Saudi Arabia: A Sharp Reaction to Criticism Chills Relations With Canada

With its strong reaction to a Canadian government minister's criticisms, the Saudi government is sending a signal to the West: It will not tolerate outside criticism of what it considers to be an internal matter. Riyadh steadfastly refuses to yield to external pressure over what it views as a national security issue, including the manner in which it limits the freedom of activists who defy government dictates. The fact that some of those activists are pushing for the same policies that the government is pursuing is irrelevant to Riyadh, which wants to pursue reform on its own terms....