(Adds opinion poll results in paragraph 7) TOKYO, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister vowed on Saturday to seek agreement within the ruling coalition on a naval refuelling operation in the Indian Ocean, whose extension is one of the thorniest issues facing a cabinet revamped a day earlier. Washington has made clear it wants Japan to continue the mission, which supports U.S.-led military activities in Afghanistan, but the necessary legislation to continue beyond January will almost certainly be blocked by the opposition-dominated upper house of parliament. Forcing the bill through by passing it a second time in the more powerful lower house will require support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) smaller coalition partner, the New Komeito, who are said to be wary of such tactics. "We need to win the agreement of the ruling parties," said Masahiko Komura, who stayed on as foreign minister in Friday's reshuffle. "The refuelling activities in the Indian Ocean are appreciated by the international community and there are expectations for the future," he added. The bill will be a focus of a parliamentary session that is likely to be convened this month or next, and could overshadow a general election that must be held by September next year. A Kyodo news agency survey published on Saturday showed that 52.4 percent of voters responding were opposed to extending the mission, while 34 percent backed the step. Last November, Japan had to halt the refuelling mission for two months after a law allowing the operation ran out, and the ruling coalition had to use its two-thirds majority to override the upper house. New Defence Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would try to persuade the public of the importance of the issue. Japan has decided to pull its 200 air troops out of Kuwait, from where they are flying supplies into Iraq, at the end of the year, domestic media have said. Ending both missions at once might undermine Japan's image as a loyal ally of the United States. "I want to take all possible opportunities to explain the importance of this mission and of Japan's role within it," Hayashi told reporters on Saturday, adding that it helped ensure the security of resources imported from the Middle East. (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds and Yoko Kubota; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
Policemen stand at the site of an explosion outside the gates of the Pakistani consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat July 31, 2008. A bicycle bomb outside the Pakistani ...
