Though Leogrande had no firsthand knowledge of Armstrong's doping, the confession provided the initial thread that would lead investigators to others who did.
The group is not previously known to have penetrated Nigeria, though Mr. Sahsu, in a written confession provided by the attorney general, named other members of the "AlKaida Islamic Association".
But Afghan officials said the confessions provided the proof they needed to demand action from Pakistan.
In videotaped confessions provided to reporters, the suspects — who included a microbiology professor and four university students — said they traveled to Pakistan to learn how to fire guns and make bombs.
These confessions provided some ventilation.
In the 10 days after Mr. Raju's confession, they provided more than 50,000 pages of documents from their office to the Central Bureau of Investigation and sat for numerous interrogations, according to their bail petitions.
Sacramental confession was provided for in a minimalist way, with legal protection for the seal of the confessional and a strong implication that "all may, none must, some should".
But the E-mail transcripts in the wake of the confession also provide a glimpse into the interpersonal and moral predicaments raised at a time when an increasing amount of social interaction is taking place in electronic arenas, devoid of cues like tone of voice and facial expression, and structured around their own sets of rules and mores.
In the end, Whirl was forced to sign a confession, which provided police with their main piece of evidence. .
"Electronic recordings may help to lessen concerns about false confessions and provide an objective and reliable record of what occurred during an interview," Mr. Kelly said.
