U.S. Department of Justice
White Paper
The following is excerpted from a 2011 classified white paper, titled “Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a U.S. Citizen Who Is a Senior Operational Leader of al-Qaeda or an Associated Force,” that was leaked to NBC News journalist Michael Isikoff and first became public on February 5, 2013. This white paper sets forth a legal framework for considering the circumstances in which the U.S. Government could use lethal force in a foreign country outside the area of active hostilities against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qaeda or an associated force of al-Qaeda…
