Urgent Need for National Intelligence Council as Threats Increase
Takayuki Kobayashi (left), head of the Liberal Democratic Party's Intelligence Strategy Headquarters, hands a legislative proposal to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Official Residence on March 3. (©Sankei by Ataru Haruna)
Led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the Cabinet has approved proposed legislation to establish a National Intelligence Council. This recognizes the need to strengthen the government's command-and-control functions over the nation's intelligence apparatus. The legislation would also elevate the current Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office to the National Intelligence Bureau. This would serve as its secretariat.
Threats from China and North Korea are increasing. Meanwhile, Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, and the situation in the Mideast is becoming ever more perilous. Faced with these and other crises, Japan's need for reliable intelligence has increased exponentially.
Enhancing Japan's intelligence capabilities is a clear and pressing imperative. Without fail, the Diet must pass the intelligence legislation during the current parliamentary session.
A Clear Mission
The mission of the National Intelligence Council will be to investigate and deliberate concerning important intelligence matters. Those include issues related to national security, terrorism, and countering foreign espionage activities.
Chaired by the Prime Minister, the council would be composed of relevant Cabinet ministers, enabling it to exercise political leadership in this vital area. In this respect, it would differ from the current Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, which is headed by the Chief Cabinet Secretary and composed of vice-minister-level officials from various ministries.
The National Intelligence Bureau, reformed from the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, would be invested with new authorities. It would have the authority to comprehensively coordinate the intelligence activities conducted by each ministry and agency. Meanwhile, each ministry and agency would be obligated to provide materials and information to the National Intelligence Council.
Broad and Efficient Intelligence
Observers have long pointed out the drawbacks of "bureaucratic silos" to the process of intelligence gathering and analysis. A system must be established in which the National Intelligence Bureau takes the lead in collecting and analyzing sufficient information. The information would be drawn from sources such as the National Police Agency, the Public Security Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense. It would then be up to the National Intelligence Bureau to provide an overall assessment based on a comprehensive evaluation of that information.
Currently, Japan's National Security Council and the National Security Secretariat also conduct intelligence analysis. Nonetheless, the government aims to improve accuracy and enable faster and more precise policy decisions under the new structure.
However, passing the legislation will only be the first step in strengthening the nation's intelligence capabilities. Further challenges remain to be overcome.
The coalition agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Nippon Ishin no Kai includes a pledge to swiftly draft and enact anti-espionage legislation. For example, it envisions a "Foreign Agents Registration Act." This would require individuals who engage in political activities on behalf of foreign governments or foreign companies to register with the Japanese government.
The coalition agreement also calls for establishment of an independent foreign intelligence service by the end of FY2027. It also calls for creation of an institute for the training of intelligence personnel.
Protecting Japan
The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Japan Communist Party, among others, have raised concerns about the potential for abuse. They say intelligence gathering activities by the government could lead to increased surveillance of citizens, violations of privacy and restrictions on freedom of expression. However, such objections are sorely off the mark.
Strengthening intelligence capabilities is absolutely essential to protect Japan and its people from the machinations of hostile foreign powers.
RELATED
- Inside the LDP-Ishin no Kai Coalition Agreement
- New Intelligence 'Command Tower' to Anchor Japan's Security Overhaul
- Russian Spy's Case a Strong Argument for an Anti-Espionage Law
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
