Be careful when using claim to mean 'say', 'state', or 'declare'. The primary meaning of claim is to demand something that you are entitled to or to assert your right to it, in this case the right to be believed, and it implies that you may not be. He said he had been burgled is neutral: there is no reason to question the statement. He claimed he had been burgled suggests that he may not be telling the truth.
The star depicts Liberia as a shining light. The blue canton symbolizes the dark continent of Africa. The stripes represent the 11 signatories to the Declaration of Independence. Effective date: 26 July 1847.