US Attorney General says country at war with extremists

Washington, Mar 6(ANI): US Attorney General Eric Holder has warned that his country is at war with extremists.

"Military and civilian officials must often make real-time decisions that balance the need to act, the existence of alternative options, the possibility of collateral damage, and other judgements. All of which depend on expertise and immediate access to information that only the Executive Branch may possess in real time. We simply cannot afford to wait until deadly plans are carried out," the BBC quoted Holder, as saying.

Holder said American citizens living abroad could legally be targeted with "lethal force" if there was an imminent threat.

He said the US would use force would to target only a senior figure in al-Qaeda or an affiliated organization.

"The unfortunate reality is that our nation will likely continue to face terrorist threats that, at times, originate with our own citizens. When such individuals take up arms against this country, and join al-Qaeda in plotting attacks designed to kill their fellow Americans, there may be only one realistic and appropriate response," he said.

The US has for the first time said it would kill Americans who are plotting attacks against the country.

The Obama administration was criticised by civil liberties groups after it killed the US-born Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in September 2011. (ANI)