英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun November 2, 2013
U.S. must establish new rules for intelligence gathering
米情報機関盗聴　不信持たれぬルールが必要だ（11月1日付・読売社説）

The reported eavesdropping by the United States on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s telephone conversations underscores the cold reality that the country’s intelligence gathering activities have even reached as far as the top leader of a friendly country.
　米国の情報収集力が、同盟国といえども権力深奥部にまで及ぶ冷徹な現実を示すものだ。

Germany and other European allies of the United States have strongly protested the apparent tracking of Merkel’s mobile phone and other communication tools by the National Security Agency, whose main job is to gather intelligence via wiretapping.
　通信傍受による情報収集を主任務とする米国家安全保障局（ＮＳＡ）がメルケル・ドイツ首相の携帯電話などを盗聴していたとして、米国と同盟関係を結んでいるドイツなど欧州各国が猛反発している。

Merkel is believed to have been a target of NSA eavesdropping for more than a decade, since before she assumed the current post. It was no surprise that she expressed strong displeasure toward the United States.
　メルケル氏は、首相就任以前から１０年以上、通話を傍受されていたという。米国に強い不快感を表明したのはもっともだ。

Director James Clapper of National Intelligence, which supervises all U.S. intelligence agencies and organizations, testified before Congress that it is part of the intelligence agency’s basic operations to ascertain the intentions of a top leader.
　米国の全情報機関を統括するクラッパー国家情報長官は議会で、「国家指導者の意図を探るのは、情報機関の基本」と証言した。

There are reports that the NSA has eavesdropped on as many as 35 world leaders. Actually, the United States effectively admitted to listening in on the communications of other countries’ leaders.
　ＮＳＡが世界の指導者３５人を盗聴したとの報道もある。各国首脳に対する通信傍受を事実上認めたといってよい。

If distrust toward the United States grows stronger among its allies, this could have an adverse effect on U.S. diplomacy. The administration of President Barack Obama should do its best to mend relations with Germany and other countries.
　通信傍受を巡り、同盟国の間で対米不信が募れば、外交にも悪影響が及ぼう。オバマ政権は、ドイツなどとの関係修復に向けて、最善の努力を尽くすべきだ。

Still, it is unthinkable to expect the United States to scale back its eavesdropping activities. It would also be dangerous to believe this.
　もっとも、米国に通信傍受の抑制を期待するのは不可能だろう。また、危険である。

With the spread of Internet and mobile phone services, intelligence gathering via wiretapping has become more important for intelligence organizations. Especially since the Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks on the United States, the NSA has continued to be at the forefront in wiretapping in terms of technology and scale.
　インターネットと携帯電話の普及に伴い、情報機関にとって、通信傍受による情報収集の重要性は格段に増した。とりわけ、米同時テロ以降は、傍受の技術力とその規模において、ＮＳＡは最先端であり続けてきた。

U.S. intelligence gathering activities have certainly benefited allies regarding antiterrorist measures, which is why they have offered their cooperation, including data sharing.
　米国の情報収集活動が、テロ対策などで、同盟国に利益をもたらしてきたことは否定できまい。だからこそ、同盟国も米国に情報を提供するなど協力している。

Key to national security

Intelligence gathering is vital to ensuring national security.
　国家の安全保障上、情報収集は極めて重要だ。

If the United States curbs its eavesdropping activities, this would end up benefiting China and Russia, which have been engaged in their own intelligence gathering. Terrorists fearful of U.S. monitoring would also benefit.
　仮に米国が通信傍受を抑制した場合、利益を得るのは、独自の情報戦を展開する中国やロシアだろう。米国の監視の目を恐れるテロリストも利するに違いない。

We believe the United States should review the methods of its intelligence gathering activities both at home and abroad, as well as rules on keeping secrets.
　今必要なのは、同盟国の不信を招かぬよう、米国が、国内外での情報収集のあり方や秘密保持のルールを見直すことである。

Washington has announced that it will reexamine the nation’s intelligence gathering activities as a whole by the end of this year. Congress will go along with this move. We will be closely watching whether the review will lead to the establishment of a new intelligence gathering system.
　米政府は年末をめどに情報収集活動全般の見直しをすると表明した。議会も同調している。新たな情報収集体制の確立につながるのか、注視したい。

Countries believed to be targets of U.S. eavesdropping will always need to devise anti-espionage measures. There is always the possibility that any country will conduct eavesdropping on leaders of what they perceive as hostile countries. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is no exception, though the government has denied he was a target of such activities.
　傍受を受けたとされる側も防諜(ぼうちょう)体制を整える必要があろう。敵対的な国に盗聴を仕掛けられる可能性は常に存在する。日本政府は、安倍首相への盗聴を否定しているが、例外ではない。

We live in a time when communication can be tracked at any time and place. It is essential that diplomacy be conducted based on this premise.
　いつでもどこでも通信が傍受される時代になってきた。外交もそれを前提に行うことが肝要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 1, 2013)
（2013年11月1日01時45分 読売新聞）