Center Journals

The book revolves around a central thesis: artificial intelligence will not replace the human mind in strategic leadership but will instead be used to process data on an unprecedented scale and speed to enhance military and intelligence understanding. From this perspective, the book explores how armies employ smart technologies to improve planning, cyber operations, and target identification with greater speed and efficiency. More importantly, it argues that investing in AI within the military field requires a radical organizational transformation in modern armies. It notes that armed forces have begun integrating civilian technologists into command and operations centers to work alongside military officers, leading to an institutional partnership between the military establishment and the technology sector, a new “military-tech complex” whose influence in the 21st century rivals that of the military-industrial complex of the 20th century.

The Global Militarization Index (GMI), published by the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies (BICC), provides a map illustrating the relative weight and significance of the military apparatus in each country compared to its societal structure. The index is based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and BICC’s own datasets.

Does restructuring security forces reduce the risk of civil war recurrence? Prior research has examined effects of military integration in alleviating commitment problems, but the evidence has been inconclusive. Other aspects of civil–military relations have received less attention. This article examines the effects of civil–military relations in the context of postwar struggles to consolidate authority. It outlines three pathways through which security forces contribute to renewed civil war: by excluding rival factions and facilitating insurgent mobilization, by exploiting control over resources to challenge the regime, or by escalating incipient insurgency through repression. Analysis of original, cross-national data on postwar civil–military relations shows that reducing the potential for exclusion and exploitation through diverse officer appointments and robust civilian oversight lowers the risk of civil war. These findings emphasize the distributive effects of restructuring security forces and highlight the value of examining political contests around state institutions to understand why civil wars restart.

This study examines the political role of retired military and security personnel in Jordan's legislative arena, focusing on their participation in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2024. It highlights the structural and conjunctural factors that facilitated their growing presence, particularly during key political moments such as the post-Arab Spring period. The analysis explores the legislative and oversight behaviour of ex-military MPs, including their voting patterns on constitutional amendments, and motions of confidence, as well as their use of parliamentary tools such as questions and interpellations. The findings reveal a disproportionate level of representation relative to their electoral support, indicating shifts in the political landscape. The study argues that the regime pursued policies of co-optation and incorporation, especially in response to emerging opposition within this group. Their parliamentary presence has been instrumental in consolidating regime authority, legitimizing pro-government policies, and limiting executive oversight, thereby reinforcing the stability of the ruling order.