CAIRO, Nov 21: Iraqi leaders put persistent differences to one side on Monday to agree their first joint statement on how to end conflict between their communities and achieving national reconciliation. A statement supported by Christian, Shia, Sunni and Kurdish leaders after talks in Cairo demanded a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops, the release of prisoners and a programme for rebuilding Iraq’s armed forces.

The talks sponsored by the Arab League marked another stage in the return of the disempowered Sunni Arab minority in the political arena, although nobody represented the armed insurgency during the meetings.

However leaders were also unable to mask lingering differences between their communities over the three days of talks, which begun under the shadow of a weekend of violence in Iraq and were marred by a brief walkout by the Shias.

In a final statement, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, they demanded “a timetable for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops.”

The statement also advocates “immediately setting up a national programme to rebuild the armed forces in a way that will allow them to control the security situation and put an end to terrorist operations.”

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, whose body recently stepped up its involvement in Iraq, was pleased with the outcome of the meetings.

“I consider it a real success,” he told reporters. “I would say that we have succeeded in bringing opinions closer by about 70 per cent, but I will continue to warn against exaggerated expectations.”

“It’s a first step, many difficulties and differences remain.”

The timetable had been a main Sunni demand, but the US-led coalition had consistently refused to say when its troops would leave and the Iraqi government — dominated by Shias and Kurds — had warned against a hasty withdrawal.

The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Monday it was “possible to begin adjusting our forces downwards, meaning begin to withdraw, some forces beginning next year”.

The statement also said the dozens of leaders from across the political spectrum gathered in Cairo had agreed to “reconsider the case of detainees as soon as possible and the liberation of those who have not been charged.”

“While resistance is a legitimate right for all peoples, terrorism is not a legitimate form of resistance and we therefore condemn terrorism and violent acts targeting civilians, humanitarian organisations and places of worship,” the statement also said.

During the talks, the leaders also agreed on a six-point agenda for a reconciliation conference to be held in Iraq during late February or early March. The Cairo meeting was aimed at preparing for this conference.

The first item on the agenda will be the “enlargement of the political process to all the forces adopting a democratic position.”

The Cairo meetings saw Iraqi President Jalal Talabani — a Kurd — extend to hand to the insurgency by proclaiming his willingness to talk to anybody.

He told the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram that the non-jihadist insurgency could be won over if a common political agenda was agreed at the Cairo talks.

“A success of the Cairo talks will allow us to ... bring the resistance of the Arab nationalists to an end,” he said.

But Iraq’s most feared insurgent group, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has rejected any dialogue, saying the “sword and blood” were the only ways forward.

The Cairo conference agreed to set up a committee tasked with preparing the reconciliation conference and including Iraqi leaders as well as representatives of the Arab League and the United Nations.—AFP