Iran-Contra Figure to Lead "Democracy" Efforts Abroad
Monday, February 7, 2005 at 05:40AM
TheSpook
Elliott Abrams, who pleaded guilty in 1991 to withholding
information from Congress in the Iran-contra affair, was promoted to
deputy national security adviser to President Bush. Abrams, who
previously was in charge of Middle East affairs, will be responsible
for pushing Bush's strategy for advancing democracy. The White House
also announced yesterday that Faryar Shirzad, a deputy national
security adviser for international economic affairs, will take on added
responsibilities for humanitarian affairs, stabilization and
reconstruction efforts. Prior to joining the NSC staff, Shirzad was
assistant secretary for import administration at the Commerce
Department. Before that, he was the lead coordinator of international
trade policy for the Bush-Cheney transition team. The White House
had earlier tapped J.D. Crouch, the U.S. ambassador to Romania, for the
No. 2 job at the National Security Council, under national security
adviser Stephen J. Hadley. Abrams has served as special assistant to
the president and senior director for Near East and North African
affairs since December 2002. He will continue work on
Israeli-Palestinian affairs in concert with Hadley and Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice. Abrams's 1991 plea stemmed from the
congressional inquiry into the Iran-contra affair during President
Ronald Reagan's administration. On Oct. 10, 1986, Abrams, then a State
Department employee, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee that he did not know that Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North was
directing illegal arms sales to Iran and diverting the proceeds to
assist the Nicaraguan contras. Abrams was pardoned by Bush's father,
President George H.W. Bush. [more]
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