Mr Fukuda said the new mission would be dispatched by the end of the month, and Japanese refuelling vessels are expected to arrive in the Indian Ocean next month to resume their activities in aid of the US-led war on terrorism in Afghanistan.

The resumption was made possible by the passage of legislation yesterday through the Lower House in a re-vote - the first time in 57 years that a law has been enacted this way in Japan.

Mr Fukuda had made it his top priority to restart the refuelling mission since he took office in late September last year. Tokyo considers the mission a major contribution to the international war on terrorism.

He told Parliament on Thursday: 'If we do not continue it, other countries will view us very differently. So we are determined to do so.'

Unlike an earlier law governing such operations, the new law will limit Japan to providing only oil and water to vessels of nations involved in cracking down on ships suspected of being linked to terrorists.

QUESTION OF STATUS

To allay fears that some of the oil may be diverted for other purposes such as the US-led war in Iraq, Japan plans to sign agreements with the countries involved to ensure that the oil supplied to them is used only for the Afghanistan-related war.

Next week, the Cabinet is expected to adopt a plan to implement the new law.

Japanese refuelling vessels were recalled home when the previous law authorising their activities expired on Nov 1.

According to defence officials, it will take two to three weeks before the vessels are ready for the voyage to the Indian Ocean and another three weeks before they arrive in the area.

Getting Parliament to enact the new law was a major political trial for Mr Fukuda. Although the new refuelling Bill was approved by the Lower House on Nov 13, it was stalled in the opposition-controlled Upper House.

The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) rejected the refuelling mission on the grounds that it was not sanctioned by the United Nations.

Earlier yesterday, the Upper House voted down the Bill, whereupon it was immediately sent back to the Lower House for a second vote.

Under the Constitution, the politically more important Lower House can approve a Bill rejected by the Upper House in a re-vote if it has the support of two-thirds of the chamber.

Mr Fukuda's ruling coalition commands over two-thirds of the seats in the Lower House.

He was also relieved that the DPJ decided on Wednesday against submitting a no-confidence motion against him.

The DPJ had earlier threatened to table such a motion if Mr Fukuda went ahead with a re-vote. The opposition party had hoped that the no-confidence motion would force Mr Fukuda to dissolve the Lower House and call an early general election.

However, the DPJ apparently decided at the last minute that there was not enough voter support for a no-confidence motion against Mr Fukuda over the refuelling issue.

Japanese voters are more concerned over bread-and- butter issues such as pensions, rising food and petrol prices and taxes.

In addition, the DPJ does not appear ready to fight a general election as it has not found enough candidates.

The United States had lobbied hard for the refuelling mission to resume, and US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer cheered the law's passage yesterday.

Mr Fukuda also chalked up more political points yesterday when the Upper House unanimously passed a law to compensate some 10,000 patients who had contracted hepatitis C through tainted blood products from around 1970 to the early 1990s.

The reversal in government policy came just a few weeks after Mr Fukuda had appeared unwilling to help the victims, a stance that eroded his popularity and threatened his ability to remain in power.

wengkin@sph.com.sg