WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (AFP) - CNN paid 30,000 dollars for 64 secret al-Qaeda videotapes which its reporter Nic Robertson smuggled out of Afghanistan, The New York Times said Wednesday.

Dispelling earlier assumptions that they had not paid for the tapes, network spokeswoman Christa Robinson told the daily that the safety of its reporters had been the main reason for the misunderstanding.

"We intended to not comment on any financial dealings because of the importance of ensuring the safety of our journalists in the field," she said.

"Unfortunately, in the course of doing that we left the impression that we had not paid. We did not mean to do that."

The videotapes, which are being aired in installments, show al-Qaeda operatives training in chemical and biological warfare, as well as al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 1998 calling for a war aimed at "killing Americans and getting rid of them."

CNN officials said the money was paid to a go-between who had access to the videotapes.

"We are absolutely convinced that the money did not go to anyone connected to Osama bin Laden or Al-Qaeda," Robinson said.

Virtually all of the 64 videotapes obtained by the news network -- which span a decade -- pre-date the September 11 attacks, although one features segments from televised news reports, CNN said.

Robertson said an Afghan source passed him the tapes and told him they had been found in an Afghan house where bin Laden had stayed.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Monday that "appropriate" US officials would review the tapes.

US officials said the tapes backed up Washington's accusations that bin Laden's group sought chemical and biological weapons but otherwise seemed to break no new ground.

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