Three seconds is helluva lot time in a video-game. If it was counterable, it should be some sort of quicktime-event in which both combatants have to press buttons quickly, where the first to fail gets killed.

QTEs are the bane of my exsistance

Wuddaya mean by that? Is it your personal weak spot or a general statement against QTEs?

I understand the whole no OHK thing they are doing in brink and it seems like a good idea to me, but it would be sweet if you could sneak up behind someone and press a button that does a melee move like a choke hold or such then the person who is being attacked by the melee has a 3 sec window to press a certain key and throw the assailant off. It would add a little more subterfuge in game and keep people on their toes in my opinion. Im sure its to late to add something like this into the game but its just a thought. (sorry if you dont understand what im trying to say its a bit confusing to some. Especially those not used to proper spelling.)

Well your prayers are answered, Operatives have a backstab abiltiy, to my understanding anyway.

There has been no information on backstabs from the devs one way or the other. Many people are hopeful that there will be a backstab because there were backstabs in previous SD games. The way i look at it though, there were also snipers in previous SD games.

I just find them very annoying and pointless. Wouldn't the person who started the QTE have an advantage anyway, since they know its about to start.

this, for months the only times i heard about backstabs were from fans.
the rumour that there would be such an ability is also retracable to a fan so i shouldn't get my hopes up

QTEs are the bane of my exsistance