Keeping a defeated army

The Belmont Club:

One of the most common stratagems for bringing armed groups under control, whether to end an insurgency or in the aftermath of war, is to offer them positions in the regular armed forces of the new state. When people complain that America "should not have disbanded the Iraqi Army after the fall of Saddam" that is exactly the alternative they are advocating. This eases the transition in the short run but only at the cost of kicking the can down the road, as East Timor has recently discovered. After it regained it's independence from Indonesia, East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao decided he would offer his former enemies positions in the police force.

President Xanana’s strategy of promoting national reconciliation allowed for the integration of many former Indonesian functionaries and pro-autonomy elements into the security forces, especially the police force. PNTL’S current commander Commissioner Paulo Martins was a former Colonel in the Indonesian Police.

Eastern Timorese ("easterners") and Gusmao's men were given a separate track into the Army -- Timorese Defense Forces (FDTL).

This situation has led many to accuse the FDTL of being a "Firaku" or eastern-dominated force. Soldiers originating from the western part of the island accuse eastern officers of favoritism in promotion and double standards when it comes to discipline. To complicate matters further, Timor’s National Police Force (PNTL) has a high number of western personnel particularly among its senior officers. Once again the demands of the war of national liberation created this situation. The more educated and urbanized people, suited for police work, came from the western side of the island and many served previously in the Indonesian bureaucracy, giving them the advantage of experience.

This established a Timorese Army of ex-guerillas coexisting with a police force drawn largely from the security personnel of the ancien regime. Furthermore, the police were provided with technical training and support from the United Nations.

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Paul Bremer's decision to de-Baathize Iraq has been criticized as a key mistake. And it may have been. But the problem of dealing with loose groups of poorly educated men who have known nothing but the profession of arms is a chronic problem the world over. From Somalia to Palestine; from Mindanao to Timor -- integration into the police or armed forces is often offered to "fighters" as an alternative to open hostility. But it's not a perfect solution, as illustrated in Gaza:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to hold a referendum which could lead to a negotiated settlement with Israel if Fatah and Hamas cannot resolve their differences. He gave the rival factions 10 days to agree on a common platform or he would submit a proposal from jailed leaders on how to end the Palestinian crisis to a referendum.

Translation. Stop fighting or I'll make a deal with the Jews. What's Waltzing Matilda in Hebrew? It may sound familiar.

In both situations you have the problem of Muslim bigots who can't get along with themselves much less the rest of the civilized world. What is it about Islam that promotes such bigotry?