India, Pak in loop on Headley-Rana case: US

The US has said it is in communication with both India and Pakistan on the case of Lashkar-e-Tayiba operatives David Coleman Headley 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 to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 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 terrorist attacks and plotting of an attack in Denmark.

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