The Saddam-Era Flag Remains Iraq's Symbol

[liveoaktx]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBEPWZO0WD.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Saddam Hussein is gone - but his flag flies on.
The green, red, white and black banner - with the words "God is great," added by Saddam in the 1990s - fluttered Monday over government buildings.

The proposed new flag, approved by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, sank in public esteem faster than a stone in the Tigris river after a firestorm of criticism that the new banner ignored the country's Islamic and Arab character - and looked too much like the Israeli flag.

Although the new flag was never formally withdrawn, even most Governing Council members disavowed it. A bank of the Saddam-era flags, one for each of Iraq's 18 provinces, served as the backdrop in a conference room where ministers of the new government took the oath of office Monday.

[amber dog democrat]

1. Good

Better that than a compromised symbol that ratifies their invaders.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. A symbol of failure that does not bode well

They couldn't even give them a new flag. Bad. and a terrible omen.

[GreatScott]

4. I hope you're wrong

Because the sooner they succeed, the sooner we'll be out of there.

[Cocoa]

9. or the sooner the failure is total

[Dhalgren]

16. If we have to wait until the US-puppet government

succeeds, we'll be there forever. The Iraqi people will throw out the Quislings as soon as it is possible for them to do so.

[truthisfreedom]

3. just like the way we ignore bushco and wait for the election.

so we can have a real president.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. Kick

This is really bad. You won't hear them talking about this.
I wish a reporter would ask Bush about it.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. Another article

"...Iraqis are sticking paper versions of the old flag on their windows and cars and buying out the inventory at the small shops that sell them. That's something, they say, they never did in the days of Saddam Hussein.

While some said the flag-waving was just a reaction to the suggestion by a non-elected government, others said it was more. They see the flag representing defiance against occupation, unity in hard times and a touchstone to Iraq's historic nationalism.

"It's refusing the occupation. The flag is the dignity of Iraq," said grocery owner Firaz Bayati, standing under the giant flag on the shopping center.

He launched into a recitation of the indignities his country has suffered, from car bombings to the flag redesign attempt...."

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/9019054.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[gratuitous]

7. Can we give them the Confederate Battle Flag?

Add a few stars to represent each of the 18 provinces of Iraq, the two crossing blue stripes would therefore represent the impending smashing together of the Sunni and Shi'ite cultures (stars would then also represent cartoon "collision" effects, adding hilarity as well as symbolism), and the red background would stand for the bloodbath that's going to follow Iraq's own civil war.

Maybe add a few puffs of smoke to represent the bombs each side will be lobbing at the other, as well as one to represent the skedaddling of Paul Bremer.

This totally gratuitous idea offered as a public service to the people of Iraq. We're really, really sorry about the mess we made of your country, by the way, and if it was up to me, you'd get full reparations from Halliburton's war profiteering.

[jayfish]

8. Ya... I Thought It Was Humorous To See The Handover Take...

place in front of a wall of Iraqi flags.

Jay

[Jack_DeLeon]

10. Honestly

this is a good thing, the newer flag looked like crap.

[Zynx]

11. It also looked Israeli

Whether it was supposed to be or not, what rocket scientist came up with that idea for an Arab state?

[sampsonblk]

12. GOP trick for cameras

How many damn flags did they need??? My gf and I counted at least 6 flags behind the Iraqi "gov't" the other day. They got this trick straight from the GOP's phony-patriotism playbook.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Gee whiz

didn't the Iraqi's like that pretty (ugly) blue and white flag that we gave them?




The U.S. flag flies at half staff, after a dawn ceremony in which the Iraqi flag was raised for the first time at a base in south eastern Baghdad June 29, 2004 which the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 1st Cavalry division shares with Iraq's National Guard.

[Jack_DeLeon]

15. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Look at the farthest left star on the Iraqi flag?

Is the shadow from that star some sort of trick caused by the camera. Sort of looks like the star is hoving in front of the flag.

[Hand]

21. I think...

that it's a star on the other side of the flag showing through the white cloth.

[rocktivity]

14. If the Iraqi decide that they want a post-Saddam flag

they should create and vote for one in their own way in their own time.

So I guess I won't be needing this anymore:


:headbang:
rocknation

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. kick nt

[yelladawg]

18. So who are they fighting for

Which flag? Which ruler?

[pinniped]

20. Exactly, it just dawned on me when they referred to it as "Saddam's flag".

There are more so-called Saddam loyalists than they ever imagined.

[pinniped]

19. If it's Saddam's flag...

then the Iraqis who support the "real" flag support Saddam and their numbers seem to be many.:crazy:

Another miserable failure brought to you by the * morans who are experts in their field.

[CJCRANE]

22. One slight point...

they've kept the arabic script that Saddam added to the flag but...it's not in his handwriting style anymore (see note at end of this article):

http://www.mrflag.com/display_article.asp?id=7699

But this still obviously means that most Iraqis actually liked the old flag.

[4_Legs_Good]

23. Is there really anything wrong with the old flag?

Other than it was introduced by Saddam. Personally, I think it's a fine looking flag, and is inoffensive at face value.

david

[pinniped]

24. Thanks for the interesting note.

n/t