Is Kim Jong Il Dead?

He suffered a stroke in August 2008.

Last seen in public April 2009.

I'm expecting to hear he has died any day now, not least because his first statue has just been unveiled, and whoever has been calling the shots in his place has threatened to use a nuclear deterrent in response to joint US-South Korean military exercises.  This weekend.  Pure sabre-rattling, hubris, media hype.  The war machine is simply keeping the door open for when they're ready to have that war, because as everyone knows, the US can't afford it right now.  But - do the people pulling the strings give a damn about the dollar?  Conflict with North Korea, on the 'axis of evil', could, if done badly, lead to conflict with China.  Otherwise they'd have taken him out ages ago.

If Kim had been dead since, lets say summer 2009, who might benefit from keeping him 'alive' a little bit longer?  See link below for four more leaders whose whereabouts are unknown.

No, Bin Laden isn't one of them... but I think Osama's been dead for nearly 10 years.

If you hear any news, please let us know?  Will Kim's passing be the end of an era, or will his successor (son?) be even more paranoid?

Let's see how long it suits the war machine to keep him on media-life-support...