Episode 118

Five years ago this month, NATO's Operation Unified Protector started in Libya. The aim, we were told, was to avert an imminent massacre. And, of course, it was inevitable that from there the oil-rich North African nation would start its long descent into chaos and lawlessness. Today, the country remains ungovernable and has become a base for the terror network Islamic State (IS, former ISIS/ISIL). So we invited journalist and author of Divide and Ruin, Dan Glazebrook, aboard Sputnik in an attempt to make sense of the nonsensical situation.

This month also marks the anniversary of the Easter Rising. One hundred years ago, a group of Irishmen rose up against oppressive British colonial rule and proclaimed the independence of the Irish Republic. Their movement not only inspired Ireland but also other oppressed peoples all over the world. And, although the uprising was rapidly stamped down by British forces, independence was finally achieved six years later. To tell us more about this momentous event is the man behind the hugely successful Twitter handle Crimes of Britain, Gearoid Macconmara, who came into the studio to tell us of the influence it continues to have today.

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