Mishap-prone sub needs more than review

The USS Greeneville definitely has a problem.

For the third time in a year, the mishap-prone submarine has been involved in a collision -- twice with another vessel. In February 2001, it collided with a Japanese fishing boat off Hawaii, killing nine men aboard the boat. In August, it ran aground trying to enter the Saipan seaport.

And last week, the Greeneville collided with an amphibious transport ship off the coast of Oman, puncturing the transport's fuel tank and dumping several thousand gallons of diesel fuel into the sea.

Perhaps other vessels get into this much trouble and we simply don't hear about it.

Or maybe there's something wrong with the USS Greeneville that mechanics haven't discovered.

A third possibility is the sub keeps getting cursed with an inept crew.

No matter what, it's time for the Greeneville to get not the once-over, but the twice-over or thrice-over to determine what the problem is and get the international embarrassment stopped.