(NEWSER) – It is legal for the American government to order the killing of an American citizen if a "high-level" official decides that the person is a senior member of al-Qaeda or an associated group who poses "an imminent threat of violent attack" against the US, according to a Justice Department memo obtained by NBC News. But the 16-page document, which details the legal reasoning behind the use of drone strikes against Americans, uses a very broad definition of "imminent." A key part:
- "The condition that an operational leader present an 'imminent' threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on US persons and interests will take place in the immediate future."
