While it's probably true, I can't help but wonder about the somewhat dubious nature of the article.
Nobody from the French or German governments ever "supported" Saddam Hussein, as the article suggests. The line was always "We think Saddam is a bastard, but we also think going to war is a really stupid idea, and no good can come of it." The evidence the independant is citing comes from - in their words - "The US-backed Iraqi Governing Council," not something to be underestimated in this, the year of a US Presidential election, when a certain president is started to get a little flustered about the whole "Sorry.... ummm... yeah...so we're still looking... we'll find them soon. Honest" WMD fiasco.
You want a financial reason for France saying no to the war? Iraqi foregin debt. That's your reason. Iraq owed millions to France for a whole heap of hardware before the war. Because of the war, France isn't likely to see a cent of the debt repaid after the US bullied them into forgiving it "For the sake of the Iraqi people."
While I don't doubt the integrity of the independant more than I doubt any other paper, I think they've been led astray by a somewhat biased source. I'd want to see the original documents and find out alot more about where they came from before I passed judgement on the accusations., because the accusations seem to me to be very well timed to deflect attention from another certain bit of dishonesty regarding Iraq.