The emails show that the CIA on Sept. 14, 2012 drafted the requested talking points regarding the attack and removed references to al-Qaida and changed Benghazi "attacks" to Benghazi "demonstrations" before the White House saw the talking points.
"The attacks in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the US Embassy in Cairo," read one phrase in the original talking points.
That was changed later that afternoon to read: "the demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests" because senior administration officials said it was deemed an awkward account of events.
The original memo referred to "Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qai'da" participating in the attack, but the reference to extremists was later couched and the reference to al Qaida was removed citing the ongoing FBI investigation.
The emails show those changes were made before concerns expressed by the State Department.
Victoria Nuland, who served as State Department spokeswoman, expressed concern over the CIA's version of the talking points which included security warnings. Senior administration officials said Wednesday that CIA deputy director Michael Morell supported those changes independently prior to being aware of Nuland's concerns.
One page in the 100 page document dump includes handwritten notes from Morell, including a mistake where officials say the director accidentally redacted a bullet point.
The emails show the White House's claim to have requested a "stylistic" change-- Benghazi "consulate" to "diplomatic post"-- to be true.
A senior administration official told reporters Wednesday that the White House had taken the step of releasing the emails-- as they were provided to members of Congress-- following misinformation regarding the exchanges and allegations of a coverup.
Republicans have charged that the White House played down the role of suspected terrorists in the attack, which left four Americans dead including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. GOP lawmakers have said that President Barack Obama's reelection campaign did not want to undermine its message that al-Qaida was on the run. Obama has flatly denied any attempt to deceive the public, and on Monday he called the allegations a "sideshow" that dishonors the memories of those killed.
The documents released do not appear to contain references that would suggest a politically-motivated coverup.
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner released a statement shortly after the White House released the emails Wednesday suggesting that Republicans would not let up on demanding more information about the federal government's response to the attack in Benghazi.
?The House interim report found that ?senior State Department officials requested the talking points be changed to avoid criticism for ignoring the threat environment in Benghazi? and that those changes were ultimately made," Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said. "Those findings are confirmed by the emails released today, and they contradict statements made by the White House that it and the State Department only changed one word in the talking points. The seemingly political nature of the State Department?s concerns raises questions about the motivations behind these changes and who at the State Department was seeking them. This release is long overdue and there are relevant documents the Administration has still refused to produce. We hope, however, that this limited release of documents is a sign of more cooperation to come.?
Some of the back-and-forth has centered on the email messages among top officials looking to craft "talking points" for members of Congress just a few days after the attack. The White House has accused Republicans of pushing "fabricated" messages to damage the administration.
On Wednesday, senior administration officials briefed reporters on the messages and provided binders of 100 pages of emails. The officials said the communications would show that the CIA led the changes to the talking points, including alterations that Republicans claim show a political motive. The officials went through the emails page by page.
Chris Moody contributed to this report.
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