New York: Having outfoxed him on Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin
has now pipped Barack Obama to the title of the world's most powerful
leader as ranked by Forbes today.
It was the first time in three years that the US president has dropped
to second place on the magazine's list and came as US-Russia relations
slid to a new low.
Putin, who has enjoyed 12 years of dominant rule over Russia, was again elected president in April.
Obama, on the other hand, has just emerged scathed from an embarrassing
16-day US government shutdown caused by a budget and debt crisis in
Washington.
"Putin has solidified his control over Russia, while Obama's lame duck
period has seemingly set in earlier than usual for a two-term president
-- latest example: the government shutdown mess," wrote Forbes.
In August, Russia granted asylum to former National Security Agency
contractor Edward Snowden, wanted in the United States over a mammoth
intelligence leak.
A month later, Putin played the trump card again by averting Obama's
threatened missile strikes on Syria with a plan for Damascus to hand
over chemical weapons.
"Anyone watching this year's chess match over Syria and NSA leaks has a
clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics," Forbes wrote.
The 2013 list of 72 power brokers was chosen to reflect one for every 100 million lesser mortals on Earth.
Third prize went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to
rule for a decade in which China is set to eclipse the US as the
world's largest economy.
Pope Francis made his debut at number four and German Chancellor Angela Merkel rounded out the top five.
Among 13 newcomers were Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee at number 41 and
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, in at
number 64.
There were 17 heads of state who run nations with a combined GDP of $48
trillion and 27 CEOs and chairs who control over $3 trillion in annual
revenues.