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Boko Haram too extreme for 'al Qaeda in West Africa' brand

Abuja, Nigeria: When Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan branded Boko Haram "al Qaeda in West Africa", it was sure to turn up the alarm among Western policy-makers, if its kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls was not enough.

Yet while Jonathan's remarks, made at a meeting of regional leaders in Paris this month, hold some truth, analysts say Boko Haram is overall not an al Qaeda affiliate in West Africa - nor is it likely to become one.

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