Embed reporter Bill Roggio has written an outstanding history of the Islamic Courts in Somalia and posted it to his site:
http://billroggio.com/archives/2007/01/the_rise_fall_of_som.phpHe's also done a State of Jihad briefing for the year 2006 covering the different theaters of action but I haven't gotten to read that yet. It can be found here: http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/12/ the_state_of_jihad.php