Republican presidential candidates differ on the killing of the American-born radical cleric in Yemen
Updated 1:33 p.m.
Libertarian Texas Rep. Ron Paul condemned the Obama administration for killing an American-born al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, while Texas Governor Rick Perry had some rare kind words for the commander in chief following the successful drone strike Friday morning that killed radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and several others.
"The death of Awlaki is a major blow to al-Qaeda's most active operational affiliate," Obama said in remarks at Fort Myer in Virginia Friday morning.
But Paul, who has urged the U.S. to leave Iraq and Afghanistan, this morning in New Hampshire blasted the killing as an "assassination," the Associated Press reports, and warned American leaders against "assassinating American citizens without charges."
Awlaki was born in New Mexico and was a joint U.S.-Yemeni citizen. Also killed in the attack was Samir Khan, co-editor of al-Qaeda's jihadi magazine Inspire, The Washington Post reports.
"Nobody knows if he ever killed anybody," Paul said, according to the Wall Street Journal. "If the American people accept this blindly and casually...I think that's sad."