Hagar Chemali

Last updated
Hagar Chemali
Born
Hagar Hajjar Chemali

(1981-09-04) September 4, 1981 (age 42)
Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Education Barnard College (BS)
Columbia University (MS)
Occupations
  • Political satirist
  • Foreign policy analyst
  • Television personality
Years active2005 – Present
SpouseJulien Chemali (m. 2010)
Children3

Hagar Hajjar Chemali (born Hagar Hadi Hajjar; September 4, 1981) is an American political satirist, [1] writer, producer, television personality, and political commentator. [2] [3] [4] Chemali has held senior national security and public affairs positions under the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations. She comments and writes on national security and foreign policy. [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

Chemali was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, to Hadi and Mirella (née Joakim) Hajjar. [8] [9] Chemali’s great grand-uncle was the first president of Lebanon, Bechara el-Khoury.

Chemali studied Political Science at Barnard College, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2003. She attended Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs where she concentrated on International Security Policy with a focus on the Middle East. She graduated from Columbia with her Master of International Affairs in 2004. [10] [11]

Career

U.S. Government

In 2003, Chemali held an internship position at the United Nation’s Department for Political Affairs.[ citation needed ] She was later hired by the United States government as a Legislative Fellow for the Office of Congressman Christopher Shays in Connecticut, where she stayed until 2006.[ citation needed ]

Chemali joined the United States Department of the Treasury in 2006 as a Special Advisor to then Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, Daniel Glaser. She became a Policy Advisor on the Middle East in 2007 where she remained until 2010. [ citation needed ]

Chemali held a number of policy-making and public affairs positions during Barack Obama’s presidency. In 2010, she became the Director for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council (NSC), where she worked on U.S. foreign policy toward Syria and Lebanon, including during the first year and a half of the Syria crisis.[ citation needed ]

At the end of 2012, Chemali returned to the Treasury Department and became a Senior Policy Advisor on Asia with the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes. In 2014, she became the Spokesperson for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Treasury Department. From 2015-2016, Chemali was the Spokesperson and Director of Communications for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations under President Obama. [12] [13] [14]

In media

After leaving the U.S. Government in 2016, Chemali has occasionally served as a political commentator, speaking mostly as a foreign policy analyst. [15]

Chemali founded Greenwich Media Strategies in 2016, a communications consulting firm. [16] In 2019, she became a Senior Nonresident Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. [17] [18] In 2020, she launched a weekly world news show on YouTube called Oh My World! [19]

Personal life

Hagar married private equity operating executive, Julien Chemali, in 2010; they have three children. [20] Chemali is on the board of directors for the Greenwich United Way and the Serve America Movement (SAM), [21] as well as her alma mater Greenwich Academy. [22] [23]

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References

  1. ↑ The world according to Hagar Chemali at L’Orient le Jour; by Irene Mosalli; published October 9, 2020; retrieved October 16, 2021
  2. ↑ North Korea is sanctions-busting by exceeding oil import cap, U.S. tells UN in new report at CBS News; by Pamela Falk; published June 12, 2019; retrieved October 16, 2021
  3. ↑ Will Nikki Haley put the U.S. in Russia's corner? at Politico; by Nahal Toosi and Benjamin Oreskes; published November 23, 2016; retrieved October 16, 2021
  4. ↑ Trump and Congress battle over Middle East weapons sales at MSNBC; by Ali Velshi; published July 26, 2019; retrieved October 16, 2021
  5. ↑ Shaky cease-fire in place between Armenia & Azerbaijan at MSNBC; published October 10, 2020
  6. ↑ What is the President’s strategy when it comes to Iran? at MSNBC; published June 21, 2019; retrieved October 16, 2021
  7. ↑ Chemali: No Doubt Iran Behind Tanker Attacks at Bloomberg.com; published June 17, 2019; retrieved October 16, 2021
  8. ↑ Hagar Hajjar Chémali: from the White House to the US “Treasury” at L’Orient le Jour; by Irene Mosalli; published March 29, 2013; retrieved October 16, 2021
  9. ↑ Political Poise at Greenwich Magazine; published Tomothy Dumas; retrieved October 16, 2021
  10. ↑ Secure in Her Voice at Fairfield County Look; by Michele Graham; retrieved October 16, 2021
  11. ↑ Alums in Leadership: Politics + Policy at Greenwich Academy; published 2020; retrieved October 16, 2021
  12. ↑ Gay and Marked for Death at New York Times; by Frank Bruni; published August 21, 2015; retrieved October 16, 2021
  13. ↑ U.S., allies call for new UN meeting on North Korea human rights at Reuters; by Louis Charbonneau; published December 3, 2015; retrieved October 16, 2021
  14. ↑ U.N. council plans emergency meeting on reported North Korea nuclear test at Reuters; by Louis Charbonneau; published January 6, 2016; retrieved October 16, 2021
  15. ↑ Fighting continues on Syria-Turkey border despite ceasefire at MSNBC; published October 18, 2019; retrieved October 16, 2021
  16. ↑ KOCHS SPEND LESS on federal politics -- ENERGY SECRETARY Ernest Moniz headlines Playbook Breakfast on Wed. – BOEHNER is back – SCOOP on N.Y. Times international plans -- B’DAY: Michael O’Hanlon at Politico; by Mike Allen; published May 16, 2016; retrieved October 16, 2021
  17. ↑ ISIS in South Asia: options and ways to respond at Atlantic Council; by Aditya Ramachandran; published August 21, 2017; retrieved October 16, 2021
  18. ↑ Economic Sanctions Initiative GeoEconomics Center at Atlantic Council; retrieved October 16, 2021
  19. ↑ Coronavirus — the parallel pandemic at Politico; by Ryan Heath; published May 1, 2020; retrieved October 16, 2021
  20. ↑ Hagar Hajjar & Julien Chemali at Greenwich Magazine; published May 24, 2011; retrieved October 16, 2021
  21. ↑ WHO WE ARE at Join SAM; retrieved October 16, 2021
  22. ↑ Greenwich Academy Graduate Discusses Her Career In Politics at Daily Voice; by Eric Gendron; published January 1, 2014; retrieved October 16, 2021
  23. ↑ The European Magnitsky Law—A milestone with a lot of potential at Atlantic Council; published December 10, 2020; retrieved October 16, 2021
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