What does Hillary Clinton's newly released email on Benghazi reveal?

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, received information on her private email server about the now-classified Benghazi attack. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received information on her private email server about the deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that has now been classified.

The email in question, forwarded to Clinton, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, by her deputy chief of staff, Jake Sullivan, relates to reports of arrests in Libya of possible suspects in the attack in which four Americans were killed.

Because the information was not classified at the time the email was sent, no laws were violated. But Friday's redaction shows that Clinton received information considered sensitive on her unsecured personal server, which came to light just as she was beginning her presidential campaign.

The information was not classified at the time the email was sent but was upgraded from "unclassified" to "secret" on Friday at the request of the FBI, according to State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the decision. They said 23 words of the Nov. 18, 2012, message were redacted from Friday's release of 296 emails totaling 896 pages to protect information that could harm national security and damage foreign relations.

Officials who received the email have been informed that the 23 words are now classified as "secret" and that they should take appropriate measures to protect it in any files they may have, the officials said.

No other redactions were made to the collection of Benghazi-related emails for classification reasons, the officials said. They added that the Justice Department had not raised classification concerns about the now-redacted 1 1/2 lines when the documents were turned over to the special House committee looking into the Benghazi attack in February. The committee retains a complete copy of the email, the officials said.

The email containing the now-classified information is at the end of a chain of communication that originated with Bill Roebuck, then director of the Office of Maghreb Affairs, that pointed out that Libyan police had arrested several people who might have connections to the attack. The redacted portion appears to relate to who provided the information about the alleged suspects to the Libyans. A total of five lines related to the source of the information were affected, but only the 23 words were deleted because the FBI deemed them to be classified.

Roebuck's full message reads as follows:

"Post reports that Libyans police have arrested several people today who may/may have some connection to Benghazi attack. They were acting on information furnished by DS/RSO (Diplomatic Security/Regional Security Officer)." Then follow the five redacted lines. Then the email continues, "That may not materialize. Overall it could lead to something operationally, or not, and it could lead to some news reports from Libya saying there is a significant break in case, or not."

Roebuck's email was sent to a number of senior officials, including the former assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, Elizabeth Jones, who then sent it to Sullivan with the comment: "This is preliminary, but very interesting. FBI in Tripoli is fully involved."

Sullivan then forwarded the email to Clinton with the comment: "fyi."

There was no indication that Clinton herself forwarded the email.

Reaction from committee members to the release of the emails was swift and partisan.

The Republican committee chairman,Trey Gowdy, said the emails were incomplete, adding that it "strains credibility" to view them as a thorough record of Clinton's tenure.

"To assume a self-selected public record is complete, when no one with a duty or responsibility to the public had the ability to take part in the selection, requires a leap in logic no impartial reviewer should be required to make," Gowdy said.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, top Democrat on the Benghazi committee, urged Republicans on the panel to scheduleClinton's public testimony and "stop wasting taxpayer money dragging out this political charade to harm Secretary Clinton's bid for president."