Here's What Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkison Noticed During Wednesday's Benghazi Hearing

Journalist Sharyl Attkisson, who recently resigned from CBS News, dissected former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell’s Wednesday testimony on the infamous Benghazi talking points. She not only outlined his claims in detail on Twitter, but she also produced a new article on her website, SharylAttkisson.com.

She noted that it's still unclear "why federal officials seemed so confused and provided so much contradictory info about how the talking points evolved."

If you don't like my series of tweets on topics then you may as well unfollow now, because one is coming on the Benghazi talking points.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

It’s unclear why federal officials seemed so confused and provided so much contradictory info about how the talking points evolved.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

On Fri. Nov. 16, 2012 CIA Dir. Petraeus told members of Congress the CIA didn't remove “terrorism” and “al Qaeda.”

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

But today, Morell testified under oath that it was the CIA that removed “al Qaeda” and that he, personally, made other edits.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson)

April 3, 2014

Morell didn’t offer this info when asked by Congress in earlier private and public appearances.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

After Petraeus’ Nov. 2012 statement that the CIA didn’t revise the talking points,

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

CIA officials told reporters that the edits were made at a "senior level in the interagency process” ...

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson)

April 3, 2014

...so as not to tip off al Qaeda as to what the U.S. knew, and to protect sources and methods.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Soon thereafter, another reason was given.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

A source from the Office of the Dir. for National Intel. told CBS News' Margaret Brennan that ODNI made the edits...

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

...as part of the interagency process because the links to al Qaeda were deemed too "tenuous" to make public.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Then, later in Nov. 2012, Morell provided yet another account. In a meeting w/ Rep. Senators McCain (R-AZ), Graham (R-SC) and Ayotte (R-NH),

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell stated that he believed it was the FBI that removed the references "to prevent compromising an ongoing criminal investigation."

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

But it was just a matter of hours before there was yet another revision.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

A C.I.A. official contacted Graham & said Morell "misspoke" and that it was, in fact, the CIA, not the FBI, that deleted al Qaeda references

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Today, Morell said, “I got it wrong and said the F.B.I. when in fact the C.I.A. was the one who took it out of the talking points...

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell says he corrected the record within two to three hours of his Nov. 2012 mistake.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Today, Morell stated that the C.I.A. believed then, and that he still believes, “some of the attackers” were “affiliated with al Qaeda.”

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

That information, too, was edited out of the talking points but Morell said he was not personally responsible for that CIA word change.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

When asked who did, Morell answered, “The group of officers from our office of Congressional affairs and our office of public affairs.”

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

But previously, government public affairs officials had vehemently denied that any federal public affairs officials made edits.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell acknowledged personally removing the word “Islamic” from the phrase “Islamic extremists” in the talking points two reasons:

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

so as not to further inflame passions in the Islamic world and because “what other kind of extremists are there in Libya?”

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell also acknowledged removing the talking points disclosure that CIA had provided “warnings” to the State Dept. prior to the attacks.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell’s boss, Petraeus, wanted the mention included but Morell deleted them.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell went against his own agency on this point in defense of Secy of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell said he felt the CIA was thumping its chest and unfairly heaping blame on the State Dept.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

No word on why CIA Director Petraeus was subservient to his number two, Morell, on editing the talking points.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Petraeus was under FBI investigation for his alleged extramarital affair at the time but Morell says he was unaware of that.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

Morell has now been hired by a PR firm operated primarily by former Hillary Clinton and Obama administration officials.

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

And I'll spare you more on Twitter--but you can read more at https://t.co/NOHye7FYSo

— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) April 3, 2014

After that lengthy Twitter tirade, Attkisson directed users to her website where she produced on of her first reports since resigning from CBS News.

You can read the full report here.