Michael D. Furlong: Overzealous Patriot or Fall Guy?

So was Michael D. Furlong, senior Pentagon official who set up a network of private contractors to spy in Afghanistan and Pakistan beginning last year, an overzealous patriot who overstepped the line - or is he being scapegoated to save more consequential personages or corporations? Only time will tell.

A Pentagon inquiry into the matter prompted by a March expose by NYT says he acted without authorization; he 'deliberately misled' senior generals; and that further investigation of his actions is warranted.

Says the new NYT report: "[W]hen Gen. David H. Petraeus, then the top commander in the region, signed off on Mr. Furlong’s operation in January 2009, there were specific prohibitions against intelligence-gathering, including hiring agents to provide information about enemy positions in Pakistan."

Also, "Mr. Furlong’s network, composed of a group of small companies that used agents deep inside Afghanistan and Pakistan to collect intelligence on militant groups, operated under a $22 million contract run by Lockheed Martin."

The NYTimes.com report is here: Inquiry Finds U.S. Official Set Up Spy Ring in Asia