Summary: Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
warned North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il — whom he labeled the “bad guy” — that the United States’ commitment to defend South Korea was “unquestioned” as the Communist state’s military fired shells across the disputed sea border. … One-year retrospective: One year ago today, on December 8, 2009, Aubrey Immelman reported that a suicide car bomb in Baghdad flattened a court building and an explosives-rigged ambulance blew down walls like dominos near the Finance Ministry in a wave of coordinated attacks that targeted high-profile symbols of Iraqi authority, killing at least 127 people and wounding more than 500.
Summary: Psychological assessment of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, leadership style implications of Kim’s personality profile, and North Korea threat assessment with respect to U.S. national security. … Update: Washington Post profile of Kim Jong-Un.
Summary: On the 25th day after losing his 2008 primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, Aubrey Immelman, in line with his focus on national security, reported the killing of a senior al-Qaida in Iraq bombing mastermind, the withdrawal of Polish forces from Iraq, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s first public appearance in more than a month amid speculation about his health.