'High value target' killed in Pakistan

Senior U.S. and Pakistani officials tell NBC News that Wednesday’s Predator attack on a village in northwest Pakistan was not insignificant, that a “high-value target … an Arab” was among those killed. U.S. officials believe the unnamed target was planning attacks outside Pakistan, “so we nailed him,” in the words of one.

By all accounts, on Wednesday evening, two male guesthouses in the village of Damodola were struck by Hellfire missiles fired from Predator drones.

Pakistani officials have quietly said that under new arrangements with the United States, the CIA must first “consult” with Pakistan before an attack. In the past, the CIA was only required to “inform” the Pakistanis. However, say U.S. officials, the agreement also gives the U.S. more latitude in identifying suspected al-Qaida targets, and hence a continued free hand in taking them out.