Good intelligence prevents war

By Nam Sang-so

Modeled after the United States National Security Council, Japan created a new NSA of Japan last year to replace the previous Security Council. The country currently maintains the following intelligence organizations: Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CSICE) which practically controls the following organizations; Defense Intelligence Division (DID), Military Intelligence Command (JGSDF) under the Ministry of Defense, Security Bureau in the National Police Agency, Intelligence and Analysis Service (IAS) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Now Japan wants to establish a spying organization comparable to the American CIA or the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) of Britain known as MI6. After the Pacific War, the United States Force completely dismantled the Imperial Japanese foreign intelligence services and prohibited creation of a new secret organization. Under Japan’s pacifist constitution which outlaws the use of arms and reference to the country’s military services as “self-defense” forces instead of the national military force, Japan was without good reason to create a foreign intelligence service. However, after 70 years of hard indulgence, the right wing politicians now practically want to delete the words “self-defense.”

The recent abduction and killing of Japanese newsmen by the ISIS in Syria prompted the Abe government to add momentum in creating an intelligence gathering agency. According to Reuters, the Japanese government is considering copying the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Its motto is “The British SIS works overseas to make the UK safer and more prosperous” for which James Bond embodies the agency’s motto well. Israel, with which Japan is seeking intelligence cooperation, has famous Mossad, “Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations” in Arabic, comparable with the MI6. The agency is responsible for intelligence collection, covert operations, and counterterrorism, and protecting Jewish communities. Mossad’s former motto was a quote from Proverbs in the Bible: “For by wise guidance you can wage your war.” This was later changed to another proverb: “Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Both mottos reverberate well for the Israeli spy agency.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS), formerly known as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), has changed its maxim three times; “We work in the shadows to protect the sunlit land” which was revised to “Intelligence is national might.” The current one engraved on granite stone in the front yard reads; “Anonymous dedication to freedom and truth.” I’ve once designed a part of the landscape of the offices.

And the mission statement of the American CIA says “Preempt threats and further US national security objectives by collecting intelligence that matters, producing objective all-source analysis, conducting effective covert action, and safeguarding the secrets that help keep our nation safe.”

The “State Security Department” along with the notorious “Room 39” is North Korea’s spy agency which was involved in the operation of North Korea’s concentration camps and various other hidden activities. It is reputed to be one of the most brutal secret police forces in the world, and has been involved in numerous human rights abuses along with the abduction of Korean and Japanese citizens.

The directors of the spying organizations worldwide, except the SSD of the North Korea, unanimously say that “We intelligence agents exist to suppress eruption of war. Politicians who are ignorant of the importance of the intelligence start war. They challenge opponents out of fear. Good intelligence prevents war.”

The jingoistic Japanese politicians who often employ warlike language against their neighboring countries should learn those mottos and what the spy masters world over say while creating their own intelligence services.

The writer is a Japanese-English-Korean translator. His email address is sangsonam@gmail.com.