It was a heady day for most of America and its cheerleaders abroad, but it raised questions farther afield, report Anayat Durrani and Eric Walberg American streets filled with elated crowds in front of the White House, chanting "USA! USA!" and singing the "The Star-Spangled Banner". US President Barack Obama called it a "good day for America". But others felt uneasy celebrating his death, and wondered if it had really changed anything. Evern former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said that the celebrations of Bin Laden's death made him uncomfortable. He said it was "a significant step" in defeating terrorism but that it does not erase "the loss of all those lives". Peter Gadiel, president of 9/11 Families for a Secure America, did not celebrate the news of Bin Laden's death, saying it won't bring his son back. His 23-year-old son James was killed on 9/11 in the twin tower attacks. Gadiel said most families believe the government failed them on 9/11, blaming "widespread incompetence and corruption" among those officials as the cause. Post-9/11 America witnessed the deaths of countless soldiers and civilians killed during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, there was heightened backlash and violence against American Muslims and those mistaken for Muslims. Not surprisingly, American Muslim organisations welcomed news of Bin Laden's demise. In a joint press conference in Washington DC, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Islamic Society of North America said they hoped his death would mark a new chapter for Muslims. "We feel a sense of immense relief. His perversion of Islam has been a blot on history," said Harris Tarin, office director of MPAC, a Washington-based advocacy group. Maher Hathout, senior adviser to the Los Angeles-based MPAC, said he hopes Americans as a whole can "focus on the cohesiveness and unity of our society and look forward to seeing a better America, not seeing Muslims through the lens of dictators or through the lens of terrorists". The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Bin Laden met his justice. "This is the fulfillment of a divine promise," said Imam Sayed Mustafa Al-Qazwini, founder and religious director of the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County. "God teaches us in the Holy Quran that such perpetrators of crimes against humanity can't escape punishment and divine justice." Obama's announcement prompted predictable, if depressing, reactions abroad. Stock markets were happy, the US dollar immediately strengthened and the price of oil fell. British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the news, saying it means Bin Laden will no longer pursue his war on terror." Bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen -- for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives. This is a time to remember all those murdered by Bin Laden, and all those who lost loved ones. It is also a time to thank all those who work round the clock to keep us safe from terrorism." German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle described Bin Laden as "one of the most brutal terrorists" in the world. "He has the lives of thousands of innocent people on his conscience. That a stop could be put to this terrorist's bloody trade is good news for all free-living and free-thinking people in the world". Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called it, "A victory of good against evil, of the free and democratic world." Not a word about their own war of terror around the world, how the Bin Ladens were a direct response to it. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard solemnly vowed to continue to support the US wars: "Our fight against terrorism does not end with bin Laden's death. We will continue our support for the counter-terrorism efforts of the United States and our partners, and we will continue our efforts in Afghanistan to ensure that the country never again becomes a safe haven for terrorism." Not to be upstaged in news-speak, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commended the assassination and unceremonious disposal of the body at sea: "Israel joins in the joy of the American people on this historic day in which Osama bin Laden was killed. This is a resounding victory for justice, freedom and for the joint values of all the countries that fight side by side determinedly against terror." Saudi and Pakistani reaction was especially muted. The Saudi official news agency issued a statement calling it "a step towards supporting international efforts aimed at fighting terrorism." The Pakistani Foreign Ministry, which was left out of the loop, issued a terse, angry statement confirming the "unauthorised unilateral action", a "threat to international peace and security", "conducted by the US forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the US forces, wherever found in the world." Read between the lines, this meant: "It was the US occupiers of Pakistan who are responsible, not us. And it was just a coincidence that Bin Laden was found here. He could have been anywhere." Sticking the needle in deeper, Afghan opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah took the opportunity to blame everything on Pakistan. "The killing of Osama bin Laden is pleasant news for Afghans, and now it's proven that Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations are not based in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a haven for them," said Abdullah, the leader of the opposition Hope and Change Party. Iranian reaction was limited to calling for US withdrawal after achieving its purported goal. "We hope this leads to broader peace in the region. Iran believes there is no further excuse [for American troops] to occupy the region under the banner of the fight against terrorism," said Foreign Ministry official Ramin Mehmanparast. Iran never supported Al-Qaeda style terrorism; on the contrary, it has always been sharply critical of both the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, worried about its own Al-Qaeda-like Jundallah terrorists. Iranian MP Javad Jahangirzadeh said the US "killed Bin Laden to prevent possible leakage of the priceless intelligence that he had. Naturally the West was satisfied with Bin Laden's performance over the past years, and today -- as they believed their project had been completed and so to prevent the leaking of valuable information -- they were forced to kill him." The only official reaction criticising the illegality of the operation, reflecting broad sentiment in the Muslim world, was Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in Gaza: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood." Bin Laden's burial at sea "runs contrary to the principles of Islamic laws, religious values and humanitarian customs," said Sheik Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning. "Sea burials are permissible for Muslims in extraordinary circumstances. This is not one of them."
