CNN defends report based on Chris Stevens' diary

J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya, who was killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, eastern Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. / State Department

(AP) LOS ANGELES - CNN reported on the personal journal of slain American ambassador Christopher Stevens over objections from his family, a State Department spokesman said Saturday.

The news channel, in a story posted online Saturday, said that it found a journal belonging to Stevens four days after he died in a Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Three other Americans also were killed.

CNN broke a pledge to the late ambassador's family that it wouldn't report on the diary, said State Department spokesman Philippe Reines, a senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In a blistering statement, Reines called CNN's actions "indefensible."

The channel said in the story online that it took "newsworthy tips" from Stevens' diary and confirmed them with other sources. Citing an unidentified source "familiar with Stevens' thinking," CNN said that the ambassador was concerned about security threats in Benghazi and a "rise in Islamic extremism."

In a statement Saturday, CNN defended its use of the journal's contents and asked "why is the State Department now attacking the messenger."

"CNN did not initially report on the existence of a journal out of respect for the family, but we felt there were issues raised in the journal which required full reporting, which we did," the channel said.

The public has a right to know what CNN learned from "multiple sources" about fears and warnings of a terror threat before the Benghazi attack, the channel said, "which are now raising questions about why the State Department didn't do more to protect Ambassador Stevens and other U.S. personnel."

Stevens' family was informed within hours about the discovery of the journal, a hard-bound book that included seven handwritten pages. It was returned to them via a third party, according to CNN's online story.

An Italian official took control of the diary from CNN in Benghazi at the State Department's request, and it is en route back to Stevens' family, the department said.

"Given the truth of how this was handled, CNN patting themselves on the back is disgusting," Reines said in his statement.

"Whose first instinct is to remove from a crime scene the diary of a man killed along with three other Americans serving our country, read it, transcribe it, email it around your newsroom for others to read" and then call the family?" Reines asked.

In a phone call with the Stevens family, CNN "agreed to abide by the clear wishes of the Stevens family, and pledged not to use the diary or even allude to its existence until hearing back from the family," Reines said.

But four days later, "they just went ahead and used it," he said.

The diary was first mentioned on-air Friday by Anderson Cooper, following previous CNN reports that Stevens feared he was on an "al Qaeda hit list" but did not mention the journal. Cooper said that some of the information in the reports was based on Stevens' personal journal, which he said CNN came across in its reporting.

In its online story, CNN said it found the journal on the "floor of the largely unsecured consulate compound where he was fatally wounded."

Asked to comment on CNN's report that Stevens was concerned about a "hit list," Reines referred to a news conference last Thursday at which Clinton was asked about it.

"I have absolutely no information or reason to believe that there's any basis for that," Clinton had said.

[razbanny1]

The big question - WHY would Stevens, if he knew the danger, go to Benghazi??? It seems that there is more out there than Townsend or CNN really knows. This man, from what we have read, must have had a really good reason for going on 9/11 to Benghazi... In addition, Fran Townsend and CNN, to take a man's diary against family wishes or interest, is pretty low - something you would expect on FOX.

[htpttyo1]

The really sad thing is that CNN ended up being the only on-site we had that manged to get this information for us or people would still be believing the garbage spewed by the administration. WHY didn't we have boots on the ground immediately from Tripoli securing the site until reinforcements and investigators could arrive to gather any additional information left behind? WHY no immediate securing of the site? Why has it taken us so long to get back there? WHY only a few hour visit? Because this President is so weak - that is American soil - once we occupy it as an Embassy or Consulate. And Rice and Clinton -- their careers are done for having followed him over the proverbial cliff. He set them up to fail. And the idiot that wants to blame the Ambassador, yes - he knew there were risks - but, guess you've never served - sometimes you just gotta do your job regardless, pray you make it another day and trust that those that are in charge will provide what you need to be as safe as possible. 23 years in a uniform here, damn proud of it, but many days you only had 6 when you needed 20, "rules of engagement" that didn't allow you to load your weapons (don't want to look like the bad guy) - or an unarmored vehicle when you needed an armored --- you didn't stay home.............

