The future of Somalia's fragile interim government hinges on an upcoming military operation, which will also greatly effect U.S. national security.

The murder of four Americans should call attention to the increasingly dire situation in Mogadishu, which exacerbates the piracy problem.

Denial of access by al Shabaab militants, and in some cases by other armed militias, is the single greatest obstacle to the provision of humanitarian assistance in Somalia.

If it was indeed al Shabaab that trained the Boko Haram militants, then Somalia has become a training center as well as a safe haven for radical Islamist groups. This new role means that al Shabaab is something more than simply an insurgent group; it is also an enabler in al Qaeda’s "far" war against the West and its allies.

The structure and leadership of al Shabaab are of paramount importance to understanding how this radical Islamist group operates in Somalia.

The U.S. can only win this war against Islamic extremism and terror if Washington shows resolve.

As famine spreads in Somalia, it is more important than ever to ensure that food aid reaches the starving. It's unlikely that the US military, haunted by the memory of Black Hawk Down, will step in. And as long as supply chains are easily looted, hundreds of thousands of Somalis will continue to starve while al Qaeda-linked militants perpetuate conflict and instability in the country.

There are important differences between the current situation in Afghanistan and that in Somalia in 1993, but Somalia remains a cautionary tale.