December11, 2006: The fighting has died down, but the Islamic Courts have an edge, and continue to push back the Transitional Government forces whenever there is a fight. No one has trained soldiers, just warriors. That means the fighting is sporadic, and likely to break off when one side loses enthusiasm for the battle. In most cases, the Transitional Government forces lose heart first. It will take Ethiopian troops or UN peacekeepers to prevent the Islamic Courts from destroying the Transitional Government. Ethiopia has troops inside Somalia, but doesn't like to talk about it, or admit it. The UN has no idea when its peacekeepers will be able to go into action.

December 9, 2006: Fighting ended in Dinsoor, with about fifty dead (60 percent of the them Transitional Government fighters.) The Islamic Courts forces remain in control of the town. Both sides skirmished about 40 kilometers south of Baidoa.

December 8, 2006: Fighting continues at Bandiradley and Dinsoor. Ethiopia denies that its troops are fighting in Somalia.

December 8, 2006: Islamic Courts and Transitional Government forces skirmished at the village of Bandiradley (600 kilometers north of Mogadishu), while Ethiopian troops appear to be assisting Transitional Government troops in an attempt to recapture Dinsoor.

December 7, 2006: The Islamic Courts say that there will be war if UN peacekeepers try to enter Somalia.

December 6, 2006: The UN authorized a peacekeeping force for Somalia, to support the Transitional Government. The African Union will provide the troops (but not from any countries bordering Somalia), and has an initial six month mandate. No one is rushing troops to join this force, although the African Union has authorized a force of 8,000 troops. The African Union is waiting for Western nations to come up with the cash to pay for all this.