instead will offer to help Yemen spend $5 billion donated in 2006, most of which remains untouched.
Intelligence officials are concerned about the ability of al-Qaida affiliates to operate freely in some parts of Yemen, and say Western Muslims are traveling there to seek out radical clerics and terrorists.
The U.S. military and intelligence agencies have been participating in joint operations for some time with Yemeni troops, and the two countries are discussing a new aviation unit to help bolster Yemen's counterterrorism forces, a Yemeni official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, said while the intelligence sharing has been critical, the Yemeni military badly needs military equipment.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that joint operations have killed scores of people, among them six of 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaida affiliate. Other officials told The Associated Press the number may be closer to four.
The operations were approved by President Barack Obama, begun six weeks ago and involve several dozen troops from the U.S. military's clandestine Joint Special Operations Command. U.S. officials have said repeatedly that American advisers do not take part in raids in Yemen, but provide intelligence, surveillance, planning and other weapons assistance.
Yemen's foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said his nation needs helicopters and logistical support, but won't allow the U.S. to establish permanent bases there. ""Why do we need outside soldiers to fight when we can do the fight ourselves?"" he told BBC radio.
Officials said nations at Wednesday's meeting will launch a new international organization - the Friends of Yemen - to help the country identify aid priorities. It will include the Group of Eight countries, members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and other neighboring nations.
PGCC will hot a meting of the Persian Gulf and other international donors on Yemen in Riyadh on February 22-23.
photo : Yemeni Foreign Minister, Abu Bakr al-Qirbi arrives at the podium to talk to the conference audience on 'Yemen's Future: The Road Towards Stability and Development', at Chatham House in London ahead of the Conference on Yemen, in London.
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