Iraqi Flag Hoisted in Washington to Launch New Era in Relations

[hightime]

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a show of independence even from American liberators, two Iraqi diplomats raised the country's traditional Arab red, white and black flag Wednesday over their reopened embassy - rather than a new flag that the U.S. occupying authority had chosen.
There were broad smiles and applause from expatriate Iraqis as the country's incoming ambassador, Rend al-Rahim Francke, and Abdul-Latif Rashid, minister of irrigation and water resources, hoisted the flag under sunny skies only hours after the Iraqi authorities in Baghdad took legal custody of former President Saddam Hussein and 11 of his top lieutenants.

Rather than the symbol of a new Iraq chosen by the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, with a blue Islamic crescent on a white field, the flag sent fluttering in an early summer breeze is the same historic national flag that flew through the rule of Saddam until he was deposed last year in the U.S.-led war.

Stitched on the flag's white stripe in green is the Koranic verse "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great), which Saddam added after the 1991 Persian Gulf war that forced him to reverse Iraq's annexation of Kuwait.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBJG4YZ3WD.html

[arcane1]

1. excellent, they PISSED ME OFF when the flag was changed

it's NOT OUR BUSINESS to make that kind of decision, and besides, it's not like Saddam designed the original flag...

:toast: to those diplomats

[Jack_DeLeon]

2. I agree.

Also as for the "Allahu Akbar," I dont necessarily have a problem with that either even if it was added by Saddam Hussein.

For better or worse he is part of thier history, and if 50 or 100+ years from now that is all that remains of his in Iraq then that will be good.

IMO "Allahu Akbar" is no different for them than, "In God We Trust" is for us.

[hightime]

4. They changed the "Allahu Akbar," part of the flag.

The old flag had it written in Saddam's handwriting, the new one is not.

[Political_Junkie]

3. Nice.

I look forward to the day when they are truly free.