Topic: Expense Reports

The Associated Press discovered a letter in Mali revealing that Al-Qaeda functions as a highly structured bureaucracy that requires commanders to file monthly expense reports. The letter criticizes commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar for failing to submit reports, missing meetings in Timbuktu, and "discounting" ransoms for Canadian diplomats. The hosts mock the "corporate" nature of the terrorist organization and its "Chief Revenue Officer" style of management.

The Associated Press discovered a letter in Mali purportedly from Al-Qaeda leadership criticizing commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar for his poor administrative skills. The letter reveals a highly structured corporate-style organization that requires monthly expense reports and quibbles over ransom amounts. Belmokhtar was reportedly scolded for failing to pull off "spectacular" operations and for being difficult to manage, painting a picture of jihadist groups as bureaucratic entities.