TOKYO - Japan's two largest parties failed to agree Tuesday on continuing a naval mission in the Indian Ocean, meaning the close US ally will at least temporarily end its support for the "war on terror."

With legislation allowing support for the "anti-terror" mission expiring Thursday, Japan's refueling on Monday of a Pakistani destroyer was likely to be the country's last contribution to the military effort for the time being.

The suspension comes amid growing opposition to the "war on terror" across countries which are part of the coalition battling a deadly insurgency in Afghanistan waged by remnants of the hardline Taliban regime ousted in 2001.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda failed to reach a breakthrough in a meeting with opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, who has vowed to fight the legislation allowing Japan to provide fuel and other support to US-led forces.

They cancelled a parliamentary debate, originally scheduled for Wednesday, and agreed to set up another meeting, likely on Friday, lawmakers said.

"I asked for his party's cooperation regarding the new anti-terrorism bill and explained the situation, but as of today we did not reach any agreement," Fukuda told reporters after the meeting.

Ozawa, who is known as a shrewd politician and is pushing for an early general election, has said that officially pacifist Japan should not be part of "American wars."

"I told him that I cannot approve of it," Ozawa told reporters. "We need to have principles, which means that unless it's part of UN operations, it would not be possible."

Fukuda argues that Japan, as the world's second-largest economy, must play a greater role in global security. His predecessor Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned last month in part due to his failure to extend the mission.

The opposition won control of the upper house of parliament in July elections thanks to a backlash over a series of domestic scandals under Abe, giving the bloc power to stall legislation.

Fukuda tried to play down the confrontation, saying he wanted to work with Ozawa's opposition Democratic Party.

"I believe the Democratic Party is a cooperating party," Fukuda said. "We must find common ground somewhere."

The Japanese public has been split over the naval mission and the opposition has highlighted scandals at the defence ministry, including the former top bureaucrat's admission that he accepted gifts from a military contractor.

A recent Kyodo News survey found that 46.4 percent of the public supported the naval deployment and 42.9 percent were opposed, with the rest undecided.

Ozawa rejected appeals from Western nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan to back the mission, including a personal plea by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany has seen waning support for its own troop deployment in Afghanistan, although the German parliament signed off earlier this month on extending the mission.

Analysts said the suspension of the Japanese mission showed the world the weakened power of Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party, which has been in power for all but 10 months since 1955.

"I think the United States, Europe and other nations understand the snag came due to domestic politics, not a change of course by Japan as a whole," said Takehiko Yamamoto, a security expert at Waseda University.

Fukuda is expected to visit the United States next month on his first trip overseas as prime minister.

Professor Tomoaki Iwai of Nihon University expected the lower house of parliament, where the ruling coalition holds a commanding majority, eventually to use its power to override the upper house and restart the mission.

"It will not likely have any impact on the Japan-US alliance as everyone knew there would be a political tug-of-war after Mr. Abe's sudden departure," Iwai said.