Matt Damon: Snowden Did 'Great Thing' for Country

Actor Matt Damon has offered strong praise for National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

"He certainly seemed like a very conscientious guy," Damon said in an interview with Husam Asi of the BBC Arabic TV show "Alternative Cinema."



"I think it’s a great thing he did," Damon said. "These revelations are pretty incredible and pretty shocking and fly in the face of public statements all these officials have made."

Damon played a CIA agent in "The Good Shepherd" and the "Bourne" movie series.

"If we're going to trade our civil liberties for our security, then that should be a decision that we collectively make. It shouldn’t be made for us," Damon said.

"The question. is how to keep ourselves safe and hang on to our civil liberties. To what degree are we willing to sacrifice those liberties for our security? That’s something everyone needs to talk about. It’s not something that should be just done."

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