US urges judge to toss lawsuit over target killings

The Obama administration on Saturday urged a federal judge to reject a challenge to a program that targets for killing US citizens like Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki who have joined militant groups and have been tied to terrorism plots.

The Obama administration earlier this year authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to capture or kill al-Awlaki, who is believed to be in hiding in Yemen where al Qaeda militants have been operating for years, US officials have said. (Reuters)