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Al-Maliki aborts a military coup; the flying twins of 12/14. By Mahjoob in Al-Quds Al-Arabi

"Our government economy officials [should] be well aware of what George W Bush said about his country's abandoning of the free market economy until he is able to save the US economy from collapsing. I hope that our economy officials are not more enthusiastic about the free market economy than the leading capitalist country -- the US." -- Galal Dweidar, Al-Akhbar

"The disappearance of customary reconciliatory sessions led to a significant increase in violence in Egypt." -- Asaad El-Hariri, Nahdet Masr

"What will happen to Al-Zaidi will determine whether the Iraqi society has really become free after the US occupation or it is still a society where detention, oppression and torture are still reigning supreme," -- Mohamed Salmawy, Al-Masry Al-Yom

"The year's incidents proved that the Palestinian division provided Israel with more security and yet another pretext to shed the Palestinian blood." -- Walid Shoqeir, Al-Hayat

"At the time when we see protests in London against the US occupation and Al-Zaidi's detention, the Arab writers who previously hailed that occupation are now trying to tarnish Al-Zaidi's image or cast doubt on his mental or psychological state." -- Hoda Al-Sarhan, Al-Arab Al-Yom

" Many Arab journalists are still in jail as a result of a word or a report they wrote in order to fight corruption or do their job in the right sense of the word." -- Jaber Habib Jaber, Asharq Al-Awsat

"Considering Gaza a liberated territory is a perfect way out for Tel Aviv to throw the responsibility for the Strip on Egypt." -- Al-Wafd