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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| In Scripted Surprise, Putin Answers Snowden on Spying | In Scripted Surprise, Putin Answers Snowden on Spying |
| (5 months later) | |
| MOSCOW — The setup could not have been more perfect. | |
| 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). | 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). |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| And there he was: the fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden. | And there he was: the fugitive former National Security Agency contractor Edward J. Snowden. |
| 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?” | 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. | 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. | 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 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.” |