The New York Times defends Amnesty International’s comparison of Guantanamo Bay (where 600 unlawful combatants are held) with the Soviet Gulag (where more than 20 million innocent Russian citizens were imprisoned, and millions killed): Un-American by Any Name.

As a solution to this towering injustice, the editors of the Times call for Gitmo to be shut down. Immediately. Turn them all loose. And make sure the evil Bushco doesn’t send those poor oppressed killers without consciences to places where they might be imprisoned again—like their home countries.

If we do this, the world will start to love us again and we’ll be safe.

It is time to return to the basic principles of justice that served America so well even in the most perilous times of the past. Shutting down Guantanamo is just a first step. But it is a crucial step that would pay instant dividends around the world, not only toward repairing America’s reputation but also toward enhancing its overall security.