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The Bullpen

Dana Liebelson

The problem with outsourcing the military

Edward Morrissey

Obama's boneheaded health-care fight with Catholics

Daniel Larison

The brewing proxy war in Syria

Robert Shrum

Nominating Mitt Malaprop

Paul Brandus

Obama's 5 biggest mistakes

The 'utterly ruthless' Kim Jong Il: A visual history

December 20, 2011, at 1:25 PM

A look back at the brutal North Korean leader's 69 years — from his strange, violent childhood to his time as a curiously-styled, nuclear-powered dictator

Judging from footage released by North Korean state media, citizens are devastated by the death of Kim Jong Il, though many commentators believe the over-the-top grief was coerced by the regime.

North Koreans' 'unnerving' grief over Kim Jong Il's death

December 20, 2011, at 11:54 AM

The secretive communist nation releases footage showing ordinary people sobbing uncontrollably in the streets. Are the tears real?

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Kim Jong Un, the third son of the late Kim Jong Il, was tapped as his father's heir apparent after his older half brother embarrassed the family with a botched trip to Tokyo Disneyland in 2001.

Can Kim Jong Un really rule North Korea?

December 20, 2011, at 10:10 AM

Kim Jong Il's "Great Successor" is an enigma. But what we do know of the volatile, NBA-loving twenty-something isn't promising

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Beyond his excessive and eccentric style, Kim Jong Il's rule may be most remembered for his nuclear recklessness and the famine he has inflicted on his citizens.

5 things the world hated most about Kim Jong Il

December 19, 2011, at 4:02 PM

North Korea's "Dear Leader" dies at the age of 69, and will likely be remembered as an egotistical despot who was enigmatic, colorful, and cruel

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American soldiers in Kuwait after leaving Iraq: The last U.S. troops exited Iraq over the weekend, effectively ending the war that George W. Bush started in 2003.

The Iraq War's 'bittersweet' end: 4 lingering questions

December 19, 2011, at 2:16 PM

The last U.S. troops drove out of Iraq on Sunday, effectively ending the war. But the battle over the controversial conflict's legacy is only beginning

Pyongyang residents mourn the death of Kim Jong Il: North Korea's supreme leader died this weekend, sparking concern over who will ultimately take control of the secretive communist state.

Kim Jong Il's death: What's next for North Korea?

December 19, 2011, at 11:30 AM

The secretive communist nation's erratic "Dear Leader" is gone, and it's far from clear whether his handpicked successor is strong enough to lead

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Bradley Manning (right) is escorted to the courthouse Sunday for the third day of his hearing: The alleged WikiLeaker was incarcerated for 18 months before getting his day in court.

WikiLeaks: Will a 'gay soldier' defense help Bradley Manning?

December 19, 2011, at 10:05 AM

The alleged WikiLeaker's lawyers argue that the Army should never have given an emotionally unstable, gender-confused soldier access to state secrets

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A laborer pauses as he works at a shoe factory in China: The cheap cost of Chinese labor may be a thing of the past.

Is China to blame for pricier Christmas gifts?

December 16, 2011, at 5:39 PM

U.S. dollars aren't going as far this year, as the rising cost of labor in China hits home

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Journalist, author, and gleeful provocateur, Christopher Hitchens, passed away Thursday at the age of 62.

Remembering Christopher Hitchens

December 16, 2011, at 12:03 PM

The vaunted intellectual and contrarian charmer has died at the age of 62 after battling esophageal cancer

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One of the last American combat units to leave Iraq arrives in Kuwait: More than 1 million U.S. troops have served in the war zone since 2003.

The Iraq War's 'quiet' end: By the numbers

December 15, 2011, at 2:54 PM

An understated ceremony in Baghdad marks the end of a mission that lasted nearly nine years, claimed the lives over 4,000 U.S. soldiers, and divided our nation

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