Japan protests to U.S. over helmsmen of crashed sub

Japan protests to U.S. over helmsmen of crashed sub

TOKYO (AFP): Japan made a formal protest on Thursday to the
United States following Washington's admission that civilian
guests were at the controls of the U.S. submarine which rammed
and sank a Japanese fishing vessel.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono had a 20-minute telephone
conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, the
foreign ministry said in a statement.

"I cannot help but say that it is an extremely serious matter
if civilian participation in the surfacing maneuver led somehow
to the accident," Kono told Powell.

"In any event, it is regrettable that the Japanese side was
not informed swiftly that civilians were at the helm when the
accident happened," the Japanese foreign minister said.

Kono called on Powell to clarify any link between the accident
and the civilian involvement as quickly as possible. "I hope you
will follow up the case sincerely so that measures will be taken
with full consideration of the Japanese people's feelings," Kono
added.

Nine Japanese are still missing after the USS Greeneville came
up under the much smaller Ehime Maru Friday last week, ripping
open its hull and sinking the 53-meter trawler within minutes,
some 16 kilometers south of Hawaii's famed Waikiki Beach.

Washington has admitted civilians were given the controls of
the USS Greeneville's bow planes and rudder during a maneuver
called an emergency main ballast tank blow, which sends the
submarine shooting to the surface.

In the telephone conversation, Powell apologized for the
accident, but said the civilian involvement did not cause the
tragedy.

"Secretary of State Powell said he would like to repeat an
apology and regrets (expressed by President George W. Bush), and
has taken the case seriously," the statement said.

"The secretary of state said he understands how Japanese
people received the news that civilians were involved," it said.

But Powell said "he understands that the embarkation of
civilians was not the cause of the accident, although he cannot
clearly state the cause of the accident until the official
investigation is completed," the statement said.

Powell said the Pentagon would carry out a "thorough
investigation" and inform Tokyo of the results of its probe
without delay.

In the face of strong protests from Japan, the United States
retracted its earlier decision to call off rescue operations by
the end of Thursday.

Washington had told Japan it would finish searching for the
missing victims six days after the accident, to concentrate on
salvaging the sunken vessel.

But "the U.S. government informed us that it will continue the
current rescue activity for the time being, considering a request
from the Japanese side," the foreign ministry said in a
statement.

"The US Navy is responsible. We cannot accept any plan to call
off rescue operation," said Moriyuki Kato, governor of Ehime,
where the fishery school operating the ill-fated vessel is
located.

"I believe the US Navy should (continue to) act, out of
consideration for the victims' families," Kato said.