State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she could not comment on a Washington Post report Friday that the CIA station chief in Libya reported to the administration that there was evidence militants attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, during a Friday press briefing.
Nuland also said it was "fair" that the department comments on intelligence information when it suits them, after Associated Press reporter Matt Lee challenged her declination to comment.
REPORTER: On Libya, there are now reports that the CIA station chief in Libya sent a cable within 24 hours about the attack in Benghazi, saying that it was carried out by militants. Did that cable ever cross over and reach the State Department, do you know?
VICTORIA NULAND: Well, I think you know, Katherine, that we never talk about intelligence issues from this podium at all, so I'm not in a position to comment on that here today.
MATT LEE (AP): Wait a second. That's not true. You talk about intelligence issues when you want to talk about them and when it's in your interest to do so.
NULAND: That's fair. [Laughter] And when the intelligence community releases intelligence information into an unclassified format.
