Japan moved up the launch of an anti-terrorism intelligence unit following the deadly attacks in Paris, the government said on Friday.
The specialized unit will be set up within the Foreign Ministry next week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Friday. It will include staff from the foreign and defence ministries, the National Police Agency and the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, Japan’s current equivalent of the CIA in the U.S.
Intelligence-gathering staff trained in languages and other skills will be sent to areas susceptible to terrorist activities, including parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East and north-western Africa, Mr. Suga said.
Establishment of the office, called the International Counterterrorism Intelligence Collection Unit, was originally planned for March, but the Paris attacks moved up the launch date, Mr. Suga said.
The push to improve anti-terrorism intelligence capabilities has gained urgency as Japan prepares to host a Group of Seven summit next year, and the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
Japan set up an anti-terrorism panel to discuss ways to boost public safety and intelligence after two Japanese were kidnapped and killed by Islamic State extremists earlier this year in Syria.
Until then, Japan seldom had been a target of such attacks. But concerns are rising as Japan, a top U.S. ally, seeks a larger military role in international security under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
