With deep sympathy for those most directly affected by the latest outbreak of random murder and mayhem.

With questions about the United Church Moderator's suggestion that such things stand beyond the threshold of comprehension.

The principle question: Are we going to persist in assuming that there are no identifiable root causes for particular outbreaks of senseless violence?

I discovered the CIA chaplaincy service while doing research on a human right case the CIA (and the US) lost. It seems the CIA had arrested a "suspect:" and, for four months, beat him, tortured him and sodomized him - only to discover it was a case of mistaken identity. So they shackled him, blindfolded him, then took him to another country, and dumped him by a roadside.

So how do you feel about the CIA having chaplains? I can see the case for it. a tired agent after a day of beating, torturing and sodomizing could well benefit from a few words of comfort, and some reflection.

Let's see, now. This week, the US, Briitain, France, Canada, and a few other allies are figthing at least six illegal wars. thousands of civilians have been killed. The majority of refugees in the world today were created by our side. Christian countries openly use torture and/or cooperate with those who do. Iraqis have been impoverished, plundered,and murdered even beyond, far beyond, the behaviour of the Christian knights at Constantinople. And that's not counting the special ops and assassination squads.

These was a story in today's paper about the Canadian soldier who died in Afghanistan for "non-combat" reasons.

When asked about it, the chaplain said he would only talk about the living "...who are doing an important job."

Okay. let the dead bury the dead. Fair enough.

But if the chaplain is convinced they are doing an important and necessary job, then he is choosing sides. That, too, is fair enough. But if that is his feeling, shouldn't he have had the integrity to sign up to serve as a soldier?

American punishment of soldiers who commit war crimes is really picking up.

A military court has just sentenced an American soldier who spent his tour of duty murdering civilians for sport, and then mutilating their bodies. He got 60 days hard labour. Boy. That'll teach him.

That's a lot tougher than they were with Calley in vietnam who led his men in a slaughter of hundreds of civilians. He spent three days in  jail.

Omar Khadr, who was at most a child soldier, got 40 years, reduced to 8 on a plea bargain after years of imprisonment and torture..

Pakistan is even more dangerous than the middle east - even though the middle east is a key to US military and economic power. An American man shot and killed two, young Pakistan men. He was arrested.. The US insisted he be released because of diplomatic immunity.

There's a site I often use to get leads on international news stories. It's one-sided - though only in the sense it relays news, usually from reputable papers, and passes it on to us who think our news media tell us the truth.

So see it, google   Information Clearing House

Today's, Oct. 26, is particularly chilling. I contain secret American army records from Wikkieleaks. You thought Williams was gruesome? Take a look at the sort of company we keep.