The tension and turmoil over the global security situation has grown due to issues such as the nuclear development of North Korea and Iran and the threat of international terrorism. In an effort to “ensure public safety” for Japan and promote Japanese contributions to the peace and stability of the international community, the Public Security Intelligence Agency strived with all of its resources to gather and analyze information concerning the global security situation and provide the information to the government and relevant organizations.
With regard to North Korea and Chongryon, the Agency strengthened its intelligence-gathering force at the field level and conducted extensive investigations concerning North Korea's domestic situation, foreign policy and policies toward Japan, and Chongryon's activities and its organizational status. The probes focused particularly on movements related to North Korea's missile-firing and nuclear test as well as its abductions of Japanese nationals.
Concerning international terrorism activities, the Agency added a senior chief intelligence officer specialized in such terrorism at the Kanto regional bureau and increased its field intelligence officer. With its information-gathering force thus strengthened, the Agency dedicated intensive efforts to collecting information concerning the activities of international terrorist organizations and to investigating suspicious movements and terrorist financing in Japan. Also, it strived to prevent terrorism by enhancing cooperation with relevant foreign organizations to enforce restrictions on the entry of terrorists into Japan based on the revised immigration law.
Regarding China, the Agency's intelligence-gathering efforts concentrated on China's domestic situation and foreign policy, including policies toward Korea and the United States, and its policies toward Japan.
In its intelligence-gathering activities concerning Russia, the Agency focused on Russia's policy toward Japan, with particular attention paid to its stance on the dispute over the Northern Territories.
Furthermore, the Agency has been conducting its own investigations concerning the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), an international initiative to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles, since the launch of the PSI, and shared the information collected with relevant organizations.
With regard to Aum Shinrikyo, the Agency carried out necessary investigative activities, such as the on-site inspection of the group's facilities, after the Public Security Examination Commission's decision on January 23 to extend the surveillance period for the second time. On September 16, a day after the death sentence for Asahara was finalized, the Agency devoted particular efforts to investigations into the group's organization and activities as well as the level of danger posed by the group through measures such as on-site inspections at 25 facilities across the nation, the largest such inspections since surveillance came into effect in February, 2000. From January through the end of November, the Agency conducted on-site inspections based on surveillance of a total of 64 Aum-related facilities in 17 prefectures and helped ease local residents' unease by promptly providing local governments concerned with the results of the investigations.
Also, the Agency carried out investigations concerning the activities of the Japanese Communist Party and radical leftist groups in relation to the issue of the restructuring of U.S. military bases, as well as the activities of right-wing groups related to issues such as the abductions of Japanese nationals, launch of missiles, nuclear development, territories, marine interest and visits to Yasukuni Shrine by politicians.
The global security situation has become volatile due to factors such as the nuclear development activities of North Korea and Iran, the threat of international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The volatile situation has increased the need for intelligence-gathering to deal with these problems and heightened the importance of the role of the Public Security Intelligence Agency.
The Agency should not only enhance its cooperation with relevant organizations both at home and abroad but also expand and strengthen its own capability to collect and analyze information with the use of HUMINT (human intelligence), in order to perform its own duty: to “ensure public safety” for Japan and to promptly obtain and properly analyze the information Japan needs to fulfill its duties for the international community and provide the information to the government and relevant organizations in an appropriate time frame and manner.
With regard to North Korea, the Agency must do its utmost to collect information concerning the country's nuclear and missile development and victims of its abduction operations, and to conduct investigations, in a forceful but flexible manner, concerning North Korea's domestic state of affairs and foreign policy movements that underlie the nuclear, missile and abduction issues and concerning Chongryon, which is closely associated with the North Korean government. It is also important to keep a closer watch than before on harmful activities in Japan by elements associated with the North Korean government and Chongryon.
Prevention is most important in the fight against terrorism. The Agency therefore aims at identifying terrorists and individuals affiliated with terrorist organizations, investigate their activities by strengthening its domestic intelligence network and enhancing coordination and cooperation with relevant domestic and foreign organizations, and to provide information concerning terrorism-related immigration restrictions.
With regard to China, the Agency needs to closely watch that country's policy toward North Korea and gather information concerning its domestic state of affairs in the run-up to the 17th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and its conduct of foreign policy in general and policy toward Japan in particular against the background of the growth in its economic and military power.
Concerning Aum Shinrikyo, there still remains the possibility of the group attempting to carry out indiscriminate mass murder, as indicated by the deification of Asahara by followers, who blindly observe his teachings, which include tolerance of murder, and there have been numerous calls for strengthening restrictions on Aum Shinrikyo from residents near the group's facilities.The Agency is taking these requests seriously and intends to conduct extensive investigations and inspections, to take any necessary measures to prevent their subversive activities, to reveal the real situation of the organization and activities, and to promptly provide those regional residents with sufficient information in order to counter their fear and anxiety.
In dealing with radical leftist groups and right-wing groups, the Agency needs to keep paying close attention to their activities, given the possibility that they may step up protests and criticism, or even take direct actions, in response to developments at home and abroad such as the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan and territorial disputes.
In order to fulfill its duty of protecting the free and democratic society of Japan and ensure the peace and safety of the country and its people, the Agency will strive with all of its resources to obtain key intelligence, conduct detailed analysis and promptly provide information to the government and relevant organizations, thus satisfying public expectations.
(C)Copyright 1998-2006 Ministry of Justice.