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US President Barack Obama believes that indictment of David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American charged with criminal conspiracy in Mumbaiterror attacks, is an "important day" in his effort to protect the people from terrorists.
"Obviously, I continue to say, and the president does, too, that we have taken and will continue to take every step necessary to protect the American people. Today was an important day in doing that," White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters at his daily press briefing in response to a question.
Headley was charged by the FBI and the US Department of Justice for being involved in the planning of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack that killed about 163 people including half a dozen American nationals.
Headley, 49, has been charged with conspiracy to murder and maim in a foreign country, and material support of terrorism.
In documents filed before a Chicago court, federal prosecutors charged that Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years prior to the 26/11 attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba. Headley along with his friend Tahawwur Hussein Rana was arrested in October by the FBI.
The issue was discussed extensively by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he met Obama at the White House last month. The White House has said Obama showed personal interest in the issue and issued specific instructions to his officials to share the results of the investigations with India.
A team of FBI officials is in New Delhi now to share the results of the investigations with their Indian counterparts.