WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to halt the Obama administration’s program to capture or kill Americans who joined militant groups abroad.

U.S. District Judge John Bates dismissed on jurisdictional grounds the lawsuit by civil liberties groups which were trying to halt the program and reveal the criteria the Obama administration set for targeting someone.

Administration officials have refused to officially confirm the program exists, though U.S. officials have said the CIA has been given the green light to capture or kill Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen who joined al Qaeda in Yemen and has been tied to plots against the United States. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini; editing by Paul Simao)