President's power eyed in al-Awlaki death

President Barack Obama steered the nation's war machine into uncharted territory Friday when a U.S. drone's missile killed two U.S. citizens in Yemen who had become central figures in al-Qaida.

It was believed to be the first instance in which a U.S. citizen was tracked and executed based on secret intelligence and the president's say-so. As such, it raised some questions about the limits of presidential power.

Anwar al-Awlaki, the target of the attack, was one of the best-known al-Qaida figures. The second American killed, Samir Kahn, was editor of a magazine aimed at al-Qaida sympathizers.

"Al-Qaida and its affiliates will find no safe haven anywhere in the world," Obama said.

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), House homeland security chairman, was quick to praise the action, saying, "It's something we had to do." He added: "The president is showing leadership. The president is showing guts."

A GOP presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, condemned the killing, saying it amounts to "assassination." He warned Americans not to accept casually such violence against U.S. citizens, even those with strong ties to terrorism.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, said: "It's legal . . . We're taking out someone who has attempted to attack us on numerous occasions. And he [al-Awlaki] was on that list."

That is a classified list of people the White House authorized the CIA and Pentagon to kill or capture as terrorists. A Sept. 17, 2001, presidential order cleared the CIA hunt for terrorists and made no distinction between foreigners and U.S. citizens.