The eyes of two countries will be focused Monday on a courtroom at Pearl Harbor when the U.S. Navy begins its Court of Inquiry into the USS Greeneville's Feb. 9 collision with the Japanese fishing trawler Ehime Maru.

The Court of Inquiry is a fact-finding panel and not a prosecutorial body with disciplinary powers. However, it will conduct its proceedings in an adversarial manner like traditional judicial proceedings.

"The Court of Inquiry is a well-established tradition in Navy practice," deputy Navy Judge Advocate General Rear Adm. Michael Lohr said. "Their sole objective is to gather facts, evaluate those facts and make a recommendation to the admiral as to what the facts mean."

Greeneville skipper Cmdr. Scott Waddle, executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Gerald Pfeifer and officer of the deck Lt. j.g. Michael Coen are parties to the inquiry.

Capt. Bob Brandhuber, chief of staff to U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine commander Rear Adm. Albert H. Konetzni, was also named as a party in the inquiry. Brandhuber was the escort to the 16 civilian guests who were on board the submarine during the collision and the senior officer on the sub at the time.

Each of the parties in the inquiry will be represented by an attorney.

Waddle has hired renown civilian attorney Charles Gittins, who also defended former Army Sergeant Major Gene McKinney during court-martial proceedings on sexual harassment charges.

"He is absolutely responsible for the accident," Gittins said on ABC's This Week. "He has been relieved of his command. He is personally responsible for the accident. I'm sure the evidence will show that there was a chain of mistakes.

"That doesn't mean that those people who made those honest mistakes should ultimately be prosecuted criminally for their mistakes."

The Court of Inquiry is being led by Vice Adm. John B. Nathman, commander of the Pacific Fleet Naval Air Force.

Among the major questions to be asked:

1. Why did the Greeneville not properly track the Ehime Maru on sonar?
2. How did Waddle and his subordinates not see the Ehime Maru during periscope checks?
3. Did the civilian guests on board the sub hinder the Greeneville's crew from properly carrying out their duties?

The Greeneville struck the Ehime Maru while on a emergency surfacing drill about nine miles south of Diamond Head. The Japanese ship sank within minutes, leaving nine of its 35 crew members missing and presumed dead.

Investigations by the Navy and the National Transportation Safety Board found that 16 civilian guests were aboard the sub at the time. Two were at vital control stations during the collision.

The investigations also revealed that the Greeneville was tracking the Japanese ship on passive sonar less than an hour before the collision.

The wreckage of the Ehime Maru is sitting under 2,000 feet of water. The U.S. government will decide whether to try to salvage the ship.

KITV4 News and TheHawaiiChannel.com will provide complete coverage of the Court of Inquiry. Daryl Huff will provide live reports on Good Morning Hawaii beginning at 5 a.m. Keoki Kerr will be one of the few journalists allowed inside the courtoom during the first hours of testimony.

Previous Stories:

• March 4, 2001: Families Pay Tribute To Ehime Maru Victims
• March 3, 2001: Family Members Of Missing Students Arrive For Navy Hearing
• March 2, 2001: Sub Skipper Wants Immunity
• March 2, 2001: Ehime Maru School Students Graduate
• March 1, 2001: Waddle: 'Part Of Me Died' In Collision
• March 1, 2001: Carlisle, Donohue Among Sub Guests
• February 27, 2001: Japan: Bush Considering Salvage Of Sunken Ship
• February 26, 2001: Waddle Has 'Sincere Regret' About Collision
• February 25, 2001: Sub Investigation Could Widen
• February 22, 2001: Navy Court Of Inquiry Could Be Delayed
• February 20, 2001: Navy Likely To Raise Ehime Maru
• February 20, 2001: Sub Mishap Survivors Still Haunted
• February 19, 2001: Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'
• February 19, 2001: Robot Sub Hauled Out For Repairs
• February 19, 2001: Tennessee Town Supports Sub Crew
• February 16, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
• February 15, 2001: Police Warn Of Sub Victim Fund Scam
• February 15, 2001: Japanese Outraged Over Sub Revelation
• February 15, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
• February 15, 2001: Help Identify The Civilians On The Sub
• February 14, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 13, 2001: Ehime Maru Crew Describes Disaster
• February 12, 2001: Bush Offers Prayer For Sub Victims
• February 12, 2001: Latest On Submarine Crash Investigation
• February 12, 2001: NTSB Begins Sub Collision Probe
• February 11, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 11, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver