Christian, Shia, Sunni and Kurdish leaders also on Monday demanded the release of prisoners and a program for rebuilding Iraq's armed forces after talks in Cairo aimed at achieving national reconciliation.
At the end of the three-day meeting sponsored by the Cairo-based Arab League, the Iraqi leaders called for the withdrawal of US and British forces from Iraq by immediately setting a timetable for gradually rebuilding Iraq's armed forces.
They condemned attacks on Iraqi civilians, government institutions and oil installations and called for the release of all detainees held without trial.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, who set up the meeting, read the final statement at a session delayed by last-minute differences over how to describe the fighting to drive out US troops and overthrow the government.
Even the final text did not meet unanimous approval. Harith al-Dari of the Association of Muslim Scholars, the highest Sunni body in Iraq, said he had reservations about last-minute additions.
Mr al-Dari reportedly wanted the statement to condemn the wrongdoings of the former and current Iraqi governments.
He represented a strong anti-American and anti-government line at the conference, arguing that the fighting against the US-led military presence in Iraqi was a legitimate response to US occupation.
He accused Iraqi forces of adopting US practices such as torture and mass arrests.
“We have reservations about the final statements and the phrases which were added to it in the last minute. However, we will respect and commit to the final statement's articles," he told reporters.
Secretary-General Moussa has, however, succeeded in preparing the first meeting between al-Dari and Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
Details of the meeting have not been made public.
Resistance Vs Terrorism
The Iraqi government has refused to deal with anyone who attacks civilians or whom they suspect of seeking to restore Baathist rule and armed anti-US groups did not take part in the Cairo meeting.
But it was clear they have influence. The most contentious part of the agreement was its treatment of "resistance" - seen by some Iraqis as a just struggle against invaders, by others as futile fanaticism.
Hedging their bets, Arab leaders agreed on the compromise text which said: "Although resistance is a legitimate right of all peoples, terrorism however does not represent legitimate resistance, so we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, murder and kidnapping."
The Arab League, alarmed that Iraq is sliding towards chaos and civil war, called the politicians to prepare for a broader political meeting in Baghdad next February or March after legislative elections in December.
Earlier on Monday, delegates said the dispute over policy towards those fighting US-led forces in Iraq almost brought the conference to collapse.