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World Leaders to Watch 2009

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World Leaders to Watch 2009

The global economic crisis and a new U.S. President are the top stories of the day, but the challenges facing the world in 2009 go much further. Political leaders from China, Russia, France, and Germany will play central roles in helping sort out the financial mess, while leaders from Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan will be at the center of the continuing political conflicts that test peace and sometimes provoke war.

In the following slides, consultancy Eurasia Group identifies the 10 Leaders to Watch in 2009. The New York-based group, which specializes in geopolitical analysis and risk assessment, assembles such a list every year. This year, for the first time it also includes a non-state leader, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, whose stewardship of the IMF will be critical to tackling the economic situation.

Click on to meet these critical leaders. For purposes of comparison, check out "last year's list") as well.

(Photo captions excerpted from "The 10 Leaders to Watch in 2009," copyright 2009 Eurasia Group.)