>>> THEY CAN READ YOUR EMAIL, THEY CAN COLLECT EVERY DOCUMENT,
THEY CAN LOOK AT YOUR CONTACT
BOOK, THEY CAN TURN THE LOCATION
SERVICES ON, THEY CAN SEE
ANYTHING THAT IS ON THAT PHONE
INSTANTLY AND SEND IT BACK HOME
TO THE MOTHER SHIP
>> EDWARD SNOWDEN, THE MAN WHO
FAMOUSLY LEAKED U.S. GOVERNMENT
SECRETS TO SHOW U.S.
SURVEILLANCE WAS FAR BROAD ERDER
THAN THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMED NOW
SPEAKING OUT IN A NEW BOOK
HE HAS BEEN DEBATED AS
EVERYTHING FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER
TO A LEAKER TO A TRAITOR
TONIGHT HE’S ALSO A DEFENDANT IN
A BRAND NEW U.S. GOVERNMENT
LAWSUIT OVER HIS NEW BOOK.
THE FEDS SAY AMONG OTHER THINGS
IT VIOLATES HIS PAST AGREEMENTS
WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
THIS NEW SUIT IS SEPARATE FROM
THE LARGER CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST
SNOWDEN.
SNOWDEN. HE WAS INDICTED DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION AND REMAINS IN
COMPILE
COMPILE EXILE IN RUSSIA.
TONIGHT BRIAN WILLIAMS JOINS US
WITH EXTRA SPECIAL INSIGHT
WILLIAMS WENT TO MOSCOW FOR SNOW
DEN’S FIRST TELEVISION
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. HE INTERVIEWED HIM FOR THE 11th
HOUR
HOUR LET’S LOOK AT BOTH THESE
INTERVIEWS.
INTERVIEWS. >> I’M NOT SUPPORTED BY THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, I’M NOT
TAKING MONEY FROM THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT I’M NOT A SPY.
IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO END
UP IN RUSSIA
IF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT RUSSIA,
SHOULDN’T THEY BE HAPPY FOR ME
TO LEAVE
TO LEAVE >> DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A
PATRIOT?
PATRIOT? >> I DO.
>> I DO. WHEN MY GOVERNMENT WANTS ME TO
HELP, I WILL BE THERE.
I’M A HUMAN BEING.
I CAN MAKE MISTAKES, I CAN MAKE
THE WRONG CALL
BUT THE REALITY IS THE SITUATION
DETERMINED THAT THIS NEEDED TO
BE TOLD TO THE PUBLIC.
THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND I WOULD
DO IT AGAIN.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY WHY DON’T YOU GO
HOME AND FACE THE MUSIC, I SAY
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE
MUSIC IS NOT AN OPEN COURT AND A
FAIR TRIAL
FAIR TRIAL >> DO YOU PREDICT YOU WILL AT
SOME POINT LIVE OUT YOUR LIFE
AND DIE IN THE UNITED STATES
>> I THINK I WILL RETURN
>> BRIAN WILLIAMS IS HERE, NBC,
FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, FIRST TIME
ON "THE BEAT."
GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, IT’S
GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM
THE INTERVIEW AND IS HE THE SAME
GUY?
GUY? >> THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I’VE
SEEN THAT SPECIFIC MATCHUP
IT’S BEEN A LONG FIVE YEARS.
YESTERDAY I JUST THOUGHT I’D
TAKE A FLYER AND SAY AS PART OF
A PUNISHMENT PACKAGE, WHAT IF WE
GAVE YOU A LAPTOP AND PUT YOU TO
WORK HARDENING OUR ELECTIONS
AGAINST YOUR CURRENT HOSTS, THE
RUSSIANS, WHICH HE AGREED TO
HE IS OLDER, WISER, MAYBE
CAGEYER ON SOME FRONTS
ALL THE SECURITY PROFESSIONALS
WE HAVE TALKED TO SAY DON’T KID
YOURSELVES
YOURSELVES THE RUSSIANS KNOW WHEN HE’S
BRUSHING HIS TEETH, WHEN HE’S
SHOWERING, WHAT HE’S EATING, WHO
HE’S TALKING TO.
