The government and ruling coalition have agreed to impose a two-year limit on planned legislation to enable the Self-Defense Forces to assist a U.S.-led operation against terrorism.

The accord came Monday evening as secretaries general and policy affairs chiefs of the three ruling parties -- the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party -- gave their approval to a government-proposed guideline for the legislation that would substantially expand the scope of SDF activities overseas, coalition officials said.

The planned legislation is specifically aimed at providing logistic support to U.S. and multinational forces in anticipated retaliation against Osama bin Laden and his supporters, the alleged culprits behind the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.