The Harper Government will be making its case for sending Canadian special forces to a deadly war zone in Iraq.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Defence Minister Rob Nicholson will appear before a commons committee today. They will be called on to justify the Prime Minister’s decision to commit 70 special forces personnel as military advisors to Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq.

They are expected to argue that ISIL is a deadly organization that could be a training ground for terrorists bent on threatening Canada and other western countries.

Prime Minister Harper says he agreed to commit Canadian forces to the region at the request of US President Barack Obama.