IRAQ Veteran speaks against the war

A Navy medic, still in the service, speaks from his experiences treating Marines in Iraq.
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Speaking out against the war in Iraq doesn't mean you're against the troops fighting it.
It's a small distinction, but an important one -- especially to Jim Talib.
The 31-year-old Philadelphia man, a medic in the U.S. Naval Reserve, has been deployed to Iraq once and is scheduled to return in June. In the meantime, he speaks to church groups and clubs, using the voice of experience to stir up opposition.
"I love my country, and I don't think we should rule the world," he said, speaking to a group of 40 people at a meeting of the Ocean City Democratic Club on Wednesday night. "I don't think it's un-American to say that."
A native of New Brunswick and graduate of Rutgers University, Talib is an 11-year Navy veteran.
When he's on duty, he's Petty Officer Third Class James Talib, a medical corpsman. When he's on the anti-war stump, he dresses in casual civilian clothes and urges people who oppose U.S. involvement in Iraq to get involved and to lobby congressmen to withdraw troops.
Talib spent 10 months in Iraq last year, assigned to a U.S. Marine Corps infantry unit in Fallujah and tending to wounded troops.
After returning last November, he joined up with Iraq Veterans Against the War, a small Philadelphia group formed last year to raise public awareness about opposition among those who have served.
150 members
The group sends speakers out to college campuses, community groups and clubs who are interested in hearing the anti-war message.
"Basically, we formed in response to the fact that you've got the Department of Defense and the government and the military putting out these pro-war troops, saying 'This war's good,' but there's no opposing voice," said Michael Hoffman, national coordinator for IVAW. "That's where we came in."
Some of the group's 150 members are active-duty military, some have left the service and some -- like Talib -- are in the reserves.
Talib, the only IVAW public speaker who's still in the military, has some restrictions on what he can say.
He cannot reveal military secrets, or appear in uniform speaking against the war, according to Hoffman; U.S. Navy officials did not respond to requests for comment made with the Navy's press office at the Pentagon.
On Wednesday, he drove about an hour from his Philadelphia home to this New Jersey shore town to speak to the Democratic Club, showing up untucked and unshaved, wearing an unbuttoned shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.
His audience, a sympathetic crowd of teachers, tradesmen, Vietnam veterans, senior citizens and curious teenagers, sat quietly on folding chairs as he talked about the war.
Oil and imperialism
He began his 55-minute presentation with a plug for Iraq Veterans Against the War before telling the group he believes it was oil and American imperialism that drove the decision to invade, not weapons of mass destruction or links to the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
"We ought to be honest about why we went there, admit we made a mistake and get out," he said. "We have to develop a culture that doesn't encourage rampant wars and militarism."
Many returning GIs are unhappy with U.S. involvement in Iraq, said Talib, who withheld the gory details of his own experience, saying only that he was against the war before he went and saw nothing to change his mind.
It's an occupation, not a war, he told the group.
"It's not a war against a military force. The only reason there's so much bloodshed is that we're making ourselves such a huge target," he said.
After a question-and-answer session, the organizers of the event passed a baseball cap around the room to raise money to cover Talib's expenses, which he pays out of his own pocket, and contribute to the group.
Those who heard Talib were impressed.
"It's powerful," said Vietnam veteran Steve Cole, 65. "He's been there. He's got firsthand knowledge."
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