Cole Captain Might Avoid Reprimand

A top Navy officer has determined that the warship Cole’s captain should not face disciplinary action, although the captain and crew were faulted by an investigating officer for not completely following security procedures before a terrorist attack in October, said sources close to the investigation. Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, reached the conclusion after reviewing the Navy’s investigative report on how the Cole’s skipper, Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, and his crew performed before the Oct. 12 attack on the warship in Aden, Yemen, that killed 17 sailors.