Sub collision prompts review

Surviving crew members have arrived back in Japan

US President George W Bush has ordered the Pentagon to review civilian participation in military exercises following the sinking of a Japanese trawler by an American submarine.

It follows the US Navy's admission that two civilians were at the controls of the nuclear-powered USS Greenville when it collided with the fishing vessel Ehime Maru.

Japan has sent an envoy to the US to seek a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Waddle: Removed from the submarine's captaincy

Senior Vice-Foreign Minister Sishiro Eto will demand that search operations continue for nine people who were on on board the Ehime Maru and are still missing, presumed dead.

Mr Bush said: "I'm deeply sorry about the accident that took place, our nation is sorry that the accident happened, and we will do everything we can to help recover the bodies."

A BBC correspondent says the incident is rapidly turning into a diplomatic disaster for the president, who had hoped to strengthen military ties with Japan following a catalogue of incidents involving US troops based on Okinawa island.

The civilians aboard the USS Greeneville deny that they had distracted the crew and contributed to the sinking of the Japanese vessel.

John Hall, one of 16 civilians on a visit to the submarine, told the show that the captain had asked him if he would like to pull the levers to execute a rapid resurfacing procedure.

The Ehime Maru: Japan wants answers

He said as the submarine rose out of the water, he could feel the nose come down.

"Just when it was starting to come down... there was a very loud noise and the entire submarine shuddered."

According to Mr Hall, submarine captain Commander Scott Waddle, said "Jesus, what the hell was that?", before looking through the periscope and saying they had hit a boat.

Mr Hall said the crew had surveyed the area with a periscope several times before rising.

He remembered "a lot of crewmen calling out to (the commander) that they had gone through their procedure and the procedures were okay".

A preliminary naval investigation into the collision is drawing to a close and is expected to be presented to fleet commander Admiral Thomas Fargo within the next few days.

Admiral Fargo will decide whether court-martials should be held in connection with the accident.