OPDEV PLTDEV BTWN RPTR'S ACFT AND ANOTHER ACR.

Narrative

AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22L AT EWR AND DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 1800-1700 FT AND APPROX 5-6 MI OUT; ANOTHER CARRIER'S DC-9 WHICH WAS ON A CLOSE-IN L DOWNWIND STARTED A BASE TURN FOR THE SAME RWY. WE RECEIVED A TA FROM THE TCASII AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE MADE VISUAL CONTACT. THE TFC WAS AT APPROX 10-11 O'CLOCK AND ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 2 - 2 1/2 MI. THE TCASII SHOWED 200 FT DSNDING VERT SEPARATION. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLB WHILE MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CLB; WE RECEIVED AN RA TO CLB AS WELL AS SEVERAL CLB COMMANDS FROM THE CTLR. AT 2300 FT MSL; TCASII ISSUED A CLR OF CONFLICT AND WE LEVELED OFF. CTLR THEN HAD US CLB TO 2500 FT AND COMMENCED VECTORS TO ANOTHER APCH. OTHER ACFT HAD CONTINUED APCH AND LANDED. IN SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION WITH TWR AND APCH CTLRS; IT WAS FOUND THAT OTHER ACFT HAD BEEN ON A VISUAL APCH PRIOR TO US AND FOR REASONS UNKNOWN; WAS NOT IN A POS TO LAND. HE BROKE OFF THE APCH AND TWR HAD HIM IN A DOWNWIND AND CLRED HIM FOR A VISUAL APCH BEHIND US. HOWEVER; HE CONFUSED US FOR AN ACFT THAT LANDED AHEAD OF US CAUSING HIM TO TURN IN IN FRONT OF US. ALSO; TWR DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH APCH CTL; SO THEY HAD NO CONTACT WITH; NOR DID THEY KNOW WHAT OTHER ACFT WAS DOING. ATC ADMITTED FAULT IN THIS SIT AS TWR SHOULD HAVE TURNED OTHER ACFT BACK OVER TO APCH OR AT LEAST ADVISED THEM AS TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING.