Can the U.S. government or its agents kill an American citizen even if he is a non-combatant? Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Muslim Cleric born in America and hiding in Yemen, has called for a Jihad against America and is clearly inciting violence against his native land. But as his own father will argue in front of a federal judge today, that may not mean he should be marked for death or capture by the C.I.A.. The law suit, filed in Washington by two human rights organizations on behalf of al-Awlaki’s father, argues that the U.S. government shouldn’t be allowed to kill an American citizen who isn’t on the battlefield without a judicial review. We’re joined by Scott Shane, who reported on this story for The New York Times.
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