Elliott Abrams appointed as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor

In his capacity as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Global Democracy Strategy, Mr. Abrams will assist Mr. Hadley in work on the promotion of democracy and human rights, and will provide oversight to the NSC's directorate of Democracy, Human Rights, and International Organization Affairs and its directorate of Near East and North African Affairs. Working with Secretary Rice and Mr. Hadley, he will maintain his involvement in Israeli/Palestinian affairs.

From SourceWatch:

Elliott Abrams, a graduate of Harvard (69; 73), is considered to be a "neo-con". He was appointed to the National Security Council by George Walker Bush. He served as Assistant Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan.

Abrams is a signatory of the January 26, 1998, Project for the New American Century (PNAC Letter (http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm)) sent to President William Jefferson Clinton.[1] (http://www.channel4.com/news/2003/special_reports/pnacletter.html)

He is associated with the Committee on U.S. Interests in the Middle East and has ties to the Hudson Institute and the Center for Security Policy (CSP). Abrams was heavily involved in the Iran-Contra scandal.

In 1991, Abrams was indicted by the Iran-Contra special prosecutor for giving false testimony before Congress in 1987 about his role in illicitly raising money for the Nicaraguan Contras. He pleaded guilty to two lesser offenses of withholding information to Congress in order to avoid a trial and a possible jail term.

He was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush along with a number of other Iran-Contra defendants on Christmas night 1992.