Somalia Refresher - Like a Slap in the Face

Good basic summary of how things stand in Somalia here.

And this delightful note:

Al Qaida has captured a foothold in Somalia.
The International Crisis Group said in a report that Al Qaida has taken over parts of the Arab League state. ICG reported that the Al Qaida network, based in the capital Mogadishu, has been abducting foreign aid workers.
"The threat of jihadi terrorism in and from Somalia is real," the report said. "Since 2003, Somalia has witnessed the rise of a new, ruthless independent jihadi network with links to Al Qaida."

What can happen if you don't stay to finish the job you started of trying to clean up a mess...

Update: The International Crisis Group Counter-Terrorism in Somalia: Losing Hearts and Minds? executive summary, with a link to the full report in pdf format. Quote of interest: "Ultimately a successful counter-terrorism strategy requires more attention to helping Somalia with the twin tasks of reconciliation and state building."

Hmmm. Sounds like Iraq, too.