Ruling coalition members on a key Diet committee approved a bill enabling the Self-Defense Forces to support U.S.-led military operations against terrorism, paving the way for the bill's full Diet passage next week.

The three-way coalition, led by the Liberal Democratic Party, voted Tuesday evening at a Lower House special committee for a revised version of the proposed bill that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi presented to opposition leaders Monday night.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi bows to lawmakers as a key Lower House panel approves the SDF dispatch bill.

Although no opposition parties supported the bill, its success in the full Diet is assured as the ruling bloc holds a majority in both chambers.

It will likely clear the Lower House plenary session Thursday before being sent to the Upper House, where it is expected to win approval as early as Oct. 26.

The new legislation will allow the Japanese troops to lend logistic support to the U.S.-led force, engage in search-and-rescue operations and provide refugee relief assistance.

The scope of activities will be limited to "noncombat areas," which will be defined independently by the government, according to government officials.

It will also allow the SDF to operate on foreign soil, such as in Pakistan, provided that relevant foreign governments consent.

The revised version includes a clause obliging the government to seek ex post facto Diet approval within 20 days of an SDF dispatch or withdraw the deployed troops.

The revision was worked out by coalition officials as part of an effort to win the support of the Democratic Party of Japan, which wants more legislative control over SDF participation in overseas antiterrorism operations. The original bill stated that the Diet would only receive postoperational reports upon the completion of SDF activities.

Koizumi, however, failed to gain the DPJ's support during a meeting Monday night with DPJ chief Yukio Hatoyama.

Hatoyama insisted the government obtain prior Diet approval before any dispatch.

"The prime minister kept holding his ground on that point," Hatoyama said after the meeting broke down. "There will be no more negotiations."

On Tuesday, the DPJ submitted to the Lower House its own version of antiterrorism legislation, which the ruling camp immediately voted down at the committee session.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kosei Ueno hinted the meeting between Koizumi and Hatoyama broke down as a result of the prime minister's decision to give preference to the ruling coalition over cooperation with the opposition force.

"There was already a agreement among the three ruling parties, and I think that this time, the prime minister respected his position as president of the LDP," Ueno told reporters.

After the bill's passage through the Lower House panel, Hatoyama was quick to criticize Koizumi for failing to "reflect the intention of the Diet."

Koizumi, meanwhile, told reporters: "Actually, I'd had a lot of expectation that the Democrats would throw their support behind us."

In the meantime, another revision proposed by Koizumi on Monday night did win Hatoyama's favor -- a ban on the overland transportation of arms and ammunition.

The DPJ had earlier insisted that Japanese troops be completely banned from carrying such items in any overseas location.

Regarding the use of weapons under the new legislation, SDF personnel will be allowed to fire for the purpose of protecting "those under SDF care," such as refugees and injured coalition soldiers, in addition to protecting themselves.

However, they will not be allowed to use weapons for the purpose of defending U.S. or other coalition troops. The Japanese government regards such action as a violation of the Constitution, which bans the SDF from engaging in collective defense.