ARTCC RADAR CTLR PERCEIVED THAT HE MUST TURN A B737 AWAY FROM RETURNING F18 ON EMER FUEL. CTL ACTIONS PUT THE F18 INTO POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH A B737 WHEN A SUPVR ASKED HOW THE CTLR WAS GOING TO PROVIDE SEPARATION BTWN BOTH ACFT. CTLR PERCEIVES SAFETY ISSUE.

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F18 WAS CONDUCTING CARRIER OPS OFF CALIFORNIA COAST. ACFT SQUAWKED 7700 AND IDENTED. BINGO FUEL RETURNING TO NAS LEMOOR. F18 CLBED TO FL400 AND WAS WORKED BY SECTOR 14; ADJACENT TO ME. FROM EXPERIENCE I KNOW THEY START A DSCNT ON THEIR OWN SO I LOOKED FOR CONFLICTING TFC. I HAD 4 POTENTIAL PROBS BUT ALL LOOKED LIKE THEY WOULD MISS BUT MAYBE NOT BY 5 MI. THE CLOSEST ACFT; A B737; TO TURN HIM MEANT TO HAVE TO TURN ANOTHER 3 ACFT. I DETERMINED THE BEST MOVE WAS TO LET THE ACFT FLY THEIR PRESENT RTES. SUPVR WAS ALERTED AND ON ARR; ASKED IF I HAD TURNED THOSE PLANES. THE SUPVR ASKED A NUMBER OF TIMES IF THE ACFT WAS TURNED. FEARING DISCIPLINARY ACTION; I TURNED THE B737 E TO 070 DEGS. SUPVR QUESTIONED THE EASTERLY TURN; SO I CHANGED HDG TO 180 DEGS. AS THINGS TURNED OUT; THEY WERE T-BONED. THE F18 HAD THE B737 ON RADAR; THEN VISUAL. THE OTHER SECTOR GOT AN ALT RPT (NO MODE C DUE TO RAPID DSCNT). B737 SAW ACFT PASS BELOW. I DO NOT KNOW HOW CLOSE THEY GOT. NO ONE SAID ANYTHING AND I DIDN'T ASK. EDP DID NOT ACTIVATE. CONSIDERATIONS: PLAN A; LEAVING WELL ENOUGH ALONE WOULD HAVE WORKED. PLAN B; TURN TO 070 DEGS WOULD HAVE WORKED ALSO. PLAN C GOT THEM TOGETHER AND A TURN TO THE W ORIGINALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. THE MIL APPARENTLY HAS AN SOP FOR BINGO FUEL; RETURN TO BASE AND WHEN THEY WILL START THEIR DSCNT. WE SHOULD HAVE THIS INFO WHICH WE DO NOT NOW HAVE. I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN JUST COME UP TO A SECTOR AND DETERMINE A COURSE OF ACTION WITHOUT EVALUATING THE SIT. THAT'S WHAT THE SUPVR DID AND; USING HIS AUTH; MADE DECISIONS THAT IN HINDSIGHT WERE NOT IN THE INTEREST OF AIR SAFETY. GET WITH THE MIL AND FIND OUT WHY THE ACFT THAT IS LOW FUEL CAN'T WAIT A FEW MORE MI AT ALT AND START THE DSCNT CLOSER TO THE AIRFIELD; AFTER CLRING TFC. WHY CAN'T AN F18 CIRCLE DOWN OVER THE FIELD?