Japan to launch suicide info-gathering unit on December 8

The Japanese government is making final arrangements to establish on Dec. 8 a task force inside the Foreign Ministry that will play a key role in gathering terrorism-related information in and outside the country, the Japan Today cited government sources as saying.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will convey the plan to French President Francois Hollande, whom he is expected to meet on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Paris beginning Monday, as a sign of Japan’s eagerness to work closely with the international community on counterterrorism in the wake of the deadly attacks in the French capital.

The new information-gathering unit will receive orders from the Cabinet Secretariat, which means that it will have direct links with the prime minister, the sources said.

Around 30 to 40 experts from the foreign and defense ministries, the National Police Agency and others will form the task force, which will engage in collecting information regarding the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

The government is also considering placing experts in the capital cities of Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and India to get firsthand information.

The launch of the unit was planned following the killing of two Japanese hostages by the Daesh militants earlier this year, with the government hoping to address a situation in which government offices now separately collect and analyze data.

It also believes the body can play an important role as a contact point for intelligence organs of other countries when exchanging information.

The government is expected to officially endorse the latest plan during a meeting on Dec. 4.

Sources: MENA