Do you think Snowden's question to Putin on Russian state TV was staged?

[Cali_Democrat]

(CNN) -- Months after accepting asylum in Russia, fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden on Thursday asked Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's own surveillance practices.

"Does Russia intercept, store or analyze in any way the communications of millions of individuals?" Snowden asked in English via a video link during Putin's annual question-and-answer program, which was broadcast on state television. "And do you believe that simply increasing the effectiveness of intelligence or law enforcement investigations can justify placing societies, rather than their subjects, under surveillance?"

Putin responded that Russia has a special service that bugs telephone conversations and Internet communications to fight crimes, including terrorism, but only with court permission and only "for specific citizens."

"So, the mass character is something we do not have and cannot have," Putin said in Russian

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/17/world/europe/russia-snowden-putin/

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	Yes, it was staged.
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	No, it was not staged.
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[Peacetrain]

1. I have my suspicions..

[Democracyinkind]

2. LoL. Paging Sherlock...

[Cali_Democrat]

5. :)

[BenzoDia]

3. Hell yeah it was. Having worked at the NSA, Snowden would already know the answer.

Russia doesn't conduct unwarranted mass surveillance on it's population? C'mon now.

[Skraxx]

4. How embarrassing for Snowden, to be trotted out like Putin's pet

to perform.

But I guess that's exactly what he is, isn't it?

[arely staircase]

6. snowden is smart enough to know how bad it looks on him

but he had no choice but to go along.

[Whisp]

7. That's what he is. Now, talking about embarassment...

Let's see how the Snowden fanclub reacts to this. I think there will be some real doozies, not the DUzies kind tho. But they will be funny!

[Egnever]

8. Of coooooouuurse!

And likely not the first or last time Snowden will be used.

[JI7]

9. poor greendwald, things were going well with celebrating that prize

and snowden pisses over it with this.

[MohRokTah]

10. ...