Abrams Fails to Attend House Hearing

WASHINGTON — Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams, under intense criticism on Capitol Hill in the Iran- contra affair, cited a scheduling conflict Thursday when he did not appear before a House panel discussing another subject.

Abrams sent a deputy, Richard Holwill, to testify about the situation in Panama before the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Western Hemispheric affairs. Aides said Abrams was meeting with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who is in Washington on a private visit.

Rep. George W. Crockett Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the House subcommittee, said he was “as surprised as everyone else” when Abrams failed to appear, although he said he leaves it to the staff to schedule witnesses.

Abrams has been criticized for misleading Congress about government involvement in aiding the Nicaraguan contras at a time when official U.S. assistance was banned.