ON THE EDGE of a shallow ravine in the far western corner of Burkina Paso two vehicles bristling with machine guns come to a stop. Several bearded white men lean out, keeping watch for jihad-ists. Nearby, other Western soldiers are helping their African counterparts stage a mock attack on an insurgent base. These are some of the special forces from a number of Western countries who have been fighting jihadists in the Sahel for years. Many Western army and intelligence officials see extremists in the region posing a greater danger than the remnants of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. America has sent about 6,ooo troops to Africa, France 5,100 and Germany 1,100. There are almost as many Western troops in Africa as those fighting the Taliban and Islamic State.
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