'West is duplicitous on MENA uprisings'

An Iranian lawmaker has criticized the West for its discriminatory approach toward the recent uprisings and revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. “The stances of the West and international organizations regarding Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen indicate the bitter reality of discrimination in their regional policies,” Chairman of Iran's Majlis (parliament) Subcommittee on National Security Parviz Sorouri said on Tuesday, IRNA reported. Dual policies of the US, the Western states, and global organizations have created a wave of distrust by the global community toward their policies, Sorouri added. The Iranian lawmaker said that the US supports Saudi Arabia, “which does not meet the minimum indexes of human rights,” and incites unrest in Syria. Commenting on the latest developments in Egypt, the Iranian lawmaker noted that Egyptians seek elections, but the delay in responding to their demands is in line with the policies of Israel and its allies. In Egypt, people want military rulers to set a clear timetable for the transition of power to a democratically-elected government and the prosecution of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and those responsible for killing and wounding people during the country's historic revolution in February. Sorouri also pointed to the developments in Bahrain and said that the release of political prisoners, the pullout of Saudi forces from the Persian Gulf sheikdom, a practical end to the discrimination against the people of Bahrain, and the realization of the demands of the Bahrainis can help resolve the crisis in the country.