THERE’S NO WAY TO BEAT THEM AT
THIS GAME.
THIS GAME. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT AND THAT
GOES TO SOME OF HIS
TECHNOLOGICAL FORTITUDE WHICH
YOU DISCUSSED.
YOU DISCUSSED. LET’S LOOK AT THAT
>> I ACTUALLY OPENED IT UP
BEFORE I USE IT.
I PERFORM A KIND OF SURGERY ON
IT TO PHYSICALLY DESOLDER OR
SORT OF MELT THE METAL
CONNECTIONS THAT HOLD THE
MICROPHONE ON THE PHONE AND I
PHYSICALLY TAKE THIS OFF
I REMOVE THE CAMERA FROM THE
PHONE AND THEN I CLOSE IT BACK
UP, I SEAL IT UP
THEN IF I NEED TO MAKE A PHONE
CALL, I WILL ATTACH AN EXTERNAL
MICROPHONE ON IT AND THIS IS
JUST SO IF THE PHONE IS SITTING
THERE AND I’M NOT MAKING A CALL,
IT CANNOT HEAR ME.
>> YOU’RE NOT REALLY PARANOID IF
THEY’RE AFTER YOU.
>> WOW
>> WOW I, FOR ONE, HAVE NEVER OPENED A
PHONE AND DESOLDERED EITHER THE
MICROPHONE OR THE CAMERA
I MADE THE POINT IN THE
INTERVIEW THAT MOST OF US HAVE
FREELY GIVEN OF SOME CIVIL
LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS BECAUSE
IF YOU’RE INNOCENT, CCTV CAMERAS
IN ALL OUR MAJOR CITIES CAN BE
YOUR FRIEND.
YOUR FRIEND. IF YOU’RE INNOCENT, PERHAPS THEY
CAN CATCH A CRIME BEING
COMMITTED AGAINST YOU, THOUGH I
GET THE POINT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN
UP FREEDOM STEADILY, ESPECIALLY
SINCE 9/11
SINCE 9/11 >> HE ALSO MADE THE CASE IN THIS
INTERVIEW TO YOU, AND HE MAKES
IT IN HIS BOOK, THAT HE HAD
IMPACT, BECAUSE WHILE THERE’S
SIGNIFICANT DEBATE OVER WHAT HE
DID AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR IT,
IT IS TRUE THAT AFTER HIS
REVELATIONS, CONGRESS STEPPED UP
AND DID SOMETHING THAT WE ALL
KNOW THEY ALMOST NEVER DO, WHICH
IS OUT OF THE BLUE PASS A NEW
LAW TO CURTAIL GOVERNMENT POWER,
THE USA FREEDOM ACT.
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
ARGUMENT IN YOUR INTERVIEW IN
THE BOOK THAT HE’S SAYING, HEY,
EVEN CONGRESS REACTED TO ME?
>> HE, I GUESS, IS JUSTIFIABLY
PROUD OF THAT.
YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THE IMPACT
IT HAD IS GREATER THAN THE SHEER
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO READ WHAT
HE DID AND WHAT HE RELEASED.
THIS WAS THE START OF OUR
DROWNING ERA IN DATA AND MEDIA
AND VERY FEW PEOPLE WENT BACK
AND SAID, OKAY, WHAT IS THIS
BULK DATA PROGRAM, AND READ THE
PARTICULARS OF IT.
IT’S A BAD LOOK FOR HIM RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. IT’S -- OF ALL THE PLACES TO
LIVE ON THIS PLANET, WHAT A BAD
LOOK TO LIVE WHERE HE’S LIVING,
AND YET HE IS NOT READY TO
UNDERGO THE PUNISHMENT PHASE
SHOULD HE STEP ON U.S. SOIL
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >> YOU MAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT
POINT, BECAUSE THIS WAS BACK
THEN PRE-ASSANGE AND THE
PUBLIC’S UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
RUSSIA WAS WEAPONIZING
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. WE’RE TALKING TONIGHT AT A TIME
WHERE I’M SURE IN YOUR BROADCAST
YOU MAY TOUCH ON THIS, THE
SENATE IS STAYING OPEN LATE
TONIGHT TO DEAL WITH GUNS.
