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タイ在住11年目、妻はタイ人、娘が2人、養女が2人

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Prevent international terrorist attacks by strengthening border controls
国内テロ対策　水際を固めて発生を阻止せよ

It is urgently required to establish a system to gather intelligence on foreign terrorists, and to prevent terrorist attacks in Japan.
　海外のテロ情報を収集し、国内での犯行阻止につなげる。その体制整備が喫緊の課題である。

Immediately after returning from a summit meeting of the Group of 20 major economies, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a meeting of the National Security Council. “I want all of you to implement every possible measure to prevent a terrorist attack from occurring,” Abe told the council.
　安倍首相は、主要２０か国・地域（Ｇ２０）首脳会議からの帰国直後に開いた国家安全保障会議（ＮＳＣ）で、「テロの未然防止に全力を尽くしてほしい」と指示した。

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) extremist group, which carried out the simultaneous terrorist attacks in Paris last week, has named Japan as one of its targets. Given that Japan will host the Ise-Shima summit meeting of Group of Seven nations next year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the implementation of effective countermeasures cannot be put off any longer.
　パリ同時テロを引き起こした過激派組織「イスラム国」は、日本も標的に挙げている。来年の主要国首脳会議（伊勢志摩サミット）や２０２０年東京五輪・パラリンピックを控えるだけに、対策に時間的な猶予はない。

The targets of the Paris terrorist attacks included a theater and sports stadium where many and unspecified civilians assemble. Such places are often called “soft targets,” and the security measures in place tend to be less rigorous than at government institutions and other facilities.
　パリのテロでは、不特定多数の民間人が集まる劇場や競技場が狙われた。ソフトターゲットと呼ばれ、政府機関などに比べて警備が手薄になりがちだ。

Japan also has many places that could be considered soft targets. Security measures are needed, such as screening the personal belongings of people entering such places, but it is impossible for every facility to conduct increased security checks.
　ソフトターゲットになり得る場所は日本にも多い。入場者の手荷物検査といった対策が必要だ。ただし、全ての施設で手厚い警備を実施するのは不可能だろう。

The important thing is not to allow terrorists to enter Japan. To ensure this, intelligence on individual terrorists and international terrorist organizations will be essential. The success or failure of countermeasures implemented at the nation’s borders will hinge on the extent to which such intelligence can be acquired beforehand.
　重要なのは、テロリストを入国させないことだ。そのためには、国際テロ組織や個々のテロリストに関する情報が欠かせない。事前に機密情報をどこまで入手できるかに、水際対策の成否がかかっていると言えよう。

Time is of the essence

ISIL has murdered two Japanese hostages. In response to these killings, the government decided in May to set up an “international terrorism intelligence-gathering unit” within the Foreign Ministry.
　「イスラム国」は日本人の人質２人を殺害した。この事件を受け、政府は今年５月、「国際テロ情報収集ユニット」を外務省に設置することを決めた。

This organization will be led by the Prime Minister’s Office and collect terrorist information to be shared among all relevant branches of the government. The initial plan was to launch the unit in spring 2016, but the government reportedly will consider bringing this date forward.
　政府の全関係機関が共同でテロ情報を収集する官邸主導の組織となる。来春の設置を目指してきたが、前倒しも検討するという。

It has been pointed out that Japan, which does not have an independent foreign intelligence agency, possesses scant intelligence on terrorists and terrorism. Enforcement of the law to protect specially designated state secrets should help rectify this weakness. We hope the intelligence-gathering unit will quickly get into action and strengthen ties with foreign intelligence services.
　独立した対外情報機関を持たない日本は、テロ情報の保有量が少ないとされてきた。特定秘密保護法の施行で、その弱点は改善されるだろう。早急にユニットを始動させ、外国の情報機関との連携を強めてもらいたい。

The number of foreigners visiting Japan for tourism and other reasons is expected to increase in the years ahead. Immigration checks at airports and other points of entry must swiftly detect any suspicious people.
　今後も観光などで来日する外国人の増加が見込まれる。空港などの入国審査で、不審人物を迅速にチェックする必要がある。

The Justice Ministry plans to create a database of facial images of known terrorists and in the next fiscal year introduce at every international airport in Japan a system that can instantly check each visitor’s face against these photos. Combined with checks of fingerprints taken during entry to Japan, this system must be made to function effectively.
　法務省は、テロリストらの顔画像をデータベース化し、瞬時に照合できるシステムを来年度から全国の国際空港に導入する方針だ。指紋によるチェックと併せ、有効に機能させねばならない。

With regard to combating organized crime, there has been debate over the pros and cons of establishing conspiracy as a crime, allowing people to be punished for planning to commit a serious crime. Some observers have also advocated the broader monitoring of communications, which current laws only allow to be conducted within a severely restricted scope.
　組織的犯罪の対策を巡っては、重大犯罪を計画した段階で処罰対象とする共謀罪の創設の是非が議論されてきた。現行法で適用範囲が厳しく制限された通信傍受の柔軟な運用を望む声もある。

We hope the government will craft effective policies while giving due consideration to human rights.
　人権に配慮しつつ、実効性のある方策を見極めたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 19, 2015)