Japan's intelligence unit to monitor terrorism in 4 regions

TOKYO —The government plans to set up four groups to monitor terrorist activities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East under the Foreign Ministry’s intelligence gathering unit expected to begin operating next April, government sources said Saturday.

The groups, likely to be composed of several dozen experts in regional affairs and fluent in local languages, will analyze information collected by Japanese embassies in North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia, the sources added.

The launch of the new intelligence gathering unit is a pillar of Japan’s antiterrorism measures after two Japanese men were killed earlier this year by the Islamic State militant group. Tokyo is also seeking to boost public safety in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020.

Hiroaki Takizawa, who headed the National Police Agency’s foreign affairs and intelligence department, will likely lead the new unit, according to the sources.

The NPA, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry are expected to send experts to the new organization designed to facilitate information exchanges with foreign intelligence agencies.

Those in the North Africa and Middle East groups will be tasked with monitoring activities by Islamic State extremists, and the Southeast Asia team will keep a close eye on Jemaah Islamiyah. The South Asia group will follow Taliban.

The government may consider upgrading the unit in the future to one similar to the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States or Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service known as MI6, according to the sources.

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