Iraq modifies new flag after protests

Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council has unveiled a modified version of the new national flag after protests that the original…

Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council has unveiled a modified version of the new national flag after protests that the original was similar to Israel's.
A pale blue crescent and two lines on the bottom were given a darker shade of blue and some dimensions were changed, but it was not clear if the new version would satisfy protesters. A yellow strip divides the blue lines.
Many Iraqis, from Kurdish and Arab areas in the north to Sunni Muslim towns in the centre and Shi'ite south, had decried the flag as resembling Israel's, which has two pale blue lines on top and bottom and a pale blue Star of David in the middle on a white background.
A Council spokesman said on Wednesday the white stood for peace and a new start for Iraq, the crescent represented Islam, the blue strips represented Iraq's main rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, and the yellow represented its Kurdish population.
The old flag - red, white and black with three green stars, representing pan-Arab nationalism - had flown for more than 40 years, preceding Saddam.