Ruling party asks US to avoid Iraq errors on North

South Korea's ruling party urged US President George W. Bush's administration yesterday to share more intelligence on North Korea to ensure there is no repeat of what it said was the flawed information that led to war in Iraq.

The bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks in the US reported last week there had been contact between Iraqis and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, but there was no evidence of a collaborative relationship.

"It was wrongful of the Bush administration to bring on the war against Iraq," the Uri Party said in an English-language statement. "Even worse, the administration is losing the justification of occupation policy in Iraq."

The party said military operations against North Korea based on wrong or distorted information could lead to serious results because the South Korean government relies heavily on information from the US. Multilateral talks are seeking to persuade North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.

"We urge that the Bush administration guarantee that such kind of decision-making based on false and distorted information as in the case of Iraq will not occur on the Korean peninsula, by sharing nuclear and military information on North Korea with Seoul," the party said.

The Uri Party supports President Roh Moo-hyun and has a majority in parliament.

The party did not comment directly on a crisis over the kidnapping by Iraqi militants of a South Korean businessman. The militants said on videotape they would behead the man if Seoul did not reverse a decision to send troops to Iraq.

"The administration is criticized for the fact that the war is not for stopping the terrorist attacks, but for increasing them and putting the US and the alliances in a dangerous situation," the party said.