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Last week, the House oversight committee posted 166 pages [PDF] of State Department communications from Libya. The documents were not classified, but they did contain the names of several Libyans who have been working various capacities with American officials in Libya. One of the names belonged to a human rights activist who reached out to the U.S. after she was arrested in Benghazi. An unnamed "administration official" complained to Foreign Policy that this woman wasn't "publicly associated with the U.S. in any other way but she's now named in this cable." Other names included militia commanders who had shared intelligence about the new interim government with State Department officials.
Democrats were quick to jump on the committee, and Chairman Darrell Issa in particular, on the weekend talks shows, accusing him of compromising intelligence agents and putting Libyans who help America in danger. David Axelrod said Issa was "carelessly, recklessly putting their lives at risk.” Former White House Chief of Staff and current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said "people around the world will now know that you’re at risk if you cooperate with the United States." Senators John Kerry and Dick Durban piled on as well.