Bush Reserves Judgment on Iowa Blast Probe

President Bush said Monday he is awaiting a report on the reopened investigation into the explosion last year aboard the battleship Iowa, and that if Clayton M. Hartwig is shown to be innocent of any blame, the dead seaman deserves an apology.

Bush said he cannot reach any conclusions until he sees all the facts, but he said: “Clearly, I’m interested.” It was his first comment on the matter since investigators reported new evidence to Congress on Friday.

Sandia National Laboratory, hired by Congress to look into the tragedy, challenged the Navy’s conclusion that the April, 1989, blast that killed Hartwig and 46 other sailors was probably an act of suicidal sabotage by Hartwig, a gunner’s mate.

The explosion occurred in the reconditioned World War II battleship while gun crews were firing the 16-inch guns in the No. 2 turret.

The Sandia report suggested that the explosion could have been caused by gunners “over-ramming” the powder bags into a gun breech.

Bush, wrapping up a four-day Memorial Day weekend at his summer home here, was asked if Hartwig deserved an apology.

“I have no opinion on it,” Bush told reporters before teeing off at the Cape Arundel Golf Club. “I really have no judgment.”

But, he said: “If the man is innocent, is proved innocent, of these allegations, clearly there should be a statement to that effect.”

The President declined comment when asked to assess the Navy’s initial investigation, which critics have charged was flawed and even bent on pinning blame on Hartwig rather than its own equipment.

“I can’t assess it until I get all the facts. They’ll get it (the report) to me. . . . I don’t know how long.”