[Mikeallstevens]

Why is everybody going after Frances Townsend. You all probably never even heard about her before you Googled her. She was appointed by Bush, yeah. But it doesn't me she's a Republican. Obama himself has appointed Republicans to certain positions before. He's also appointed people who don't affiliate themselves with any party. But let's say that she is Republican. What does that mean? She's a CNN contributor. Fox has contributors that are Democrats as well. All she did is recover the documents and expect CNN to sort the rest. It's all out of her hands after that. CNN decided to report it without the consent of the family. Though there are crucial things that the public needs to know about, you still have to wait for permission. But now that it has been released, it does show a weakness in the current administration. If Stevens wrote these in a journal, I'm pretty sure he expressed his concerns to the President, which all U.S. ambassadors do. But I'm sure just in case, he wrote all his concerns down because he knows you can't trust the ones in office completely.

[Mikeallstevens]

Doesn't *mean* to correct the me.

[bluejacket2-2009]

Edit...my bad... the CNN GOP operative who stole private information from Ambassador Steven's diary and reported it to the world is Frances Townsend (not Thomson)....

[iberealcool]

Oh oh....CNN didn't cover up for their boss, Obama, and now they are getting their wrists slapped. Naughty CNN...bad CNN. This is really unbelievable. Not only did CNN have the right to report the exerpts it reported from that diary. CNN had an obligation to report those exerpts. The State Department is horrified because it simply cannot believe that CNN actually did its job and didn't cover up for Obama. This is what happens when the press jumps in bed with a politician. Once in bed...the politicians don't let you get out.

[thefatcat2]

THE DIARY SHOWS HE KNEW -- THEREFORE, -> OBAMA HAD TO KNOW.
This also shows
that obama is lying about this being just a non-planned Mob Attack.
This is the reason obama's state Dept -> is Now criticizing CNN.

[bluejacket2-2009]

Right, Obama is a mind reader too... CNN is being criticized for stealing private information that was just a comment in a journal and reporting it as if the comment was a formal request to the State Department and they ignored it... pure GOP politics by CNN producer Frances Thomson.

[LiBingBing]

I see you drank the CNN AC360 koolaid. It's Obama fault he didn't use his xray vision to read the thoughts of the ambassador's diary.

Shame on AC for trying to insinuate the administration knew about the attacks & did nothing.

[tepeterso]

We are at that stage in electoral discourse where the losing campaign will make up all kinds of charges and accusations to try and lift their failing candidate-aka Romney

[bluejacket2-2009]

CNN is conveniently not allowing any public comments on this subject but this morning on their 8am "Early Start" program brought in the people responsible for releasing Ambassador Stevens PRIVATE journal to the public... Guess who one of the persons defending the action on the show was? Frances Thomson, a former BUSH 43 advisor! No wonder the security issue for Stevens has been brought up by CNN almost 24/7 for over a week! Basically, Frances Thomson stole information in a "paparazzi frenzy" from a private journal and broadcast it worldwide for political reasons!, NOT as she is trying to imply "for the good of America".

And, I want to know why Stevens was away from his secure embassy in Tripoli on 9/11 anyway! No consulate is stocked with enough Marines to beat back an Army of 50 terrorists armed with rocket grenades and heavy equipment, at some point Stevens himself must be implicated in not being prepared and not using common sense...

[Mikeallstevens]

What's up with your infatuation with Frances? All he did was recover it, which he should have. CNN is the one who reported it.

[Buffalo65]

Congrats to CNN and Anderson Cooper for uncovering a real story. The fact that these people were left unprotected by the Obama and the United States government is APPALLING. But the rest of the media seems more interested in focusing on Jimmy Carter's grandson's video tape outing Romney as believing he cant get 47% of the electorate because its going for Obama. Shock and awe. Too bad for Jimmy Carter because if Obama wins, he continues to carry the mantel of the biggest FAILURE in US presidential history.

[bluejacket2-2009]

That's because the Romney recording meets journalism standards of ethics..., Romney himself did not back away from what he said. Stealing information from a private Journal that the family did want to be made public and reporting it around the world is poison in the news media other than Fox News.. Frances Thomson is a GOP operative who needs to be fired by CNN and sent to Fox...

[bluejacket2-2009]

Edit... "did not want to be made public"

[Robert_In_Texas]

If you look at the fact that State Department regulations require that before an ambassador is assigned to a country, a Embassy (building) is established, staffed and a Marine Embassy security detail assigned. It's well known that Stevens was in country before any of these measures were completed. One only has to see that he had former SEALs as bodyguards to understand that the administration jumped the gun. Whether it was to score political points in the US or curry favor with the Libyans, the fact remains that Stevens was placed in harm's way by an inept State Department. If anyone is to be derided, it is not CNN but rather our own leadership for the shell game they keep playing.

[LiBingBing]

If you look at the August 2001 PDB, Boooosh knew about the 911 attacks & let it happen.