After Canada’s foreign minister tweeted concern about Saudi Arabia’s imprisonment of prominent human rights and women’s rights activists, the Saudis this week tried to punish Canada and intimidate other potential critics. They vowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs; expelled Canada’s ambassador and recalled their own; froze future trade and investment with Canada; and threatened to yank thousands of Saudi students out of Canadian universities. Normally, when confronted with this type of challenge, the State Department, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, would issue a statement something like this:

“The United States firmly supports the universal right of all people to express their views freely and to criticize their government’s policies peacefully. The United States is deeply concerned by the recent imprisonment of leading women and civil society activists in Saudi Arabia and joins Canada in urging their immediate release. We regret that Saudi Arabia, an important partner of the United States, has reacted to Canada’s expression of concern with excessive rhetoric and actions detrimental to both countries. We encourage both Saudi Arabia and our ally Canada to resume dialogue in order to restore normal relations.”

That is how, consistent with America’s traditional global leadership in defense of human rights, we would reiterate longstanding objections to Saudi abuses. We would support Canada, a NATO ally and indispensable neighbor, whose statement was neither harsh nor ill-conceived. We would signal subtly to Saudi Arabia that if they have a problem with Canada over this, then they also have one with the United States, because neither of us will be cowed into curtailing our criticism of friend or foe, when warranted.

Instead, after a shockingly weak initial response on Tuesday, the State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, mustered the following:

“We have a regular dialogue with the Government of Saudi Arabia on human rights and also other issues. This particular case regarding Canada, we have raised that with the Government of Saudi Arabia. They are friends, they are partners, as is Canada as well. Both sides need to diplomatically resolve this together. We can’t do it for them.”

False equivalency. Refusal to criticize obvious human rights abuses. Abdication of American moral leadership.