U.S. submarine collision--Who is responsible?-- Akahata editorial, April 26, 2001

The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander in chief announced that the captain of the U.S. nuclear submarine which collided with and sank a Japanese fishing training boat is not to be tried by court-martial.

Classified paragraphs have been removed from the Navy Court of Inquiry's report published at the same time. With nine crew members, including fisheries high school students still missing, the case is likely to be forced to close.

Military logic of protecting their own

The fatal accident was caused by an emergency surfacing operation carried out without adequately checking the safety in the waters with heavy traffic. It stands to reason that the captain of the Greenville should be held responsible for allowing civilians aboard to have their hands on the submarine's control as a gesture of hospitality.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander in chief stated that the captain was at fault but will not be tried by court-martial because the collision were not intentional. Why should a person whose negligence was the cause of the nuclear submarine collision with the civilian boat resulting in the loss of nine lives be acquitted of criminal charges?

In their anger, family members of the missing people said, "If the victims were U.S. high school students and crew members, the U.S. people wouldn't approve of the decision." The pretext that things are different with the U.S. forces isn't tenable.

Since several days before the announcement of the decision, the U.S. Forces deliberately fed the public misleading information that a court-martial would find the captain not guilty.

In Italy in 1998, a U.S. military aircraft during low-altitude flight training cut the cables of a ski gondola, in which 20 passengers died. The U.S. court-martial found the pilot not guilty, drawing public criticism.

Using this experience to their own advantage, the U.S. Forces are now trying to justify the acquittal of the submarine captain and others on criminal charges within their ranks.

What must be closely examined is the inner circle mentality of the U.S. forces of protecting criminals within their ranks.

The underlying cause of the accident is the emergency surfacing exercise with civilians aboard.

The U.S. Navy is responsible for the conducting of an emergency surfacing with civilians aboard as well as the sloppy management of the vessel. The Navy Court of Inquiry recommendation stated that the direction by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on civilians on submarines is obscure, disordered, and contradictory.

But, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander in chief stated that he will not stop inviting civilians on board and conducting emergency surfacing. He just meant to stop letting civilians enter the control room during the emergency surfacing. Such a measure will surely cause another incident.

The attitude of Japan's government is irresponsible.

It has due obligation to demand that the U.S. take responsibility for allowing civilians to be on board the submarine and carrying out the emergency surfacing, and that such reckless actions of the U.S. Forces were held at the cost of the Japanese people.

The Japanese government has neither made efforts to call on the U.S. government to supply all facts concerning the incident, nor demanded that those responsible for the case be heavily punished.

Following the announcement that the court-martial won't be held, the Japanese government conferred to the U.S. decision to wind up the investigation into the case, saying that it is not in a position to judge on the decision's righteousness, and it has no intention of calling on the U.S. to take specific actions, an attitude far from making the above proposals.

But, the Japanese people will never accept the U.S. proposal to close the case.

How to defend the people's safety

This is not just an accident that happened off Hawaii.

U.S. nuclear-powered submarines have often been visiting Japan's ports, and while taking civilians on board at the U.S. Yokosuka Navy Base they have conducted emergency surfacing exercises in Sagami Bay. Foreign Minister Kono Yohei raised the question if it is appropriate for a U.S. submarine to take such actions in waters crowded with many fishing boats.

To prevent similar accidents from happening, it is the minimum requirement to call on the U.S. to stop emergency surfacing drills with civilians on board their nuclear-powered submarines.

The urgent need now is for the Japanese government to call on the U.S. to immediately stop dangerous military exercises by nuclear-powered submarines. This is the only way to defend the safety and lives of the people from reckless actions by the U.S. Forces. (end)