“Today marks the deadliest day of the Iraq war for America ’s armed forces. It has been reported that 30 Marines and a Sailor died in a helicopter crash in Anbar province and six others were killed in action elsewhere in Iraq.

According to initial reports, at least four of those killed in the crash were from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and many of the others were based in Hawaii.

My condolences go out to the family members of today’s casualties and those of the other men and women who have died since Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

California has been particularly hard hit, with at least 164 men and women members of the armed forces killed since the war began.

With the Iraqi elections only a few days away, it is my hope that Iraqi citizens will reject violence and embrace this opportunity for a better future.”