Nasir Al-Ani, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Chief-of-Staff, told a conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh that Iraq lacked the resources to secure its own air space.
“In terms of the Iraqi air space sector, I cannot say that we are capable of securing Iraqi air space as the Iraqi capabilities are limited,” Ani said.
He added that Iraq hoped the days when air space might be breached by a hostile power were over, but said: “We also rely on the proposal to sign a joint agreement with Gulf countries and that is what we hope for and what we are seeking, that there is a joint defense agreement for air space, not only Iraqi air space but for the region as a whole.”
It was not clear at what level Iraq had raised the suggestion with other Gulf states, nor how far any discussions had moved or what a joint defense agreement might entail.
Source: Reuters
