Here's some far out speculation.

The Russians, on again and off again, talk about a collision between a U.S. submarine (Memphis, according to Internet speculation) and their Kursk being the cause of the latter boat's sinking.

A Japanese trawler was recently sent to the bottom because another (real, not speculative) U.S. submarine collided with it.

Is there some problem with gear aboard U.S. subs?

Did the Russians somehow interfere with proximity detection equipment (sonar, is it?) aboard the USS Greeneville in order to embarrass the U.S. by precipitating a collision?

Had the United States somehow interfered with the Kursk so that it failed to detect the alleged presence of what may have been the USS Memphis?

Was the Japanese ship really just a fishing vessel teaching teenagers a trade, or was it something else?

I'm asking these questions here, not necessarily in the most logical order, because I haven't seen them addressed elsewhere.

Monke