US lawmakers say easier to kill terror suspects if their citizenship is stripped

Washington, May 7 (ANI): American lawmakers have said that it would be easier to kill terror suspects if their US citizenship is stripped off them.

"I suspect it would be easier to launch a Hellfire missile at a non-citizen than a citizen," said Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.

He rolled out a proposal with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and others giving the State Department power to yank the citizenship of Yanks who join up with Al Qaeda or similar groups.

State can already take that step against turncoats serving hostile foreign regimes under a 1940s law aimed at traitors who helped the Nazis or Japanese.

Lieberman said the arrest of Times Square plotter Faisal Shahzad shows the need for an Al Qaeda-era upgrade.

Critics said the courts would block such a move. However, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said the laws needed to be looked at.

"It is extremely important to get as much information as possible from suspected terrorists, and get it quickly, but we must do it in a way that is both constitutional and effective," he said. (ANI)