Former Australian PM Howard says US celebrations understandable

SYDNEY (AAP) - US celebrations over the death of Osama bin Laden are the natural reaction of a country that felt violated by the al-Qaeda leader's acts of terrorism, former prime minister John Howard says.
The director of the Forum on Australia's Islamic Relations (FAIR), has labelled the US celebrations as "disgusting".
But Mr Howard, who was in the US at the time of the September 11 attacks in 2001, said he understood how the American people felt.
"They are the natural spontaneous reactions of ordinary people who saw the 11th of September as an even deeper violation of American sovereignty than Pearl Harbour," he told journalists in Sydney on Monday.
"To lose 3000 people in your political capital and your commercial and cultural capital, without provocation, without justification, without reason, without any explanation, without any moral justification, it leaves an impression.
"I understood how the Americans felt, and I've always understood the reactions and the impulses of the Americans as a result."
But Kuranda Seyit of FAIR, which describes itself as "an independent public relations group", said the images of Americans rejoicing in the streets of Washington and New York were not appropriate.
"I'm just totally disgusted about it," he told AAP.
"(The celebrations) are just like the so-called reports by American television of Muslims celebrating after September 11. This is just as bad.
"We need to show a little bit more respect towards humanity, even if they're the bad guys."
Mr Seyit said the al-Qaeda leader had galvanised the Muslim community in the past.
"The way he is viewed now, I would say 50 in terms of pro and 50 in terms of against.
"A lot of people see him as a negative representative of the Muslim community.
"But then, other people see him as someone who is at least having a go at some of those colonial powers interfering in Muslim affairs."
Nevertheless, Mr Seyit said he was sceptical of the news bin Laden was dead and was waiting for photographs of the body to be released.