TOKYO: North Korea signalled on Saturday it is learning a lesson from the war in Iraq — though not the one the Bush administration had wanted. The government’s official party newspaper said Iraq’s experience proves North Korea must not submit to international nuclear inspectors or agree to disarm.

North Korea “would have already met the same miserable fate as Iraq’s had it compromised ... and accepted the demand raised by the imperialists and its followers for nuclear inspection and disarmament,” said a commentary in the ruling Korean Workers’ Party newspaper, Rodong Shinmun.

“It is clear that the destiny of Iraq is at stake due to its concession and compromise,” the paper said. “No one should expect (North Korea) to make any slightest concession or compromise.”

The editorial appeared to offer little hope for resolution of the impasse over North Korea’s nuclear programmes. US officials have demanded that North Korea agree to dismantle the programmes, to reduce some conventional military forces and agree to submit to tight verification procedures before any negotiations between the two governments begin.—Dawn/LAT-WP News Service (c) The Washington Post.