The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which brutally murdered two Japanese hostages recently, has threatened Japan by vowing to “carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin.”

　　　　　As regards these irremissible acts of savagery, the liberal Asahi Shimbun maintained in its February 3 editorial: “Whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used the right expression when pledging Japan’s support for ‘those nations (in the Middle East) contending with ISIL’ must be closely examined.” The mass-circulation daily wrote as if it was rendering the Abe administration responsible for the tragedy. Abe, on a four-nation visit to the Middle East January 16-20, announced in Cairo on January 17: “I will pledge assistance of 200 million US dollars for those nations contending with ISIL to help build their human capacities, infrastructure, and so on.” The editorial, which was widely off the mark, also stated:

　　　　　“Whatever his reasons for offering the assistance, shouldn’t the prime minister have delivered a more universal message specifying that the Japanese are with the people in the region who have been hurt, their lives destroyed by ISIL?”

　　　　　In point of fact, that is exactly the message the Japanese government has been disseminating over the years. The Asahi itself acknowledged this in its January 26 editorial:

　　　　　“The grant pledged by Prime Minister Abe is none other than Japan’s assistance designed to help ‘maintain the lives’ of the refugees in the nations peripheral to ISIL. It is proof of Japan’s cooperation with the people in the region, based on the pacifism which Japan has nurtured since the end of the last world war.” The daily also noted in its February 2 editorial: “The assertion of ISIL, denouncing Japan for offering humanitarian assistance to refugees and threatening to murder Japanese hostages unless their demands for ransom payment and exchanges of hostages are met, is utterly arrogant and contrary to reason.”

　　　　　The Asahi’s editorials are constantly changing their stance on Japan’s assistance to the Middle East nations, blaming the prime minister one day and condemning terrorists on another.

　　　　　ISIL cannot be dealt with in a rational or logical way. On January 26, it issued a directive on the Internet for more terrorist attacks, listing as its next targets the nations that have joined the coalition of nations against ISIL and their citizens, as well as all Muslims who have not joined the “jihad” against the coalition. In other words, ISIL has pledged to launch terrorist attacks on everybody except themselves. (The Sankei Shimbun, February 3).

　　　　　The radical Islamic forces refusing to recognize international law, humanity, and human rights possess not only knives but also Kalashnikov assault rifles and portable anti-tank missiles. The big question that Japan faces today is how to safeguard the security of the 1. 5 million Japanese working overseas and their dependents.

Facing Up to Contingencies by Resorting to Force

　　　　　Against such a backdrop, Japan today finds itself almost totally powerless, having to fully depend on other nations for vital intelligence as well as the means to rescue its citizens abroad. What is the Asahi’s answer to this helpless situation for Japan? In its February 3 editorial, the daily asserted:

　　　　　“What should we Japanese learn from these recent incidents? At least one thing is clear: resorting to military means will not ensure our security. In fact, it will create the opposite effect…this is no time to hasten to discuss how the Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF) can and should rescue Japanese overseas in a contingency.”

　　　　　In spite of myself, I was reminded of the daily’s assertions 23 years ago, when the first JSDF troops were dispatched to Angola as part of the United Nations’ peace-keeping operations. The Asahi wrote that their deployment would create a grave concern globally about Japan again becoming a military power. Needless to say, that certainly has not been the case. What we Japanese need today is to shake ourselves free from such groundless thinking.

　　　　　Japanese have been involved in a variety of terrorist incidents, some having lost their lives. This time, too, the Japanese government had a difficult time gathering pertinent intelligence, revealing to the international community that Japan remains nearly as powerless as before when it comes to combatting terrorism. There is no reason why we should continue to turn to foreign governments for vital intelligence required in rescuing Japanese nationals overseas.

　　　　　ISIL is a force made up of criminals that refuse to recognize the basic values of international law and human rights that form the basis of the international community. There is a limit to what we can achieve with such a force that is out to destroy the existing world order. We cannot possibly expect to hold peaceful talks or negotiations with them. Japan simply cannot accommodate their demands. The upshot of the matter is that we can only cope with them with force. We are called on to have a basic understanding of this reality.

　　　　　When peaceful means are not available, a nation must resort to force to protect its citizens. Of course, maximum efforts must be made to avoid such steps if at all possible. That is why a state requires a solid intelligence-gathering capability. The Abe administration has established the National Security Council (NSC) with the National Security Agency (NSA) as its secretariat. Vital intelligence is syphoned through various ministries to the NSA, enabling the NSC to implement pertinent policies and countermeasures. This framework is now in place, but the NSC’s functions are far from satisfactory in the absence of intelligence-gathering organizations of Japan’s own that could support the judgments and decisions the NSC is expected to make. Other nations have outfits like the US Central Intelligence Agency and the British MI6 assigned specifically to collect intelligence for their governments. But it is fair to say that Japan is completely devoid of such organizations.

　　　　　Japan indeed has its Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, but many of its staff are seconded from other ministries. Expected to return to their previous posts sooner or later, they are not committed to putting their lives on the line to become full-fledged intelligence experts. Intelligence affects the fate of a state and its citizens. That is why people and organizations involved in intelligence operations should be valued more highly, their activities unrestricted to the narrow confines of the vertically segmented administrative systems of the Foreign Ministry and the National Police Agency.

Task Japan Cannot Cope With Alone

　　　　　Along with intelligence-gathering outfits, Japan needs to create covert forces, similar to those in other countries, that can take action overseas when necessary. Terrorism exercised by ISIL will certainly not be the only case in which Japanese will become victims of future terrorist attacks. How to rescue the Japanese abductees detained in North Korea in case of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula is a pending question facing Japan. Preparations of laws are urgently called for in order to enable overseas deployments of special operation teams of the police or the JSDF should the worst occur.

　　　　　In September 1977, when a Japan Air Lines plane en route to Paris with 155 passengers was hijacked by members of the Japanese Red Army and landed in Dhaka, then Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda bowed to their demands for a US$6 million ransom, declaring: “Human life is heavier than the Earth.” Meanwhile, when members of the Israeli team were murdered by Palestinian guerillas during the Munich Olympics in 1972, the West German government immediately started training a special unit charged with anti-terrorist operations. I believe Japan must give high priority to training a similar force that could be used in like circumstances at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, or when Japanese citizens overseas are endangered by terrorists.

　　　　　In a marked contrast to the US decreasing its involvement in the international community, China keeps up its expansionist policy globally, and a barbaric force like ISIL emerges. Not only Japan but also the majority of the nations on the earth are inevitably thrust into a battle to protect their statehood and citizens. We Japanese must earnestly bear in mind that our adherence to post-war pacifism and over-reliance on the US cannot amply protect our state or our fellow citizens.

　　　　　Although Japan must make every effort to change its fundamental national framework so that it can function as a nation capable of actively defending itself on its own, there are still many threats that Japan cannot deal with alone. For that reason, we must first of all realistically come to grips with Japan’s right to exercise collective self-defense. Although approved by the cabinet last year, it is unlikely to protect the nation and its people anytime soon, hindered as it is by a host of preconditions attached to it. Faced with the grave new threat posed by ISIL, we must have a vigorous nation-wide debate now in order to implement an unequivocally realistic version of collective self-defense as soon as possible. We must then move on to implementing a revision of the constitution. Without these two actions, we will not be able to deal with confidence with the numerous threats that now confront us.
(Translated from “Renaissance Japan” column no. 642 in the February 12, 2015 issue of The Weekly Shincho)