Mel Gibson lashes out at Iraq war

Mel Gibson has criticised the Iraq war while promoting his new film Apocalypto.

The actor took the opportunity to compare the decision to invade with the subject of his film - the collapse of the Mayan civilization.

Gibson, a Christian thought of as a right-winger politically, appeared unexpectedly at the Fantastic Fest film festival in Austin, Texas. He took questions at the public event just a month after admitting drunk driving and apologising for making anti-Semitic remarks.

"The precursors to a civilization that's going under are the same, time and time again," he said after a screening of the movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "What's human sacrifice if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?"