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G-20 Summit in Seoul

The European and Asian powers have had it with being lectured by the U.S.—and President Obama's letter seeking to defuse the tension ahead of Thursday's summit is likely to make things worse, says Zachary Karabell.

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Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo,Ahn Young-joon
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South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak speaks as U.S. President Barack Obama listens at a joint press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Thursday, November 11, 2010, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo
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Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and a veteran prepare to lay a wreath at The War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, November 11, 2010. World leaders are gathering in Seoul on Thursday and Friday for the G-20 summit aimed at safeguarding the global economic recovery and defusing trade and currency tensions.

Andy Rain / Reuters
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Anti-G-20 protesters gather near Seoul station on November 11, 2010 as world leaders arrive in the city for the G-20 Summit. After weeks of running battles on trade and currencies, G-20 leaders start what promises to be a stormy meeting on November 11 to 12, devoted to recalibrating huge distortions in the world economy.

Ted Aljibe, AFP / Getty Images
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India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives at the G-20 working dinner, at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, Thursday, November 11, 2010. World leaders are meeting in Seoul to discuss the state of the global economy as it emerges from the financial crisis.

Yonhap News / AP Photo
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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrives at an airport en route to the 2010 G-20 Summit on November 11, 2010. World leaders converged on Seoul for the fifth meeting of the G-20 group of nations to discuss the global financial system and world economy. South Korea is the first non G-8 country to host the G-20 summit.

Yonhap News / Getty Images
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, center right, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, center left, inspect honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential house in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, November 10, 2010.

Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo
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President Barack Obama arrives at the Seoul airport to attend the G-20 summit, Wednesday, November 10, 2010.

Wally Santana / AP Photo
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Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard is greeted as she arrives at the Seoul airport to attend the G-20 Summit, Wednesday, November 10, 2010, in Seoul.

Wally Santana / AP Photo
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Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala disembark from their aircraft upon arrival at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, on November 10, 2010 on the eve of the G-20 summit.

Jung Yeon-Je, AFP / Getty Images
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Pedestrians walk past the COEX building, the venue for the G-20 Summit in Seoul on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.

Bloomberg / Getty Images
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A South Korean model wears a traditional costume at the rehearsal of a fashion show at Changtuk palace in Seoul on November 9, 2010 in preparation for the wives of world leaders who will attend a dinner for this week's G-20 summit.

Park Ji-Hwan, AFP, Getty Images