Actionable intelligence indeed

Confirmation today via an Associated Press report of what Pakistani newspapers hinted a week ago: that a key lead in the identification of a specific house as a target for the CIA Predator drone attack that killed civilians came from one of the USA's off-the-books detainees:

Two Pakistani intelligence officials said Libyan-born Abu Farraj al-Libbi, who was captured in Pakistan in May 2005, told interrogators that had met al-Zawahri last year at one of the homes that was hit.

The two are believed to have met at the house of Bakhtpur Khan, who is listed among the 13 civilians believed to have died in the airstrike.

One of the intelligence officials said al-Libbi's statement was later verified and it was confirmed that he met al-Zawahri in Damadola. The intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

Al-Libbi is accused of masterminding two attempts to assassinate Musharraf over Pakistan's alliance with the United States. After his arrest, he was turned over to Washington for further investigation.

U.S. and Pakistani intelligence — helped by tribesmen and Afghans — began monitoring Khan's home after al-Libbi's confession, the intelligence officials said.