fight them. They arrived at the compound with a formal letter re- questing assistance from Klaussen, who emailed Le Roux:

the situation is that al shabab is 100km away from gaalkaio, we arrested 3 of there group 2days ago and they are now in jail, we are still safe at this moment but serious help is needed asap Then the sunaa wal jamea mujahidin (the big local tribe who is in control of galmudug and our friends) there requests for help to fight all shabab and destroy them is as fallow. I got meetings with them every day and any support we give will be purchased by me. personally we need sniper arms and body armor asap.

“UNDERSTOOD,” Le Roux replied. Klaussen wanted $50,000 to feed and equip the men. “APPROVED,” Le Roux wrote. “WE WILL SEND THE FUNDS TOMORROW.” As for the weapons, he continued:

THE SITUATION IS WE HAVE A SHIT LOAD OF ARMS ON ORDER, BUT IT IS TAKING TIME (WE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY SURPRISE BY THE NEED TO RAMP UP THIS QUICK) ... WE ARE RAMPING UP WITH PLANES AND CREW BUT IT TAKES TIME.

He also reminded Klaussen that he had offered to send his own security personnel. “WE CAN SEND 500 MEN THERE ON SHORT TERM BASIS WITHIN 72 HOURS NOTICE,” he wrote. Where the mercenaries would come from, he didn't say. Le Roux at times seemed to be playing Somalia like a videogame, several levels out of his depth.

Despite the fuckups and delays, Klaussen was proud of what they were building. Against all odds, he felt he'd developed a strong working relationship with Le Roux. His emails asking for more men, or weapons, or resources, tended to come back with one word: “approved.” It didn't hurt that, unlike many of Le