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Japan's ruling coalition forced a bill through parliament Friday to revive a U.S.-backed anti-terror mission in the Indian Ocean, clearing the way for Japanese ships to return to the region after a months-long absence.

 Following the vote, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered ships to prepare for dispatch. The fleet should leave port in two to three weeks and resume operations in five to six weeks, the ministry said.

Japan had refueled ships since 2001 in support of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, but was forced to abandon the mission in November when the resurgent opposition blocked an extension.

The measure enacted Friday will limit Japanese ships to refueling boats not directly involved in hostilities in Afghanistan, a restriction aimed at winning over a public wary of violating the spirit of the country's pacifist constitution.

The United States had lobbied hard for the mission, and U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer made a rare public foray into domestic politics on the issue by meeting with lawmakers to urge their support.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's government was deeply embarrassed by having to withdraw the mission in November, a step that cast doubt on how far Tokyo can back Washington in its global war on terrorist groups.

The lower house vote, which approved the measure 340 versus 133, followed the upper house's rejection of the bill earlier in the day. Under a Japanese law last used in 1951, the upper house can be overruled by a two-thirds vote in the lower chamber.

Schieffer cheered the passage on Friday.

"Terrorism is the bane of our time," he said in a statement. "By passing this legislation, Japan has demonstrated its willingness to stand with those who are trying to create a safer, more tolerant world."

Fukuda and other ruling party lawmakers have argued that the mission was needed to fulfill Japan's obligations in the global war against terrorism and give the country a world role commensurate with its economic clout.

"It has been of great detriment to Japan that this mission, which addresses international needs and is in our national interest, has been suspended," ruling party lawmaker Akio Sato told parliament ahead of the vote.

"Japan must join the world in the fight against terrorism," Sato said.

But the opposition accused the ruling camp of forcing its will on the people.

"This is a clear abuse of power," said Yoshito Sengoku, a lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. "The government will now surely lose the trust of the people."

Japan's naval mission in the region over the past six years provided logistical support to forces involved in the war in Afghanistan. It mainly supplied some 132 million gallons of fuel to coalition warships, including from the U.S., Britain and Pakistan, according to the Japanese government.

Public opinion polls show Japanese are gradually coming to accept a greater role for their troops abroad -- as long as it does not involve combat.

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