If you want to be pedantic, why didn't you mention the article title "Says" instead of "Said"?
This is the kind of false-correction that kills instead of invites discussion, as it has really nothing to do with the article, nor what the comment was adding to it. They were maintaining the article's tense. Just like the author did when they wrote the title with "says" even though it was past tense by then, too.
A non-cynical person would easily understand "He would know Vladimir Putin is/was a bigger threat than Isis, at the time he said so" without fear of being completely derailed from all semblance of meaning and intent.
Khoi were kings until those bastards up north cross bred with Neanderthals, and for the rest of history those cross breeds thought they were the best thing ever and killed and dominated everyone else. Now they call themselves European. Super arrogant, violent race of hominids. Not to be trusted.