The government originally proposed the amnesty as part of a carrot-and-stick package to end the violence; the insurgents would be forgiven for their past crimes, but those who continued killing could be executed under a planned death penalty law.

But the amnesty, which was expected to have been announced soon after the interim Iraqi government took office June 28, has been delayed repeatedly, and subsequent drafts have narrowed the list of those eligible. Officials still were uncertain about when it might take effect.

"The amnesty covers those Iraqis who have not committed killings, who have been deceived into joining the resistance and who are now convinced that they made a mistake. We welcome them," said Georges Sada, spokesman for Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

"Anyone who committed the crime of murder will not be covered by the amnesty."

Iraqi officials had said the amnesty might extend to those who killed U.S. and other coalition troops. U.S. officials said an early draft contained ambiguous language on that issue, but later drafts ruled it out.

Sada said the debate over the amnesty had nothing to do with U.S. pressure and that killers were never to have been covered by the amnesty.

"We have sovereignty. We don't go and ask the Americans how to act every time," he said. "Nobody at all has pressured us."

Sada said the amnesty plan was "fully completed" but still needed to be signed by Allawi, who returned Tuesday from a Middle East tour.

Those who could benefit from the amnesty include insurgents who stashed heavy weapons at their homes or drove cars used in attacks without killing anyone themselves, Sada said. He added that they should turn in their weapons and denounce the resistance.