SCARY

U.S. Has ‘Kill List’

For militants such as Awlaki.

A secret panel of senior government officials has a “kill list” for American militants such as Anwar al-Awlaki, officials told Reuters on Wednesday. The panel was behind the decision to kill Awlaki, but there are no public records of any of the panel’s decisions or operations. The panel, a subset of the White House’s National Security Council, informs the president of its decisions. As for the decision to kill Awlaki, Democratic Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) said earlier this week that the National Security Council did the investigation and consulted lawyers, as well as received input from the military, before bringing the decision to President Obama—but some anonymous officials said the process was murkier than that and much more secret. Officials also said there is no approval needed for someone who is not an American citizen.