US president Barack Obama believes that the indictment of David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American charged with criminal conspiracy in the Mumbai terror attacks, is an "important day" in the efforts made to protect the American people.
"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.
Headley was charged by the FBI and the US department of justice for his involvement in the planning of the Mumbai terrorist attack that killed about 166 people, including half a dozen American nationals.
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 terrorists trained by militant outfit 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.
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