Abstract
The thesis seeks to provide a rigorous analysis of the various 'human factors' behind effective counter-terrorism, based on primary source interview data, rather than secondary source publications or open source material. Consequently the data is drawn from over 170 interviews with policing, intelligence and military specialists in seven countries: the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Israel, Turkey and the US. Such 'human factors' can be defined as the sociological aspects associated with counter-terrorism: personal relationships, individual capabilities, effective leadership, technical interface, organisational culture and community resilience.