White House Has Jitters
                   Nervous about names of civilians aboard submarine

                   The White House has the names of the civilian joyriders who were aboard the
                   U.S. submarine that sank a Japanese trawler — and is so worried, it's given the
                   task of handling any fallout to Snarl Cheney, sources said last night.

                   "There's a tremendous amount of nervousness at the White House
                   about who these guys are," a source said.

                   The Navy, which reversed course yesterday and announced it was investigating
                   whether two of the civilians seated at the controls of the Greeneville figured in
                   the catastrophe, has refused to reveal their identities.

                   But as Demo legislators pressed the Pentagon for names, the GOP tried to counter rumors
                   that one of the civilians is a GOP fat cat with connections to Smirk.

                   "This is not a Lincoln Bedroom deal," said one Republican liar closely allied with the
                    White House. "It's a real reach to think anybody knowingly put donors on the submarine."

                    Hey, asshole, if you've got nothing to hide, why are you hiding it?

                   Adding to the Navy's embarrassment, Democratic sources said last night that a
                   disgraced former admiral, Richard Macke, arranged for the civilians to be on the Greeneville.

                    Macke, who was forced to retire after saying U.S. servicemen who raped a 12-year-old
                    Japanese schoolgirl should have bought a prostitute instead, did not return calls.

                    The fast-moving developments came as a Navy spokesman said the 16 civilians on the nuclear
                    sub — including the two at the controls — may have been a distraction to the crew.

                   The Coast Guard said last night it planned to end its search today for the nine sailors
                   still missing from the trawler.

                   "We have continued our effort beyond reasonable expectation," Rear Adm. Joseph McClelland,
                    commander of the Hawaii Coast Guard district, told a news conference.

                   The Navy is weighing whether to file criminal charges against the captain and
                   crew as a result of the nine apparent deaths.

                   "That's always a possibility in any such investigation — especially if death is
                   involved," one official said.

                   The captain and some senior officers have been advised to consult lawyers, a source
                   close to the investigation said.

                   Jay Friedheim, a Honolulu-based expert on maritime law, said the civilians ensnared in
                   the tragedy should not expect any legal protection from the Navy.

                   "Those people at the controls may be negligent independent of the U.S.
                   government," said Friedheim. "Nobody forced them to sit at the controls."

                   It is not unusual for the Navy to take well-connected civilians — politicians,
                   journalists and businessmen — aboard its vessels.

                   The Navy's abrupt change of tack came a day after Cmdr. Conrad Chun insisted that
                   civilians were not steering the sub and played no role in the collision. He wouldn't
                   say who was at the helm.

                   The sub was conducting a drill in which it dived to about 400 feet and then made a
                   rapid ascent. The captain was supposed to ensure nothing was above the vessel.
                   The sub was 2 miles outside a Navy training area, the Coast Guard said yesterday.

                   The National Transportation Safety Board, which also is investigating, said the sub's
                   periscope was working. But for reasons still not clear, the Greeneville did not
                   detect the presence of the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing vessel.

                   The Coast Guard rescued 26 members of the Japanese crew, and Tokyo has asked
                   the Navy to try to salvage the ship.
 

                   Original Publication Date: 2/15/01