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Friday 3 November 2023
U.S. Senate circumvents Tuberville holds and confirms new Air

Force head, first female on Joint Chiefs

Continued from Front presented to her. She is su- ocratic administration insti-
perbly prepared to be the tuted the policy after the
Franchetti’s historic confir- chief of naval operations.” Supreme Court overturned
mation as the chief of na- Reed said that Franchetti’s the nationwide right to an
val operations comes as nomination also marks an abortion, and some states
Tuberville has drawn bipar- important point in history. have limited or banned the
tisan criticism for holding up “I’m glad we’ve reached procedure.
almost 400 military nomina- this moment,” he said. “At “I cannot simply sit idly by
tions in an effort to protest every step of her career, while the Biden adminis-
Pentagon abortion policy. Adm. Franchetti has been tration injects politics in
In a remarkable display, a trailblazer.” our military from the White
several Republican sena- Defense Secretary Lloyd House and spends taxpay-
tors angrily held the floor Austin recommended that ers’ dollars on abortion,”
for more than four hours on President Joe Biden select Tuberville said.
Wednesday evening and Adm. Samuel Paparo, the Confronting Tuberville pub-
called up 61 of the nomi- Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti speaks during a Senate Armed Services current commander of the licly for the first time since
nations for votes, praising Committee hearing on her nomination for reappointment to the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, sev- he announced the holds,
each nominee for their mili- grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, Sept. 14, eral U.S. officials said earlier the Republican senators
tary service. Tuberville, of 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. this year. But instead, Bi- — Alaska Sen. Dan Sulli-
Alabama, showed no signs Associated Press den nominated Paparo to van, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst,
of letting up, standing and lead U.S. Indo-Pacific Com- South Carolina Sen. Lind-
objecting to each one. had been holding down has relented in the case of mand. sey Graham, Indiana Sen.
Allvin is the vice chief of two high-level posts for sev- some top military officers. Several women have Todd Young and others —
staff of the Air Force but eral months because of Tu- Franchetti, the vice chief served as military service read lengthy biographies,
has been serving as acting berville’s holds. of operations for the Navy, secretaries as political ap- praised nominees and
chief, since the previous When Senate Majority has broad command and pointees, but never as lashed out at Tuberville as
top Air Force officer, Gen. Leader Chuck Schumer, D- executive experience. A their top uniformed officer. they called for vote after
CQ Brown, became chair- N.Y., announced the vote surface warfare officer, she Adm. Linda L. Fagan is the vote. They said they agree
man of the Joint Chiefs of this week on Mahoney’s has commanded at all lev- commandant of the Coast with the Alabama sena-
Staff on Oct. 1. Allvin is a nomination to be assist- els, heading U.S. 6th Fleet Guard, but she is not a tor in opposing the abor-
career air mobility pilot with ant commandant, he said and U.S. Naval Forces Ko- member of the Joint Staff. tion policy but questioned
more than 4,600 flight hours Smith’s sudden medical rea. She was the second Tuberville said Wednesday — as Democrats have for
and key deployments in Af- emergency is “precisely the woman to be promoted to there is “zero chance” he months — why he would
ghanistan and Europe. kind of avoidable emer- four-star admiral, and she will drop the holds, which hold up the highest ranks of
If confirmed, Mahoney gency that Sen. Tuberville did multiple deployments, he first announced in Feb- the U.S. military.
could immediately step in has provoked through his including as commander ruary. Despite several high- Sullivan said Tuberville is
as acting commandant, reckless holds.” of a naval destroyer and level vacancies and the “100% wrong” that his holds
temporarily taking over Tuberville has challenged two stints as aircraft carrier growing backlog of nomi- are not affecting military
after Gen. Eric Smith, the Schumer to put each nomi- strike group commander. nations, he has said he will readiness. Ernst said the
commandant, was hospi- nation on the floor — a “She has worked her way continue to hold the nomi- nominees are being used
talized on Sunday after suf- process that could take up the ranks of the United nees up unless the Penta- as “political pawns.” Utah
fering a medical emergen- weeks or months as each States Navy. She has com- gon ends — or puts to a Sen. Mitt Romney advised
cy at his official residence nomination requires multi- manded at sea,” said Sen- vote in Congress — its new Tuberville to try to negoti-
in Washington. ple days and multiple votes ate Armed Services Com- policy of paying for travel ate an end to the standoff.
Smith, who is listed in stable to get around the objec- mittee chairman Sen. Jack when a servicemember All of them warned that
condition and is recover- tion. Schumer has so far Reed ahead of the vote. has to go out of state to get good people would leave
ing, was confirmed to the resisted, hoping to force “She has accepted and ex- an abortion or other repro- military service if the block-
top job last month, but he Tuberville’s hand, but he celled at every challenge ductive care. Biden’s Dem- ade continues.q

The U.S. sanctions more foreign firms in a bid to

choke off Russia’s supplies for its war in Ukraine

and the United Arab Emir- sanctions targeting Russian have shipped aviation
ates in an effort to choke energy production and its equipment, machines for
off Russia's access to tools metals and mining sector. data reception and more
and equipment that sup- Thursday's sanctions targets also were sanctioned. And
port its invasion of Ukraine. include Turkish national Berk UAE-based ARX Financial
The sanctions imposed by Turken and his firms, which Engineering Ltd. was sanc-
the Treasury Department's are alleged to have ties to tioned for allegedly being
Office of Foreign Assets Russian intelligence. The involved in finding ways for
Control target third-party Treasury Department said Russian rubles to be sent
firms and people alleged Turken's network arranged from sanctioned Russian
The U.S. Treasury Department building is shown at dusk in
Washington on June 6, 2019. to assist Moscow in procur- payments and shipping bank VTB Bank and con-
Associated Press ing equipment needed on details designed to bypass verted to U.S. dollars.
the battlefield, including sanctions and move goods Turken and a representa-
Associated Press imposed a new round of suppliers and shippers. In from Turkey to Russia. tive from ARX were not
WASHINGTON (AP) — The sanctions on 130 firms and addition, the State Depart- A series of United Arab available for comment on
United States on Thursday people from Turkey, China ment imposed diplomatic Emirates firms alleged to Thursday.q