White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says the U.S. is actively hunting American-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

The radical cleric is calling for the killing of American civilians, in a new video released Sunday by Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot, al-Qaida of the Arabian Peninsula.

The White House spokesman says President Barack Obama will continue to take action directly against terrorists like al-Awlaki, and keep the U.S. safe from what Gibbs calls "murderous thugs."

Senior administration officials say al-Awlaki is on a list of terrorists U.S. forces are authorized to capture, or kill. His Internet sermons are believed to have helped inspire attacks on the U.S.

Gibbs appeared Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."