Most Americans applauded the Sept. 30 strike that killed U.S.-born al- Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, but some analysts continue to question the legal reasoning behind an attack on someone who, after all, was an American citizen.

There are also questions about the special, secret panel that authorizes kill operations against any terrorist.

As Reuters reports, "American militants like Anwar al-Awlaki are placed on a kill or capture list by a secretive panel of senior government officials, which then informs the president of its decisions, according to officials."

"There is no public record of the operations or decisions of the panel, which is a subset of the White House's National Security Council, several current and former officials said," according to article by Mark Hosenball.

"Neither is there any law establishing its existence or setting out the rules by which it is supposed to operate."

More from Hosenball's article on the secret panel and "kill list":