YOU HAVE BEEN COVERING THESE
STORIES FOR SO LONG IN REALLY
AMERICA’S LIVING ROOM.
WE WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT,
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE YOU’VE
COVERED SO MANY HEART-BREAKING
MASS SHOOTINGS
MASS SHOOTINGS SO LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT IT ON
THE OTHER SIDE
>> TODAY WAS THE LARGEST SINGLE
MASS SHOOTING IN UNITED STATES
HISTORY, THAT IT HAPPENED IN A
SCHOOL
SCHOOL GOOD EVENING FROM THE CAMPUS OF
VIRGINIA TECH.
VIRGINIA TECH. THIS IS EASILY THE SADDEST PLACE
IN OUR NATION TONIGHT.
KILLED 20 SMALL CHILDREN AND
SEVERAL ADULTS
SEVERAL ADULTS SHOTS STARTED -- WERE FIRED
INSIDE A CLUB CALLED PULSE
FLORIDA MOURNS AND WASHINGTON
FAILS TO ACT
THE STAGGERING CRUELTY AND THE
STAGGERING TOLL OF THE DEAD AND
WOUNDED IN LAS VEGAS
>> WHAT DO YOU TAKE FROM IT, AND
AS AN AMERICAN ANCHOR GOING OUT
OVER AND OVER, HOW DO YOU KEEP
YOURSELF TOGETHER WHEN YOU’RE
DEALING WITH SO MUCH TRAGEDY, SO
MANY PARENTS BURYING THEIR
CHILDREN
CHILDREN >> WE’VE SAID THIS ON THE AIR,
YOU’RE FIGHTING THE SAMENESS OF
COVERAGE, EVEN THOUGH OBVIOUSLY
NO TWO LOSSES OR VENUES OR
TRAGEDIES ARE ALIKE.
WHEN YOU FLY INTO THESE PLACES,
AND OFTEN BECAUSE WE HAVE
RESOURCES WE ARE ON A PLANE IN
MINUTES, I LANDED IN AURORA,
COLORADO, THE SCENE THERE WAS
STILL VERY FRESH
VIRGINIA TECH.
VIRGINIA TECH. UP IN CONNECTICUT AT SANDY HOOK,
THESE ARE FOR THAT MOMENT IN
TIME THE SADDEST PLACES IN OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. AND THE NOTION OF A LIFE BEING
ABLE TO CHANGE LIKE THAT, EVERY
PERSON YOU MEET, EVERY STORY YOU
TELL, I WAS JUST TALKING TO HER,
I JUST SENT HIM OR HER OFF TO
SCHOOL, THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IT.
THERE’S NO COROLLARY ANYWHERE IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. THERE’S NO COMPARISON ANYWHERE
IN THE WORLD
THIS IS PURELY OURS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND IT’S STRIKING WHEN YOU THINK
THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT
IS -- AND PEOPLE CAN DEBATE IT
AND FIGURE IT OUT, BUT IT IS HOW
WE LIVE NOW AND IT IS JUST A
DRUM BEAT.
DRUM BEAT. >> IT IS HOW WE LIVE NOW AND
LET’S SEE WHAT THE U.S. SENATE
DOES, IF ANYTHING.
I CAN’T BELIEVE ME YOU DIDN’T
ASK ME WHAT MY FAVORITE ANNIE
LENNOX SONG IS.
>> I ALWAYS LIKE TO TURN TO
SOMETHING POSITIVE.
SOMETHING POSITIVE. >> WHY
>> WHY ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL SONG.
SHE’S A TERRIFIC TALENT.
>> I APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> I PAY ATTENTION
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> BRIAN, GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE