State of woe: Wracked by unchecked violence between Islamist insurgents and government forces and allies, Somalia is arguably the most failed state in the world. After repeated attempts to stabilize the fractured country during the past 17 years, peace remains elusive. The civilian death toll from the last two years of violence easily exceeds 2,000, and many of the victims are women, children, and aid workers. Evidence of the ongoing conflict is everywhere. Above, a Somali woman walks past crumbling, war-torn buildings in Mogadishu in December 2007.