The US government has authorised operations to capture or kill the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, currently based in Yemen, reports say.
The cleric, who is a US citizen, is being targeted for his involvement in planning attacks on the US, officials told journalists.
Mr Awlaki was linked to the attempted bombing of an airliner bound for the US and a shooting on a US Army base.
The US has warned Yemen is becoming a safe haven for al-Qaeda.
The order was made by the Obama administration earlier this year, but it has just been revealed after a review of national security policy, the New York Times reported.