American diplomat
Judith Chammas is a retired American diplomat.[1][2] She was the deputy chief of the Embassy of the United States, Dhaka under Ambassador Harry K Thomas.[3][4] She is the former deputy chief of mission in Morocco.[5]
Career
Chammas warned M Morshed Khan, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, that the 2005 Bangladesh bombings harms the image of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim country.[6][7] Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Jamiruddin Sircar was critical of her comments on the terror attacks.[8] She was also critical of the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack which aimed to eliminate the leadership of Awami League and described it as a threat to democracy in Bangladesh.[9] She call for investigation into the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and its alleged ties with politicians including those from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[10][11]
At a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh, Chammas stated that Bangladesh needed 7 to 9 % growth rate to improve the living standards of its people.[12] She offered American financial support for anti-terrorism operations in Bangladesh.[13] She visited Madinatul-Ulam Model Institute for Women operated by Rahmat-E-Islam Mission.[14] She told Bdnews24.com that the United States government does not discriminate between religious and secular parties.[15] In March 2006, US Peace Corps suspended operations in Bangladesh over fears regarding terror attacks following the arrest of two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh leaders which was praised by Chammas.[16][17] Kamal Uddin Siddiqui, principal secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, told Chmmas that the second in command of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, Mahtab Khamaru, was released on the orders of Tarique Rahman, referred by Siddiqui as Wind Tunnel in reference to Hawa Bhaban.[18] She was instrumental in renaming American Center Library, U.S. Embassy Dhaka after Archer Blood.[19]
Chammas represented the United States at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in 2007.[20] In August 2010, Chammas was appointed the deputy chief of mission in Morocco.[21] She was the U.S. embassy charge d'affairs in 2011.[22]
In September 2016, Stephanie Miley replaced Chammas as the deputy chief of mission in Morocco.[23]
Personal life
Chammas is married to Labib Chammas.[24] Her husband was sentenced to 2.5 year in 2017 for abusing a household staff member from 2010 to 2013 while Chammas served as the deputy chief of mission in Morocco.[24][25] They were staying at a State Department owned house in Morocco.[26]
References