Iraq's U-S-picked leaders approve new flag

[Robbien]

Baghdad, Iraq-AP -- A spokesman for Iraq's Governing Council says it's approved a new flag for the country.
It has a white background, with two blue stripes across the bottom symbolizing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A yellow stripe between them represents Iraq's Kurdish minority. Above the stripes is a blue crescent representing Islam.

The spokesman for the council -- selected by the U-S -- says an official declaration of the flag will come later this week.

The council members decided to dump the country's Saddam Hussein-era flag. That one had red, white and black bands with three green stars and the slogan in Arabic, "God is great."

But one Governing Council member says the group should have waited for an elected government before changing such an important national symbol.

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