英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun May 25, 2013
Info-gathering, analysis capability must be bolstered in creating NSC
日本版ＮＳＣ　情報収集・分析力も強化せよ（5月24日付・読売社説）

It has been noted for many years that the existing Security Council of Japan exists as a mere formality.
　政府の安全保障会議の形骸化が指摘されて久しい。

A control tower to discuss and lead the nation’s diplomatic and security policies must be created quickly.
　外交・安保政策を実質的に議論し、主導する司令塔づくりを急がなければならない。

The government has disclosed a draft of a bill to establish a National Security Council, or a Japanese version of the U.S. NSC.
　政府が国家安全保障会議（日本版ＮＳＣ）設置法案の素案を明らかにした。

The pillar of the planned legislation is a regular meeting of the prime minister, chief cabinet secretary, foreign minister and defense minister. The Japanese National Security Council must be recognized as the decision-making body for Japan’s diplomatic and national security strategies, according to the draft.
首相と官房長官、外相、防衛相の３閣僚による会合を常設し、外交・安保戦略の実質的な決定機関とすることが柱だ。

Periodic talks essential

The framework of the current Security Council of Japan, comprising the prime minister and eight other Cabinet members, would remain intact and deliberate the fundamentals of security policies and related issues, the draft says.
　首相と８閣僚で構成する安保会議の枠組みは残し、安保政策の基本方針などを審議する。

Depending on the matters concerned, a meeting of six or seven Cabinet members, or one made up of the four key ministers, plus such members as the land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister and the national public security commission chairman, would take place anytime it is needed, according to the draft.
The government plans to submit the bill to the Diet in early June.
　テーマに応じて、中核の４人に国土交通相や国家公安委員長などを加えた６、７人の閣僚会合も随時、開く。来月上旬の法案の国会提出を目指している。

It is considerably difficult for the current council, which consists of as many as nine members, to have in-depth, substantive discussions and reach swift conclusions.
　９人の会議で中身の濃い議論を行い、迅速に結論を出すのは難しい。

Although there have been unofficial meetings of the four key Cabinet members, the envisioned legislation for giving conferences statutory status as an official organ is significant.
従来も４人の非公式協議はあったが、法律上の正式機関と位置づけることの意義は大きい。

On the occasion of launching the government-envisaged NSC, it will be important to solidly establish such arrangements as having major Cabinet members consult periodically, about once every two weeks, to craft strategies and policies from a medium- and long-term perspective as well as comprehensive points of view. All government ministries and agencies concerned will need to fully coordinate to support the NSC.
　ＮＳＣ創設を機に、主要閣僚が２週間に１回程度、定期的に外交・安保問題を協議し、中長期的かつ総合的な視点で戦略・政策を立案する。関係省庁も連携し、ＮＳＣを全面的に支える。こうした体制を確立することが重要だ。

In addition, the posts of the chief cabinet secretary, foreign minister and defense minister must always be filled by highly competent individuals. These important posts should also come with guaranteed term lengths to ensure the right people are in place should they be needed.
　同時に、官房長官や外相、防衛相には、常に実力者を起用し、一定期間は交代させないなど、人事面の工夫も求められる。

The practical operations of crisis management, such as those for coping with emergencies, would be left not to the secretariat of the NSC, but continue to be the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretariat headed by the deputy chief cabinet secretary for crisis management, according to the draft.
　緊急事態への対処など危機管理の実務は、ＮＳＣ事務局でなく、従来通り、内閣危機管理監が率いる内閣官房が統括するという。

It makes sense that the draft says the NSC would not be in charge of dealing with such matters as a massive domestic disaster.
　ＮＳＣが国内の大規模災害などは扱わないのは当然だ。

However, as far as issues relating to the country’s diplomacy and security, such as the hostage crisis in Algeria in January and a North Korea missile launch, are concerned, the NSC secretariat should work closely with the the deputy chief cabinet secretary for crisis management.
ただ、アルジェリアの人質事件や北朝鮮のミサイル発射など、外交・安全保障に関係する事態については、ＮＳＣ事務局が内閣危機管理監と緊密に連携する必要がある。

National security and intelligence capabilities are inextricably linked together. To beef up the quality of security policies, the enhancement of information-gathering and analysis capabilities is crucial. The government must buckle down and foster experts in intelligence activities.
　安全保障とインテリジェンス（情報）は、車の両輪の関係にある。安保政策の質を高めるには情報収集・分析能力の強化が欠かせない。インテリジェンスの専門家育成に本腰を入れるべきだ。

Learn lessons from Iraq War

The draft has called for the appointment of “information liaison officers” at government organizations concerned, including the foreign and defense ministries and police and public security agencies, making it obligatory that they provide information to the NSC.
　素案では、外務、防衛、警察、公安調査など関係省庁に局長級の「情報連絡官」を置き、ＮＳＣへの情報提供を義務づけた。

Japan’s intelligence organizations have long been mocked as being “unable to pass information to superiors, share it with other bodies or keep it from leaking.”
　日本の情報機関は長年、「上がらず、回らず、漏れる」と揶揄(やゆ)されてきた。

This points to the problems of failing to have important information conveyed to the Prime Minister’s Office, not sharing information with other government entities, and not preventing leaks.
重要情報が首相官邸に適切に伝わらず、関係機関に共有されずに、外部に漏洩(ろうえい)しがちだという問題点を指摘したものだ。

By drawing lessons from the failure of the United States in starting a war with Iraq, the government, while abiding by the principle of separation of policy formulation and information analysis, must firmly build a system to ensure prompt conveyance of information.
　イラク戦争開戦時の米国の失敗を教訓に、政策立案と情報分析の分離の原則は守りつつ、情報の迅速な伝達を可能にする仕組みを構築することが大切である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 24, 2013)
（2013年5月24日01時02分 読売新聞）