Japan drafts plan for security council

A Japanese advisory panel yesterday released a proposal for a national security council in a move aimed at strengthening the prime minister's grip on policy.

Japan's security policy is currently handled by several ministries, prompting criticism that lack of cooperation among those involved has hindered national interests.

A panel of experts that has been meeting since last November issued a proposed structure yesterday for what has been referred to as a Japanese version of the White House's National Security Council.