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In Scripted Surprise, Putin Answers Snowden on Spying In Scripted Surprise, Putin Answers Snowden on Spying
(35 minutes later)
One of the most startling moments in President Vladimir V. Putin’s televised question-and-answer session on Thursday came not in an exchange with a Russian citizen but with a surprise appearance by Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive American who leaked a huge trove of highly classified documents related to electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency. MOSCOW — The setup could not have been more perfect.
In a bold poke at the White House, the Kremlin arranged for Mr. Snowden, a former N.S.A. contractor wanted on espionage charges, to appear on camera and ask Mr. Putin about Russia’s own surveillance practices. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, in a televised question-and-answer session on Thursday, had just finished complaining about the time that Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary general of NATO, had secretly taped a conversation between them when he was the prime minister of Denmark and leaked the tape to the press (a charge NATO denied, according to Reuters).
When told that there was a question from Mr. Snowden, Mr. Putin responded slyly, saying, “Well, how could we do without this?” One of the program’s hostesses then said: “We have an unexpected, I would even say sensational, video message. We received it from a man who created a true information revolution by exposing the surveillance of tens of millions of people around the world.”
Mr. Snowden’s appearance as a prop during the tightly scripted show risked legitimizing criticism of him as a stooge of the Kremlin, which has allowed him to remain in the country since June. And there he was: the fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden.
Supporters of Mr. Snowden, however, many writing on social networks, praised his courage in making the appearance, which they said demonstrated his willingness to challenge the use of illegal surveillance in Russia, much as he had in the United States. In a stunningly bold poke at the White House, the Kremlin arranged for Mr. Snowden, who is wanted on espionage charges, to ask Mr. Putin about Russia’s surveillance practices. Told there was a question from Mr. Snowden, Mr. Putin responded slyly, saying, “Well, how could we do without this?”
For critics of Mr. Snowden, his appearance as a prop on the tightly scripted show immediately gave credence to their view of him as a stooge of the Kremlin, which has allowed him to remain in the country since June.
Supporters, however, called him courageous for his willingness to challenge the use of illegal surveillance in Russia, much as he had in the United States.
In his recorded appearance, Mr. Snowden said that he had seen “little discussion of Russia’s own involvement in the policies of mass surveillance.”In his recorded appearance, Mr. Snowden said that he had seen “little discussion of Russia’s own involvement in the policies of mass surveillance.”
“So I’d like to ask you,” he continued, “does Russia intercept, store or analyze in any way the communications of millions of individuals?”“So I’d like to ask you,” he continued, “does Russia intercept, store or analyze in any way the communications of millions of individuals?”
Mr. Putin, a former K.G.B. agent and director of the Russian intelligence service, played up their common professional experience in spycraft. Mr. Putin, a former K.G.B. agent and director of the Russian intelligence service, played up their experience in spycraft.
“Mr. Snowden, you are a former agent,” the president replied. “I used to work for an intelligence service. Let’s speak in a professional language.”“Mr. Snowden, you are a former agent,” the president replied. “I used to work for an intelligence service. Let’s speak in a professional language.”
“Our intelligence efforts are strictly regulated by our law,” Mr. Putin said. “You have to get a court’s permission first.” He noted that terrorists use electronic communications and that Russia had to respond to that threat.“Our intelligence efforts are strictly regulated by our law,” Mr. Putin said. “You have to get a court’s permission first.” He noted that terrorists use electronic communications and that Russia had to respond to that threat.
“Of course we do this,” Mr. Putin said. “But we don’t use this on such a massive scale, and I hope that we won’t.”“Of course we do this,” Mr. Putin said. “But we don’t use this on such a massive scale, and I hope that we won’t.”
“But what is most important,” Mr. Putin concluded, “is that the special services, thank God, are under a strict control of the government and the society, and their activities are regulated by law.”