Juan Cole sees jailed people and writes:

The proto-fascist mini-state of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Arbil [Irbil], northern Iraq, has sentenced an Austrian-Kurdish journalist to 18 months in prison for criticizing Massoud Barzani.

Professor Cole goes on to challenge the world:

I challenge Instapundit, Andrew Sullivan, and Christopher Hitchens to intervene effectively to get Kamal Sayid Qadir out of Barzani's jail. Here is something all of us, left and right, can agree on, and I hope the Left blogs the hell out of it, too. Will someone please start a blog to count the days Qadir is not free?

It ain't democracy if you can lock somebody up because they criticize you: it's Bill O'Reillyland. Although to be fair, Bill was mad because a caller mentioned Keith Olberman, who made Bill mad because--ah, fuck it: it was just some run-of-the-mill toxic winger dyspepsia. Remove all logic and drain your spittle into the throat of the Republic. Now, isn't that much, much, much better?

Back on topic: Qadir needs a Get Out Of Jail Card. And fast. Any takers? +++