US in touch with both India, Pak on Headley-Rana case

The US has said it is in communication with both India [ Images ] and Pakistan on the case of Lashkar-e-Tayiba [ Images ] operatives David Coleman Headley [ Images ] and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October on charges of plotting terror attacks against Indian facilities.

"We obviously have a role to play in terms of dialogue with these countries," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley, told reporters. A team of FBI officials is currently in India to brief Indian investigating agencies on the findings of their probe with regard to the Headley-Rana case. The FBI team would then travel to Pakistan.

The State Department on Monday said the visit of FBI team reflects the commitment of US President Barack Obama [ Images ] to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] during the Indian leader's recent visit to the United States to cooperate closely on the case.

The US Department of Justice and the FBI sent a briefing team that shared with their Indian law-enforcement counterparts information disclosed by Headley relating to his alleged role in the November 2008 Mumbai [ Images ] terrorist attacks and plotting of an attack in Denmark.

During last month's State visit of Prime Minister Singh [ Images ], Obama had discussed the issue with the Indian leader and had promised full US support in sharing the results of the FBI investigations.