Silver Bullets and Snake Oil: How to tell what works in Counter-terrorism

What is the best way to defeat terrorism? What approach, what strategies and what tactics have the biggest impacts? These are critical questions and the serious security professional should always be interested in the latest developments and breakthroughs in our understanding of what works in counter-terrorism. Most people accept that there is no perfect solution to terrorist or insurgent conflicts (and good luck to those who believe otherwise). Every strategy and every tactic has its pros and cons. Sometimes these are obvious but frequently they are not.