Leaders of Iraq's divided Shi'ites, Kurds, and Sunnis called yesterday for a timetable for the withdrawal of US-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a ''legitimate right" of resistance.The final communiqu?, written at the end of three days of negotiations under the auspices of the Arab League, condemned terrorism.But participantsacknowledged the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens.The participants in Cairo agreed on ''calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation," and end terror attacks.The conference was attended by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Shi'ite and Kurdish lawmakers, as well as leading Sunni politicians.Sunni leaders have been pressing the Shi'ite-majority government to agree to a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops.The statement recognized that goal, but did not set a specific time. This reflected the government's stance that Iraqi security forces must be built up first.Yesterday, the Iraqi interior minister, Bayan Jabr, suggested that US forces should be able to leave Iraq by the end of next year. Jabr said that the one-year extension of the mandate for the multinational force in Iraq by the UN Security Council this month could be the last.''By the middle of next year we will be 75 percent done in building our forces and by the end of next year it will be fully ready," he told the Arab network Al-Jazeera.In Egypt, the final communiqu?'s attempt to define terrorism omitted any reference to attacks against US or Iraqi forces. Delegates of varied political and religious views said the omission was intentional. They spoke anonymously, saying they feared retribution.''Though resistance is a legitimate right for all people, terrorism does not represent resistance," the document said.''Therefore, we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing and kidnapping targeting Iraqi citizens and humanitarian, civil, government institutions, national resources and houses of worships," it added.The final communique also stressed participants' commitment to Iraq's unity and called for the release of all ''innocent detainees" who have not been convicted by courts.It asked that allegations of torture against prisoners be investigated, and that those responsible be held accountable.The statement also demanded ''an immediate end to arbitrary raids and arrests without a documented judicial order."The communiqu? included no means for implementing its provisions. This left it unclear what it will mean other than a symbol of a first step toward an agreement in principle.
