US debating drone strike against American terror suspect in Pakistan

The United States is debating whether to authorize a lethal strike against an American terror suspect living in Pakistan.

Government officials said it is the first time American officials have discussed killing a citizen overseas since President Barack Obama imposed new restrictions on drone operations last May. The officials did not confirm the identity of the terror suspect, or provide any information about what evidence they have collected about the suspect's involvement in attacks against Americans, the New York Times.

According to the report, the first time the Obama administration carried out an operation against an American citizen was in September 2011, when a C.I.A. drone killed the radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen.

During a speech last year in May, Obama said he intended to gradually shift drone operations from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Pentagon, partly to make them more transparent, the report added.