The Picture of the Week

A monk walks past the reflection of a tank outside a Buddhist temple in Bangkok September 26, 2006. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside (THAILAND)

Stability, but at what cost?

Something resembling stability has returned to Somalia in the last several weeks as various Islamist militias have taken over most of the country. After nearly two decades of chaos, and no central government, this east African country may soon become a nation-state again. A failed state is bad, but is an Islamic state worse? Regardless, various militias plan to join forces as a single army, and we will soon learn which is more peaceful, chaos, or extremist calm.