TOKYO - To cheers and Rising Sun flags, a Japanese navy tanker returned from the Indian Ocean on Friday, ending a six-year mission in support of Afghan coalition troops but not a political standoff over Tokyo's role in the global fight against terrorism.

The tanker, Tokiwa, was welcomed to port by flag-waving families, a brass honor band and several senior government officials. The other warship that had been deployed to the Indian Ocean, a destroyer, returned to southern Japan on Thursday.

The mission, which began in 2001, was abruptly halted on Nov. 1 and the ships ordered to head home after opposition parties raised concerns the operations did not have explicit support from the United Nations and possibly violated Japan's pacifist constitution.

The sudden retreat was a major embarrassment for the administration of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who has been a staunch supporter of a continued presence for Japan in the region, and has cast doubt on just how far Japan can go to back the United States - its main ally - in the war on terror.

Fukuda's government has submitted a bill to parliament that would allow the ships to be deployed again, but in a more limited role. The opposition, emboldened by an election victory that gave it control of parliament's upper house, has shown no sign of backing down, however.

"I want to thank you all for completing your mission and returning home," Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the sailors upon their return. "Many countries are calling on us to renew our efforts in the war on terrorism. I will do all I can to see that our refueling mission can begin again as soon as possible."

The new deployment would be limited to refueling and supplying water to craft used in monitoring and inspecting vessels suspected of links to terrorism or arms smuggling. Ships would not refuel coalition vessels directly involved in troop activities in Afghanistan.

During its six-year mission, Japan provided about 490,000 kiloliters (129 million gallons) of fuel in the Indian Ocean to coalition warships, including those from the U.S., Britain and Pakistan.

The mission was in line with a push by Japan's leadership - which is trying to win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council - to develop a higher profile in world diplomacy by participating in an increasing number of global peacekeeping missions.

Japan sent troops to Iraq on a non-combat, humanitarian mission in 2003, and joined in the rescue efforts after a tsunami devastated South Asia in 2004. It withdrew from Iraq last year, but maintains an air force presence in Kuwait.

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.

No Japanese troops were injured in either the Iraq or Indian Ocean missions.

"I think we were successful," said Tokiwa Capt. Yoshitaka Yojima. "I think we contributed to the fight against terrorism and showed the world what kind of a country Japan is."

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