UPDATE 1-U.S. State Department limits access to its cables

(Adds details and background)

WASHINGTON Nov 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it has severed its database of cables from one classified U.S. government network in the wake of a release of diplomatic documents by WikiLeaks but it declined to say which network.

The State Department took the action within the last week, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.

On Sunday, news organizations published reports on more than 250,000 confidential U.S. diplomatic cables that were obtained by the whistleblower website.

"We have temporarily, you know, severed the connection between this database and one classified network," Crowley said, declining to identify the network.

The cables expose the inner workings of U.S. diplomacy, including candid and embarrassing assessments of world leaders, and their public release has been a deep embarrassment to the U.S. government.

(Editing by Sandra Maler, Editing by Sandra Maler)