As the rebels fail to advance on Gadhafi's strongholds in western Libya, allied powers enforcing the no-fly zone have increasingly floated the idea of providing the opposition fighters with weapons.
Far from having any significant stake in Libya's future, by sending forces to support the no-fly zone, Ottawa is looking to raise Canada's international geopolitical profile.
Understanding what Egypt's future holds requires examining the evolution of the incumbent political arrangement and the central role played by the military.