Congressman Wants Radical Cleric's Citizenship Revoked

A U.S. lawmaker is seeking to revoke the American citizenship of radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is known for his inflammatory anti-American teachings and his communications with Maj. Nidal Hasan, the suspected shooter in the Fort Hood rampage in November.

Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., introduced a resolution Wednesday urging the Obama administration to strip al-Awlaki of his American citizenship, arguing that the cleric voluntarily renounced his citizenship by recruiting terrorists.

"As recent reports highlight, the U.S. government views al-Awlaki as a proven threat, and will take him dead or alive," Dent said in a written statement, referring to Obama's approval of the targeted killing of al-Awlaki. "Being a citizen of the United States of America is more than a right; it's a responsibility."

"By his own actions, al-Awlaki has voluntarily surrendered his citizenship, and we should take the necessary steps to acknowledge that," he said. "Further should al-Awlaki be captured, his rights should be limited to those of an alien held abroad in military detention."

As part of an ongoing investigation, Fox News has learned that al-Awlaki, who has dual citizenship in America and Yemen, was a spiritual adviser to at least two of the Sept. 11 hijackers and he is the link between the attempted Christmas Day bombing suspect Farouk Abdulmutullab and the bombmaker in Yemen.