By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : US law enforcement officials say the case of American terror suspect David Headley charged with conspiracy in last year’s Mumbai terror strike shows the importance of vigilance and global cooperation to combat terrorism.
“This case illustrates the importance of continued global cooperation to combat terrorism around the world,” FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, said Monday as prosecutors in Chicago filed fresh charges against Headley, the son of a Pakistani diplomat and an American socialite mother.
“The FBI continues to strengthen relationships and to foster collaboration with our international partners to best ensure our collective ability to identify and disrupt international terror networks,” Mueller said.
“This case serves as a reminder that the terrorist threat is global in nature and requires constant vigilance at home and abroad,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “We continue to share leads developed in this investigation with our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners as we work together on this important matter.”
“This investigation remains active and ongoing. The team of prosecutors and agents will continue to seek charges against the other persons responsible for these attacks,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
“I continue to express my deep appreciation to the FBI agents and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their extremely hard work on this matter,” said Fitzgerald.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the FBI’ s offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, are also participating in the case.
No date has been set yet for the arraignment of Headley, 49, in US District Court in Chicago.
Headley was charged in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb public places in India, to murder and maim persons in India and Denmark and provide material support to foreign terrorist plots, and to provide material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan based terror outfit.
He has also been charged on six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.