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Iraqi leaders change colours after flag flap

Only days after unveiling the country's new flag, Iraqi leaders have already changed its colours after protests that it looked too much like Israel's.

The design remains the same ? two parallel blue stripes on the bottom representing the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and a yellow stripe between them representing the country's Kurdish minority. A blue crescent above the stripes symbolizes Islam.

But the blue stripes appear to have been made darker after complaints that the light blue stripes were too similar to the light blue bands of the Israeli flag.

Hundreds of university students in Mosul demonstrated against the initial version Wednesday.

Many Iraqis were also upset that the flag no longer featured the colours red for Arab nationalism and black, green and white for Islam.

The old flag had red and white bands across the top and bottom with three green stars floating in the middle. Deposed leader Saddam Hussein added the Arabic words "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Great") during the 1980s.

Not all council members had agreed with the idea of a new flag. Some said there should be a new, elected government before a major national symbol is altered.

Supporters of the new flag said it was important for the new government to distance itself from the the regime of Saddam Hussein.

"We cannot raise the flag of a party that committed many crimes against Iraqi people," said Massoud Barzani, president of the Governing Council.

But Barzani said the design is temporary until a permanent flag is chosen.

Posted by thinkum at April 29, 2004 01:27 PM