It's been one year since Libya's pro-democracy uprising, four months since the death of Moammar Gadhafi and almost almost three months since Stephen Harper declared NATO's mission in Libya a success.
"Today is special because we are celebrating a great military success," Harper told hundreds of air force and navy personnel at a lavish Parliament Hill ceremony last November.
"It is a day to pay tribute to the extraordinary men and women of our armed forces who played their part. And yes, it is a day to honour the great Canadian who led them."
But as the Ottawa Citizen's David Pugliese writes, NATO's "success" hasn't necessarily equated to Libya's success.
"In Libya, the war was over, but the fighting went on. The country's new leaders were dealing with their own problems as rebel groups, representing various factions, started to fight each other for control of the country," Pugliese writes, noting an estimated 8,500 people are being held in detention and some are being tortured and raped.
"Residents have seen a different face of the rebellion than the one presented to the western media. Rebels have stopped people at gunpoint and stolen their vehicles. Other militia groups have taken over homes and buildings, evicting families and businesses."
Moreover it appears al-Qaida may have benefited from NATO's victory.
As Gadhafi's forces retreated from NATO's relentless air attacks they abandoned bases and ammunition depots holding thousands of weapons, including surface-to-air missiles. Pugliese says many of those weapons are now in al-Qaida hands.
In November, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, one of al-Qaida's leaders, confirmed to the Mauritanian News Agency that the terrorist group had acquired Libyan weapons.
"We have been one of the main beneficiaries of the revolutions of the Arab world," he boasted according to the Citizen.
Still Canada remains optimistic about Libya's future—at least publicly.
In a statement last week to mark the one year anniversary of the uprising, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird noted that "Canada is proud to have played a leading role in the UN-sanctioned NATO mission."
"In just one year, the Libyan people have realised a dramatic transformation in their country. Although there is much work to be done, Libyans have laid the foundation to build a more inclusive, open and democratic society," the statement read.
"The upcoming elections, expected in June, will provide a historic opportunity to continue that work. The courage and sacrifice of the Libyan people secured a better and brighter future for themselves and their fellow citizens. They turned the page on a brutal, repressive dictator who ruled their country and tormented the Libyan people for over 40 years."
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