5. Public Security Intelligence Agency’s Activities in 2007 and Planned Activities for Future Implementation

1. Intelligence activities related to international issues

The global security situation has become quite complicated, and uncertainty and turmoil have grown due to problems such as North Korea's nuclear development and the increasing threat of international terrorism, including Islamic extremists. To “ensure public safety” for Japan and its people, the Public Security Intelligence Agency has taken efforts to gather and analyze information concerning the global security situation and to provide the information to the government and relevant organizations.
   Especially with the Hokkaido Toyako Summit near at hand, to prevent terrorism in Japan, the Agency further strengthened cooperation with relevant domestic and foreign organizations and made efforts to get information on the activities of international terrorist organizations. In addition, to intensify its efforts to detect people affiliated with international terrorist groups and collect related information that results in the clarification of their actual activities, the Agency developed and expanded an investigation system specializing in international terrorism at its local offices as well, and thus strived to gather a wide variety of information. Furthermore, the Agency newly established the International Subversive Activities Countermeasures Office in its headquarters and provided information which is necessary for the Minister of Justice to identify foreign terrorists based on the revised immigration law.
   With regard to North Korea and Chongryon, focusing its probe on North Korea’s movement on the nuclear issue and its hard-line stance on the abduction of Japanese citizens, the Agency further strengthened information-gathering structure at the field level by enhancing its own investigation capability, and collected and analyzed information concerning North Korea’s domestic situation, foreign policy and policies toward Japan, and Chongryon’s activities and organizational status.
   Regarding China, the Agency’s information-gathering efforts concentrated on the policies and the position that the party/government of China takes on its domestic situation and on diplomacy with North Korea and with Japan. Concerning Russia, the Agency collected information on the issue of Putin’s successor and Russia’s policy toward Japan, above all, its stance on the dispute over the Northern Territories.

2. Intelligence activities related to domestic issues

In preparation for the Hokkaido Toyako Summit, the Agency established the “Special Investigation Headquarters for the G8 Summit” in April and promoted an investigation to prevent terrorism in Japan.
   With regard to Aum Shinrikyo, the Agency strived to investigate into the new organization established by the Joyu group, “Hikarinowa,” focusing on its purpose, organizational status and activities, as well as Asahara's influence, by conducting on-site inspections based on surveillance measures. As for the mainstream group, based on the fact that the group has clarified its organizational management to enforce absolute faith in Asahara, the Agency continued to make efforts to reveal the actual status of its activities through strict surveillance.
   The Agency conducted on-site inspections of a total of 40 Aum-related facilities in 16 prefectures from January through the end of November and helped ease local residents’ anxiety by promptly providing the relevant local governments with the results of their investigations.
   Furthermore, the Agency promoted investigations into the movements of the Japanese Communist Party and radical leftist groups over the issues of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and the Self-Defense Forces’ refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, as well as the activities of right-wing groups over the issues of North Korea’s abduction of Japanese citizens and different views on territorial disputes and history perception with China and South Korea.

3. Activities to be implemented in the future

Problems such as international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are directly related to the safety of Japan and its people, and the enhancement of information-gathering capability has become an urgent issue for the entire government to address.
   The Public Security Intelligence Agency“s method of domestic and foreign information-gathering is characterized by investigations on a voluntary basis, mainly using human intelligence (HUMINT). The Agency considers that it is necessary to maximize these characteristics and to further expand and improve its intelligence network.
   Among other things, with the Hokkaido Toyako Summit of July 2008 approaching, Japan also needs to recognize international terrorism as a real threat, to further enforce precautions, and to take all possible measures to identify suspicious individuals and signs at an early stage.
   With regard to North Korea and Chongryon, to properly cope with nuclear and missile development and abduction issues, it is essential to endeavor to collect relevant information, and the Agency must do its utmost to keep collecting information to achieve that purpose.
   As for China, the country attempted to enhance its power base by starting the second Hu Jintao Administration, but factors for social instability have been increasing, including income disparity and safety problems of environment and food. For this reason, the Agency needs to closely watch the country’s domestic situation continuously as well as gathering information on its general foreign policy and its policy toward Japan.
   Concerning Aum Shinrikyo, the Agency intends to conduct strict surveillance of both the Joyu group, which promotes “breaking away from Asahara,” and the mainstream group, which emphasizes “getting back to Asahara,” to reveal the real situation of the organization and its activities and to promptly provide regional residents with sufficient information in order to ease local residents’ fears and anxiety.
   In addition to the approaching Hokkaido Toyako Summit, as radical leftist groups maintain their rigid attitude on the issue of the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan, the Agency needs to make efforts for early grasping of advance information on terrorism and guerilla activities.
   The Agency also needs to continue to endeavor to quickly grasp dangerous movements by right-wing groups, since the groups may take direct action depending on neighboring countries’ attitudes towards Japan.
   In order to fulfill its duty of ensuring the peace and safety of Japan and its people, the Agency will forcefully promote the collection of information, including terrorism-related information, in addition to endeavoring to collect and analyze key intelligence that contributes to the government’s policies related to various issues inside and outside Japan, thus satisfying public expectations.