Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, accused ETA of terrorist blackmail, while French Foreign Minister, Hubert Vedrine, said the move was ''deplorable''.

BBC: ETA political wing calls for calm

Mr Vedrine, who at the time was a senior advisor to President Mitterrand, also says he only knew of the payments afterward.

BBC: French elite hit by sleaze claims

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine called Russia's reaction to the September 11 attacks in the United States "remarkable, " saying President Vladimir Putin had made a "strategic choice" on the new role of Russia in the world.

CNN: Robertson, Powell