THE GLOBAL ELITE

12: Kim Jong Il

The Dear Leader may be crippled by a stroke. But that's even more worrying.

 
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The Power of Tyranny

Some leaders, like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, lack global influence, but hold the power of life and death over their citizens.

 
 

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By many accounts, North Korea's dictator is in bad shape after suffering a stroke in August. But the Dear Leader still presides over a handful of nuclear weapons, an arsenal of long-range missiles and a million-man Army—all in a corner of the globe where several of the world's biggest economies come together. Experts warn that a weakened Kim could in fact feel compelled to prove his toughness by threatening the outside world, and in recent weeks Pyongyang has halted its rapprochement with South Korea and torpedoed talks aimed at getting it to give up its nuclear weapons. Whether strong or weak, he's still dangerous.

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No. 11: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: tswaipe @ 12/30/2008 3:09:10 PM

    They r not getting it. Actually Bob could well have been in the list himself, only that he is much weaker, without the arms or any form of influence. Good story. Ed

  • Posted By: jasmineb @ 12/30/2008 2:51:24 PM

    No kidding! Must have rushed this list... What, the deadline is New Year's Eve's Eve??? I don't want to keep seeing Mugabe's ugly murderous mug on this list.

  • Posted By: TruthForward @ 12/29/2008 10:01:16 AM

    Wrong pic again.

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