STILL MISSING, AFTER ALL THESE DAYS - AT 11:13 P.M. ET - Many readers are probably following, off and on, the mystery of the Russian-manned cargo ship that disappeared last month in the Atlantic, some time after reporting that it been attacked in Swedish waters by thugs who boarded, tied up the crew, then left.  It was all very strange since Swedish waters aren't exactly infested by pirates.

The ship was officially carrying timber, but now there are all kinds of rumors, none verified, that there may be some issue of drugs, or even a commercial dispute.  The ship's official destination was Algeria.

The mystery is fascinating in itself, but it also teaches a lesson:  Ships are vulnerable, and, in the vast oceans, even with all kinds of electronic surveillance and communications, ships can disappear or be hijacked.  How difficult would it be for a fanatical, suicidal rogue group to capture a ship and slip a nuclear weapon on board, then sail it into an American port?  It would be a challenge, but it could probably be done, and we know that al Qaeda is seeking weapons of mass destruction.

The disappearance of this ship, the Arctic Sea, should wake us up, but we wonder whether some elements in Washington are capable of being woken up.

August 14, 2009