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Afghanistan 2002-2004

Islamic State of Afghanistan, De Afghanistan Islami Dawlat, Dawlat-e-Islami Afghanistan

1:2
by Juan Manuel Gabino modified by Santiago Dotor
Flag adopted 27 January 2002, abolished 4 January 2004

Introduction
Description
Coat-of-Arms
Horizontal stripes variant 2002
Poppy-destroying campaign 2002

See also:

Historical flags

Other sites:

Coat-of-Arms Detail at Graham Bartram's World Flag Database

Introduction

After the Taliban defeat in November-December 2001, both the 1992 flag and the 1973 flag —and even the earlier April 1992 flag— were flown by different factions within the anti-Taliban forces.

Santiago Dotor, 12 December 2001

On 27 January 2002 a new flag was adopted for the Transitional Authority which follows basically the same design of the 1930-1973 flag with some minor changes:

1:2 proportions,
coat-of-arms fully contained in red stripe,
shahada and takbir on the top, etc.

A coat-of-arms in gold/yellow has been spotted frequently, but white seems to be the official and more commonly used version.

Santiago Dotor, 11 March 2004

Description

From a Reuters story dated 2 December 2001 [about the Afghan provisional government]:

The draft calls for the 87-year-old former king to play a symbolic role in opening the Loya Jirga, which would elect a transitional authority to govern for about 18 months until a constitution is drawn up and a permanent government elected. (...) Until then, it suggests that most of Zahir Shah's 1964 [sic] constitution —the most liberal political system the country has ever had— would be reinstated as Afghanistan's basic law.

If, indeed, the final agreement would use the 1963 Constitution as the constitution for a provisional government, as the Reuters story dated 2 December indicated, then it may result in a temporary restoration of the flag of 1930-1973:

Article 4
The flag of Afghanistan is tricolor (black, red and green) all pieces joined together vertically from left to right in equal proportions; the breadth of each strip equalling half of its length, having in the middle the insignia of t