What if I told you that there's a secret panel that decides which Americans to assassinate

Despite my headline, I don't think we're going to see this one on ESPN's "30 for 30" anytime soon.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 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. Neither is there any law establishing its existence or setting out the rules by which it is supposed to operate.

Just to make clear, when the article says "senior government officials" that's referring to the government of the United States, not Iran or North Korea.