Video: New anti-terror strategy?

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   >>> new reports say terrorists are working on an increasing number of plots against the u.s. and now the obama administration is weighing its options for a strike inside pakistan if a successful terror plot were to be traced back to that region according to "the washington post " which says the u.s. is working to sterengthen ties with pakistani terrorism officials. good morning to you. the report by "the washington post " says a u.s. attack would be contemplated under extreme circumstances. do you know what the threshold is for that?

   >> that's the catch-22. the problem is we know and this is the reason we haven't done this heretofore is we invade pakistan with u.s. military troops and we risk overturning the barrel. we risk overturning the apple cart. it's very sensitive situation. there are a lot of pakistanis that are not pro american and i think the answer to your question is that if there's a major terrorist attack in the united states with major numbers of casualties, the u.s. is not going to have a choice. we're being left now with a devil's option. invade pakistan and go after people committing acts like this or leave things go and fester with the hopes that perhaps the anti-american feelings in pakistan will subside but it's not a great series of options.

   >> i guess you have to wonder if intelligence is going to allow to you trace the source of even a planned attempt that does not get carried out if some catastrophic way.

   >> that's the situation we have right now. it's very, very difficult. there are a lot of people in the u.s. military and u.s. intelligence services that have problems with this and they're concerned the longer we wait in terms of going after the bad guys in pakistan aggressively, the more that we're taking the risk that something bad really will happen here in the united states . it's very, very difficult option and if you look at the drone strikes taking place, it's a warning about what happens when we're too aggressive militarily in pakistan . we risk turning the pakistani people even further against us and it's counterproductive. it's a very, very difficult series of optionoptions.

   >> what do you think it is with this report that came out this week that said all of the attacks against the u.s. are increasing. the last nine months we've had more than any year prior. what's behind it?

   >> look at the people trying to carry out these plots. what you see sis increasing numbers of american nationals. we have a whole bunch of people coming out of the water. that's very important point you're making. it's not just people that are being sent by al qaeda . it's also people who are being inspired by al qaeda . it's that dual threat. the idea of homegrown extremists, people being sent out by al qaeda proper, all of whom are american nationals who have spent a great deal of time here who know this country very well and a lot of cases who fly right underneath the radar .

   >> that was my point there. hard to detect. evan coleman, thank you so much as

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