In August 2010, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the U.S. government on behalf of al Qaeda cleric Anwar al Awlaki. The two organizations questioned the government’s right to put Awlaki on a “kill list” and argued that the “government’s refusal to disclose the standard by which it determines to target U.S. citizens for death independently violates the Constitution.” The complaint continued:

Notwithstanding the fact that it is obvious why American officials would have Awlaki killed (he has been connected to numerous terrorist attacks either directly or as an inspiration), some played along with the CCR and ACLU in questioning Awlaki’s importance as a terrorist target.