$0.60 for cake: Al-Qaida records every expense

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131229/DAB04CLG0.html

Dec 29, 10:57 AM (ET)

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) - The convoy of cars bearing the black al-Qaida flag came at high speed, and the manager of the modest grocery store thought he was about to get robbed.

Mohamed Djitteye rushed to lock his till and cowered behind the counter. He was dumbfounded when instead, the al-Qaida commander gently opened the grocery's glass door and asked for a pot of mustard. Then he asked for a receipt.


In this July 23, 2013 file photo, United Nations peacekeepers search a house suspected to have been used by members of al-Qaida’s North African branch in Timbuktu, Mali. The al-Qaida cell occupied Timbuktu for 10 months until January 2013. When they fled, they left behind thousands of pages of documents, including over 100 receipts, showing that they assiduously tracked their cash flow, down to the $0.60 one of them spent for a single light bulb. The accounting system on display suggests that far from being a fly-by-night terror organization, al-Qaida is attempting to behave like a corporation. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)


Confused and scared, Djitteye didn't understand. So the jihadist repeated his request. Could he please have a receipt for the $1.60 purchase?

This transaction in northern Mali shows what might seem an unusual preoccupation for a terror group: Al-Qaida is obsessed with documenting the most minute expenses.

FULL story at link.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

1. I love that you linked to an article on excite.com

Right up there with Lycos.com and Infoseek.com

[Omaha Steve]

3. Excite has been my home page for 16.5 years

There were times (especially after the @home split) that it would die quickly. I'm glad it is still around for now.

OS

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. wow... even terrorist orgs must adhere to

Sarbanes-Oxley??? figures...

sP

[Scootaloo]

4. Was it yellow cake? Can they make the mustard into gas? PANIC! PANIC!

[Aerows]

5. I wonder why they have to document their expenses? n/t

[GeorgeGist]

6. Tax deductions.

[msongs]

7. perhaps we could hire them to teach the US military how to be financially accountable nt