Calgary man identified as jihadist suicide bomber in Iraq

As conflicts rage across the Muslim world, young men of fighting age are taking up arms. And a Calgary man in his 20s has just been added to a growing list of young Canadian men believed to have joined the Middle Eastern fight.

Many come from the West to fight for altruistic, ideological, and religious reasons. The bulk of these western fighters are from Europe, especially France and Belgium, but it is estimated that about 100 Canadians are among their ranks.

Calgary is increasingly considered a hotspot for exporting jihadis.The CBC's Adrienne Arsenault

Already, several have been killed. And the Canadian government worries about the battle-hardened ones who do come back.

The CBC's Adrienne Arsenault joined us from Calgary to discuss the latest information she's uncovered on Canadians who have gone oversees to fight as jihadists.

Aaron Zelin is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. His research focuses on global jihadi activism, and he runs a website called Jihadology. He joined us from Washington, D.C.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Catherine Kalbfleisch and Naheed Mustafa.