@ Brookings Podcast: Targeting U.S.-Born Terrorists Abroad

When a U.S. drone strike killed American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, questions arose about the legality of action. Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes explains the statute that gives U.S. officials the legal right to target terrorists who are U.S. citizens in foreign countries. Wittes says that while a compelling legal and moral case for such action can be made, the law should be updated to reflect the new realities of the terrorist threat facing the nation, and the Obama administration needs to do a better job of explaining the law and its use.