LONDON, Jan 9: Film director Martin Scorsese took time out from promoting his latest movie “Gangs of New York” on Thursday to add his name to a growing list of celebrities opposing a possible US -led war on Iraq.

“One hopes that this kind of war can be done diplomatically, with intelligence rather than wiping out a lot of innocent civilians,” Scorsese told BBC radio.

In doing so, the creator of such violent epics as “Taxi Driver” and “GoodFellas” joined the swelling ranks of celebrities who have voiced opposition to any attack.

British singer George Michael made his opinion felt last year with a video portraying Bush as a cowboy, while other dissidents include singer Barbra Streisand and Hollywood stars Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.

Scorsese is currently riding high on a wave of critical acclaim for his latest film which portrays gang warfare in 19th century Manhattan and took 30 years from conception to its US launch in December.

“There are a lot of Americans who also feel that a lot of this (war talk) is economic,” he said in London where he attended the premier of “Gangs”. “Part of this has to do with the oil.”

Scorsese also appeared to suggest that the US was heavy-handed in the way it approached other cultures.

“I think it really has to come down to respecting how other people live,” he said. “There’s got to be ways this can be worked out diplomatically, there simply has to be.”—Reuters