Why couldn't the US revoke Awlaki's citizenship like Saudi Arabia revoked bin Laden's?

[alp227]

I'm reading The Eleventh Day by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan, an in-depth book about the development of the 9/11 attacks. Previously I read House of Bush, House of Saud by Craig Unger. Both book discussed how Saudi Arabia revoked Osama bin Laden's citizenship because of bin Laden's terrorist activities. Meanwhile, because Anwar al-Awlaki was born in the US, can the laws about revoking citizenship from naturalized citizens due to treason or war against the US apply?

[Jumping John]

1. I was under the impression that the US does not do this. Not for

Lee Harvey Oswald or the POW defectors that defected to China or the GI's that defected to North Korea after the Korean Armistice.

[TheWraith]

3. Correct. For that matter, not even the leaders of the Confederacy were stripped of citizenship. nt

[alp227]

9. then why did Jimmy Carter sign a bill posthumously restoring Jefferson Davis's citizenship?

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29993

[leveymg]

2. Citizenship by birth in US, unlike Saudi Arabia. Would you have us adopt their systems?

No.

[ChandlerJr]

4. And just who would you like to see have that nifty little power?

Our side or their side? Bush or Obama? Gonzales or Holder?

There is probably a good reason why you have to renounce.

[choie]

5. Because the U.S. is a democracy...

oh...wait..

[Demeter]

6. We aren't an absolute monarchy

just a mostly absolute monarchy...maybe tomorrow.

[bainz]

7. A natural born citizen is just that.

I doubt, and hope, you aren't asking that someone could deny a citizen natural born rights.

[alp227]

8. Where in the constitution does it say citizenship by birth is for life?

And my point was that the US could've held a trial for Awlaki to determine whether he was guilty of aiding terrorism against the US and then upon conviction expel him.